"Whit Watkins Clinic at Retama"

by Liz Moser

Based just north of Big Bend in Ft. Davis is one of Texas's best kept secrets, Whit Watkins.  Perhaps she is not such a secret; you may remember her from last years regionals when she won multiple championship ribbons on her two horses. 

Della Moore talks to Whit

A long time prodigy of Hilda Gurney, Whit has been based out of Sunrise Stables in Ft. Davis for the past 10 years. During that time she has been quietly and systematically training horses, bringing them up the levels and winning both here and on the National scene. 

Miciah (by Leonidas), Whit's 7 year old homebred and trained Trakehner gelding, who won the 3rd & 4th level

USDF/GAIG Region 9 Open Championships November, 2007, in Katy, TX

Last year, in addition to her regional success, Whit had an overall 8th place ribbon at the 2007 USEF/Markel FEI National Young Horse Championships in Lexington, Kentucky. 

Whit in 2007 in Lexington at Young Horse Finals......

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of hosting a clinic with Whit at Retama Equestrian Center and it was quite a success.  Several local trainers participated with their students.  Almost everyone was an ADA member and there were even two members of our local eventing community.

Rene Lopez and Whit.  Whit explaining how she likes the horses to "go."

 There were several different types of horses, from the heavy warmblood that needed to be more responsive to the rider's aids, to the hot thoroughbred who had a tendency to get quick, tight, and down hill.  The riders ranged from training level to fourth level.
 

Rene Lopez and Bob warming up in the trot getting Bob to get round and relaxed for his beginning work.

Whit has trained several horses to Grand Prix and she understands the steady progression of training the
horses up the levels.  Her focus is on clarity of communication and consistency of requests. When I think back on the clinic, the thing I remember most is Whit saying, "the slower way is really faster".  I found Whit's methods to be very sympathetic to the horse and quite methodical in following the training scale.  Before you can move on to the "fun stuff" like flying changes, half pass, passage, and piaffe your horse must be lifting his withers and stretching into an honest contact.  To be able to lift the withers and stretch into the contact the horse has to activate the hind end.  This begins at training level and must be maintained throughout the progression of the horses training.  
 

Susan Hancock riding Whitney working on flying changes

The beginning of the rides often focused on rhythm, relaxation, and contact.  If you did not get the
rhythm, relaxation, and contact then that was where the lesson stayed.  There was not a lot of glitz, just correct riding. It may seem basic but without the correct foundation then a horse can not move up the levels. 

Rene Lopez and Bob riding with Whit working on engagement with suppleness

If there is a hole in the basics then it must be addressed before the rider asks the horse for more.  Again, the slower way is really faster. Thank you to Retama for the use of their top notch facility and ADA for the sound system.  We are planning to have Whit come back in the fall, check the ADA calendar for the upcoming dates and participation information.
 

For more information on Whit go to Sunrise Stables