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y name is Ellie Stine-Masek, and I had my start with dressage with the Westchester-Fairfield Dressage Association and Major Edward Renom. Upon high school graduation, I won a three-week scholarship to the American Dressage Institute (before USDF existed) in Saratoga Springs, New York.
I came to Arizona from Connecticut in October 1974 with my Third Level Thoroughbred mare Tara Ebony. I immediately got involved with the Arizona Hunter/Jumper and Dressage Association, which was pre-ADA, and rode in clinics with Jeff Moore, Max Fanninger, Liz Searle, and Charles de Kunffy. I served as president of Arizona Dressage Association for two years in 1977 and 1978. Back then we were still begging people to fill our annual spring show, and there were no Warmbloods.
In 1977, I purchased a cremella appendix Quarter Horse mare, who had been a Regular Working Hunter and Open Jumper. This horse was Cameo, the wonderful horse that took me to the National Sports Festival (pre-Olympic Festival), and eventually to the Grand Prix level. Shirley Rector had become serious about learning dressage at this time, and she started bringing world-class coaches to Arizona. She always invited me with Cameo to participate in her clinics. These clinics gave me the opportunity to learn from George Theodorescue, Johann Hinneman, Christilot Boylen, and Pam Nelson.
I competed on Cameo at Grand Prix in 1985-87 here in Arizona and in California. Cameo was the first Arizona-trained horse to become a Grand Prix horse.
In 1987, Linda Woodward organ
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ized an "r" Learner Judges Program in which I participated. Our class had the privilege of having Jaap Pot from the Netherlands as our mentor. We also benefited from riding and judging instruction from Hanne Valetine.
At the second Pantano Show in Tucson in 1987, I rode Cameo as the test ride for the CDI Grand Prix Special, with very favorable comments from my peers. Unfortunately, Cameo was eighteen, and her soundness was questionable. We did not have all the pharmaceuticals for arthritis and joint repair that are now available. I earned my AHSA "r" Judge's license at that show and retired Cameo. She was a tough act to follow. It took me several years to find another horse with the character and heart (and inexpensive enough) to develop to the FEI level.
Traxx, my Anglo/Trakehner gelding, came to my barn in 1991. His owner, Jo Lewandowski, allowed me to partner with her in 1992. I earned my USDF Silver Medal in 1998 on Traxx. He allowed me to achieve the necessary FEI scores for "S" Judge's Program.
In 1991, I attended the AHSA "R" Judge Training Program in Florida, where our instructors were Edgar Hotz and Anne Gribbons. I ultimately received my "R" license. Also in 1991, I had the opportunity to spend a month in Germany at Hof Herrenberg with fellow Arizona rider Cecily Laub. It was there that I got an idea of how intense and dedicated German riders can be.
After all of the marvelous experiences with world-class trainers and judges, most of whom had come to Arizona, I thought that I had a very solid understanding of dressage and that I was an accomplished horsewoman.
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Then I met my husband, George Masek, Jr., who introduced me to the concepts of Natural Horsemanship. George had already spent his life with horses, and together we became students of the horse an learned how to look at things from the horse's point of view.
The natural horsemanship approach has taught me how to deal with the horse's mental and emotional issues, as well as the physical training. It has taught me to be more creative in training and teaching, and how important it is to establish good horsemanship from the ground up.
I now live on a working cattle ranch in southwest Arizona, where I have enjoyed the pleasures of working cattle and riding in country where no sane DQ would ever go. Horses out here are not just trained for perfection in the competition arena. Their job, and very often our safety, depends on a trustworthy equine as partner.
In the millennium, I look forward to sharing my love for horses with others as rider, teacher, trainer and judge.
This column will showcase TDC local talent--instructors, amateurs, or juniors. Please submit your article by the 15th of the month prior to publication to Transitions Editor, 9527 E. Millmar, Tucson, AZ 85730. THANKS!
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