M&R Equestrian’s New Program Fills A Void In The Wellington Winter Circuit
Training Days
Between them, they boast three Olympic Games, three World Equestrian Games appearances and eight appearances at the Pan American Games. International show jumpers Alberto Michan (Israel) and Juan Andrés Rodriguez (Guatemala) might be best known for their competitive exploits, but together, they’ve teamed up to bring greater attention to their training habits.
These two industry figures started M&R Equestrian Services in January 2020 and, along with it, “Training Days,” an initiative designed to offer riders of all levels an unprecedented opportunity to school over a full course of show-quality jumps, set by FEI course designers.
Every Tuesday, beginning Nov. 3 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, three arenas — two jumper rings and an arena with hunter courses — will be available and set at varying heights throughout the day to accommodate horses and riders of all ages and levels.
Each entry awards a horse and rider combination two minutes and 30 seconds in the arena, allowing them to jump as many fences or courses as they’d like in that time.
This concept provides the perfect horse show dress rehearsal. Once on course, participants face many of the tests they would meet in a show course, including heights and spreads set to spec, as well as colorful and eye-catching gates, planks and jump fillers.
“Training Days can benefit horsemen in so many ways,” Michan said. “They’re a great way to develop young horses and prepare them for the show ring; to create sales videos; to practice [horse show elements like] the open water; and to have a confidence-building experience at a top venue. It also creates an opportunity for trainers to scout multiple sales horses in a single location and in an atmosphere that’s as close as you can get to the show ring.”
With Michan and Rodriguez at the helm, participants can enjoy an experience designed from the rider’s perspective. The result is an event that models modern show jumping and meets current industry needs, with the success and development of both horse and rider at the forefront of every decision and detail.
“We are really looking forward to kicking off our second season of Training Days,” Michan said. “We began this journey last year, because we felt it filled a void in our industry, and the response we got was incredible. Some of the top names in our sport became regular participants. We hope even more riders — of all levels — will come take advantage of this unique opportunity.”
When it comes to the Training Days series, the phrase, “If you build it, they will come” resonates. There aren’t many “off” days in Wellington during the winter season, and on any given weekend, there are multiple show venues to choose from within a five-mile radius. But while prize lists are extensive, so too are the entry fees, with limited opportunities to get in productive training time.
Michan and Rodriguez recognized the need in the sporting community for affordable, productive training experiences that build horses up for a positive experience in the show ring.
When Training Days debuted, some of the industry’s biggest names came out in full force — from former world No. 1 Kent Farrington, to two-time Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden, and several of Michan’s teammates on the Israel Equestrian Team, including Daniel Bluman and Ashlee Bond.
Jim Brandon, located just east of the Winter Equestrian Festival’s home at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, boasts the space and facilities that have and will continue to allow Training Days to grow.
The series is expanding to 24 weeks, and its third hunter arena is an addition from the program’s inaugural year.
The standout amenity, however, is its superior lighting. Training Days expands to its two-day schedule for 12 weeks beginning in January 2021, with Monday evenings featuring a one-of-a-kind opportunity to school under the lights. Before her victory in the CSI5* Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix at WEF in March, Bond could be found at Training Days with her winning mount Donatello, practicing the open water at night. Outside of WEF’s premier Grand Prix events at Saturday Night Lights, opportunities to jump a show course at night are scarce.
“We believe that our Training Days season is the perfect complement to the winter circuit in Wellington,” Rodriguez said. “There are virtually no opportunities to school a horse under the lights before going into the show ring for a major event like a Saturday night Grand Prix, but Jim Brandon affords us the ability to offer that and so much more. We are very excited to get underway with our season and build upon what we started last year.”
A variety of individualized sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2020-21 Training Days season. For more info., contact Liz Porath at lizporath@aol.com.
To learn more about M&R Equestrian’s Training Days, including updated weekly schedules and timing, follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MREquestrianServices and Instagram @mrequestrianservices.
