On Monday June 8th, the Alberta Chapter of the Canadian Sport Horse Association hosted a Symposium, celebrating a century of registering performance horses.
Amy Millar generously spent a day with us and shared her skills and knowledge on Preparing the Young Horse for Competition and Preparing the Experienced Horse for Competition.
There were two groups of demonstration riders: the first group consisted of 5 riders, and horses up to the age of 9. These developing jumpers had limited show experience and, except for one rider, were ridden by professionals. The second group were advanced horses with competition experience, with riders who were experienced competitors.
Amy was impressed by the quality of horses and riders of both groups. “I was really impressed today with the quality of horses and riders that I had the privilege of teaching. When I read their bios, I realized they were all serious riders. It is really lovely to teach people like this because the learning happens so fast. What I didn’t know, was that I was going to see such quality horses – it was a privilege for me to be here today.”
The feedback from the event sponsors and participants was overwhelmingly positive.
Deanne Fairfield, Acera Benefits, shared that “we were so pleased to be able to sponsor and attend the Amy Millar Symposium to celebrate 100 years of Canadian Sport Horse Association. The beautiful RMSJ Norquay Ring, new spectator stands, and sound system made it both easy and enjoyable to listen and learn while we watched Amy coach the demo riders. Joining attendees and Amy Millar in Gobi’s afterwards for wine and charcuterie while bidding on the silent auction items was a fun way to conclude. Overall, a terrific way to celebrate the milestone for the Canadian Sport Horse Association.”
Sara Compton – Head Coach, EPIC Stables: “The Amy Millar symposium on June 8th hosted by the Canadian Sport Horse Association offered an amazing educational experience for riders, coaches, and horse enthusiasts. Amy shared her insight, which has been gained from competing at the highest levels of international show jumping. She combined this with practical instruction and with thoughtful explanation of the principles behind successful training. Amy also emphasised the importance of developing a strong partnership by focusing on correct flatwork, consistency, and the production of confident and willing athletes. She explained not just “what” to do, but how and why it mattered, making complex training concepts easy to understand. Overall, the Amy Millar Symposium provided an outstanding educational experience, highlighting the importance of strong fundamentals, effective partnerships, and thoughtful, confidence-building training through Amy’s clear practical and internationally informed instruction.”
Lindsay Linford, Owner/Trainer Eclipse Equestrian, shared “With a very grateful heart, I would like to thank you (CSHA-AB) for the incredible symposium and opportunity to learn from one of the best. The most important feedback I can give you is how grateful I am, and how incredible it is for Canadian Sport Horse to be making these opportunities available. It was a very educational day, and I was fortunate to get to ride my young horse in the event.”
The symposium series would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Acera Benefits, Jump Alberta, Moore Equine Veterinary Services, Energy Equine, Kim Berlie Photography, and Show Jumping Canada. Also, many thanks to the vendors who donated to our silent auction, your support is so appreciated!
A special mention and appreciation of the generosity of John Anderson in the donation of the venue, and all he does in support of local equestrian initiatives. Also, a huge thank you to the team at RMSJ, Janna and Tanner Tymstra, for all the assistance they gave us in putting together the symposium. We couldn’t have done it without you!
