Mark Stevens Teaches Sold Out Clinic in McAllister, Montana
You might say Mark Stevens has acquired a lifetime of knowledge. He was the first on our back cover on the Equine Chronicle debut issue.
So our ears perked up when we heard that Trainer Michele Tucker Yoder flew him from Florida to Montana to share his wealth of knowledge in a clinic for other Montanans. And of course, it was a sell out.
The highly successful clinic took place May 6-7, 2023, at Meadow Creek Equestrian Center in McAllister, Montana. The two-day clinic, organized and hosted by Michele Tucker Yoder, offered beginning and intermediate Trail instruction on Saturday, and on Sunday, advanced Trail and Western Riding were featured.
“Mark Stevens was amazing!” says Michele. “I flew him in from Florida and he was an incredible clinician.”
Meadow Creek Equestrian Center in McAllister, Montana.
The sold out clinic brought rave reviews from all attendees as well, with a sampling of feedback from two of the participants below:
“Mark had a great way of teaching us to read the trail course,” Maria Jerome says. “He had us walk the pattern on foot and explained the strides in an obstacle as well as how to position a horse before attempting an obstacle, and that it was okay to use the available space to get the best position to and out of an obstacle.”
Hosts Michele and Nate Yoder made sure Mark could see a few moose before he left for home.
Maria says she also learned to take time and let the horse pick its way through the poles instead of constantly holding your horse, as doing this made the horse look more natural.
“What an amazing weekend we had!!” Janice Lorick agrees. “I overcame my nerves (most of them) and stepped out of my little box and into the wonderful world of trail. I met and made some wonderful new friends and strengthened casual friendships into stronger ones. I learned new things about my horse and became a lot more confident. Mark Stevens is an amazing horseman who read his participants beautifully. Under his instruction, you could do no wrong. We could just do better. There was only constructive criticism and positive reinforcement. Thank you Mark, Michele and Nate for a truly life changing weekend!”
See a few more clinic photos below, with a special nod to the fake moose distraction in the course:
