Triple Play

Preparedness and a strong team behind her enabled Select Amateur Cindy Schrader to pull off a hat trick of pattern prowess.

By Delores Kuhlwein

Select Amateur Cindy Schrader loves a challenge.  One of those challenges comes in the form of patterns at the horse shows, whether they’re designed for showmanship, horsemanship, equitation, or trail.

So though she wasn’t aiming for a triple play of wins over three different AQHA L1 Championships, that’s exactly what she did when she cinched the win in L1 Amateur Select Showmanship with VS Retirement Fund (VS CODE RED x DontSkipZips Version), aka “Robbie,” at last week’s AQHA East L1 Championships.

It was the third in a succession of strong patterns with three different horses over the last – you guessed it – three years.

The first win was with Flat Out Blazin in L1 Select Horsemanship in 2020, followed by a win with Skye Miles to claim the Level 1 Select Hunt Seat Equitation win in 2021.

“I like the patterns simply because they’re not boring,” explains Cindy.  “I need motion because I can’t sit still for very long, and I need that challenge of remembering the pattern.  Patterns challenge the individual more, and the classes really focus on the horse and the rider.”  She says she loves how the point system offers a plus or a zero, and it’s graded more evenly than a rail class because the focus is on one team at a time.

Read on to hear what Cindy, who shows with Wade and Carly Parks, has discovered about the keys to success, including showing the right horses for her and preparedness, in her favorite classes.

 

Q: How long have you been showing?

A:  I started showing in 2005, but I didn’t’ start riding horses until I was 35, and I’m going to be 55 this year.  My daughter started out riding 4H, and she didn’t stick with it, but I did.  I have to say I appreciate my husband, Mike, throughout this journey, as he indulges all my craziness with this sport.

 

Q: What did last week’s L1 Amateur Select Showmanship win mean to you?

A: Goodness, pretty much everything! I love showmanship, but I was not great at it before.  I had a previous horse before Robbie and he’s only five.  Last year at the Madness was the first year I did showmanship with him and it wasn’t very good!

Since then, we’ve been working on rhythm and timing and bringing him up, and we’ve been putting in a lot of blood, sweat and tears so we could go in there and be confident.  I told Carly I woke up that morning and I was calm because I knew we were ready.  I wasn’t nervous, which is not like me, and it felt good to be calm because I was prepared.

That preparedness is from the barn family and all that goes on behind the scenes – all the little things that go into it before you get to the cone – the trainers behind you, the assistants, your barn mates rooting for you, and all those funny little things, like how we tease each other while getting ready.

 

Q:  Tell us about the Equitation and the Horsemanship wins before this Showmanship success:

A: The horse I won horsemanship on, Flat Out Blazin, I hadn’t owned very long and it was the first time I’d tried the L1 Championships.  I was scared to death, and when I won, I balled my eyes out because I couldn’t believe it.

“Sunny” is my heart horse; she’s just amazing and also a young horse I bought as a 3-year-old at one of the Congress shows from Justin and Joy Wheeler.  That year she was with Carly for the first time and she did the Trail at Congress, and out of 165 goes, she was 5^th. Sunny is very naturally talented, calm, and quiet – good for an old lady.

I won the Equitation on Skye Miles, Luca, and I feel like I won the horse lottery with all three I have.  They’re so good for me and all my nervousness. I’m very competitive and I want to do well; I want the horse to be perfect, too, and my elevation doesn’t work well with an excitable horse. I have three really good minded, calm, quiet horses, even for a hunt seat horse to be as quiet as Luca is unbelievable.  When I first looked at him, he was huge and hunt seat is forward and I didn’t know what I was doing, but I got on him and went around and my husband said, “You haven’t stopped smiling.” He allows me to do that pattern until I get it right and he doesn’t care that I’m a little nervous.

 

Q: Winning the three patterns with three different horses is a dream come true for a pattern lover.  Was this a goal you were trying to achieve?

A: I didn’t even register that until Carly texted me last night – I honestly was still on cloud nine because I was third in trail with Robbie, an event I struggle with, but the team behind the scenes made the difference with everything to me. It didn’t dawn on me, but now that I reflect on it, it’s amazing.

 

Q: From what we understand, patterns are also Carly’s area of expertise in the team of Parks Show Horses.  What has she taught you and how has she upped your game?

A: Carly doesn’t miss anything, and she’s fantastic at evaluating and fine tuning.  She’ll watch your pattern, and I’ll be on cloud nine because I remembered the pattern, but she’ll remember where your foot was or where your hand was and know how it affected your performance. That’s what is so impressive – all those details as well as Carly’s own success at pattern classes.

I never really succeeded in pattern classes before I had the support of Carly.  She and Wade both are so talented at reading a horse, knowing what your capability is, and handpicking that horse and preparing it just for you. They both have attention to detail and a willingness to work together; I was struggling with lead changes, for example, and Wade offered to work with me.  Then I went back to Carly to fine tune to make the pattern class pretty.

 

Q:  Many other exhibitors also appreciate the way patterns are scored, like you do. What advice would you give to them about patterns?

A:  Be patient with yourself and with your horse and all of it will come together in time with lots of practice. We get impatient with ourselves – maybe you’re getting it but your horse is not, depending on where you are in your program whether you’re a DIYer or if you have a trainer.  Sometimes I leave to go home and we’re on point, and I come back and find I’m behind and he’s ahead of me.

I’ve done sports my whole life, and I’ve always done running; I know I can push myself to the limit, and I know when to say stop to me, but sometimes I don’t know how to do that with the horse.  It’s all about learning to be a team and not push past a certain point.

Sometimes as an amateur I have to do that pivot 500 times to get it right, and sometimes we’re creating our own problem – again, practice patience and give yourself a bit of reprieve because it isn’t easy, but that’s why we like it.