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| Vaulting
Exhibition Highlights November 4 Evening At Metropolitan National Horse
Show
The vaulting exhibition will be performed during the intermission between the two featured competitions on November 4 – the first round of the $50,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Liberty Cup and the first round of the $100,000 Open Jumper Metropolitan Cup. The evening session of the horse show begins at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be reserved by calling 866-NHS-SHOW or on the web at www.nhs.org The vaulters will perform Individual and Team compulsory movements and Freestyle to music. Narration during the performance will describe the action. “We’re doing the demonstration to educate the horse world and spectators about the sport,” said Kerith Ann Lemon, who is the group’s director and mentor. Dating back to the Roman Empire, Vaulting is recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and has been a competitive sport in the U.S. for 35 years. As of 2002, Vaulting is one of the seven United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) High Performance disciplines, joining Show Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, and Reining. “Day by day the sport is evolving and new movements are being invented and named,” said Lemon. “That’s really fun.” Described as gymnastics and acrobatics performed on the back (or other parts) of a moving horse, vaulting requires teamwork between the vaulter, the horse, and the ongeur who controls the horse in a circle on a longe line. Vaulters compete as individuals, in pairs, or as a team. In Team competition Freestyle there are base people and flyers, stacked moves and holds and up to three vaulters can be on the horse at the same time. They perform special mounts, swings up to flying arabesques, or whatever they can do and still be in harmony with the horse and secure in the move's execution. In the Individual Freestyle, vaulters choreograph exciting moves to match their music and personalities as they showcase their dance with the horse. Movements include handstands, cartwheels, and one-legged stands. For the upcoming exhibition at The Metropolitan National Horse Show, the vaulters, who range in age from 12 to 21, will focus on the Freestyle. “If you get really technical there’s a lot of regulations about what types of movements you should have in the routine to create a great composition – it’s similar to the dressage freestyle test,” explained Ms. Lemon. “But basically, the mind’s the limit. Anything you can imagine and accomplish on a horse is allowed. It’s a really creative sport.” She noted that the draw to vaulting is especially tantalizing to young people because, “almost anybody at any level can contribute to the growth of this sport.” The vaulters scheduled to appear on November 4 at The Metropolitan National Horse Show are:
The vaulters will be working with Espoir Ardent, a 12-year-old, 17.1-hand Selle Francais imported from France last year and owned by Nicole d'Auriol. Espoir was trained to vault by Matthias Lang, the 2000 and 2002 Men's Individual World Champion. Espoir competed at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. “This group of vaulters are all about the same level and they all have goals to move ahead,” said Ms. Lemon. “They all want to go to the World Championships someday. They’ve bonded together, even though they’re from different clubs, to help each other, push each other, and brainstorm new ideas.” An international competitor for 10 years, Ms. Lemon earned 22 Individual Vaulting Medals including Bronze at the 2000 World Championships in Mannheim, Germany; Silver at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome, Italy; Silver at the 1996 World Championships in Kaposvar, Hungary; and Silver at the 1994 World Equestrian Games in Den Haag, Netherlands. She retired from competition four years ago at age 25. Ms. Lemon started vaulting as a seven-year-old in California, where she was based until moving to New York City in 2002 to pursue her career in marketing and advertising. She is Head Coach of the Blue Star Vaulters in Suffolk, VA. The vaulters who will perform at The Metropolitan National Horse Show meet monthly with Ms. Lemon in Virginia to train. An avid promoter of the sport, Ms. Lemon teaches clinics and seminars throughout the eastern U.S. She is on the board of trustees for the USET Foundation and on the Vaulting Committee for the USEF. “Vaulting is great for young people because they can have the experience without the financial burden of buying their own horse,” said Ms. Lemon. “It encourages camaraderie and teamwork and is a wonderful experience that the vaulters can use throughout their lives in all aspects of living.” Tickets to The Metropolitan National Horse Show are available in a range of prices and packages. To find out about more about premium ticket packages and passes, please phone the National Horse Show Infoline at (866) NHS-SHOW or visit www.nhs.org For further information on the Metropolitan National Horse Show, contact the National Horse Show Association of America, Ltd., PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548. E-mail: NationalHS@aol.com; Phone: (516) 484-1865; Fax: (516) 484-1982. Or on the web, visit: www.nhs.org |
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New
York, NY – October 15, 2004 – World renowned vaulter Kerith
Ann Lemon is bringing her troupe of seven vaulters to Pier 94 and the
Show Piers on the Hudson to perform an exhibition during the November
4 evening session of The Metropolitan National Horse Show. Scheduled
for November 3-7, 2004, in New York City, the Metropolitan National
Horse Show features five days and five nights of competition with more
than 80 hunter and jumper events and a total purse of $310,000. 
