Harbor Springs, MI—More than 100 people attended an open house and dressage demonstration at Brek N Ridge Farm on October 9. Spectators enjoyed watching Karin Reid Offield and Mike Etherly demonstrate the art and sport of dressage on several horses. A stable tour and a lengthy question and answer session were also included.
The majority of attendees were not horse people. “I want to make horses accessible to more people,” said Offield of her decision to host the open house. “Horses have a wonderful way of bringing joy to people. They are amazing animals.”
Offield and Etherly recently returned from a four-month training session in Europe where they worked with several European coaches including Jean Bemelmans, the coach of the Olympic silver medal winning Spanish team. Offield hopes to share her passion for horses as well as the knowledge she gained in Europe. “I feel very fortunate to have been able to work with such fantastic coaches. I’d like to give back as much as I can with the local residents,” she said.
This isn’t Offield’s first foray into bringing horses to the public. As the co-founder of El Rojo Grande Ranch and Stables in Sedona, Arizona, she created an environment for residents and tourists to learn more about horses through lesson programs as well as exhibitions. Offield has competed through grand prix and has won four USDF Regional Championships at the FEI levels.
The World of Dressage open house at Brek N Ridge Farm was the first of several events scheduled for the upcoming year.
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