The Houghton Equestrian Center will host the Region 5 Certification Horsemanship Association (CHA) Conference from March 31 to April 1. The conference is a series of workshops designed to help riders from all over the area improve their skills from specialty instructors. Attendees can choose from ten different workshops to attend. All the workshops are scheduled for different times, so guests have the option of doing one or all.
The CHA is a group that offers distinction to schools and instructors who they deem meet specific equine standards. “Our facility is CHA certified, it meets a certain level of standard for teaching and facilities,” said Lauren Grifoni ‘19, an equestrian major. “Your facility doesn’t have to be CHA certified,” added Andrea Crickard ‘17, another member of the program. According to Grifoni, not only is Houghton’s equestrian center one of the nicest in the area, it is also one of the only facilities certified by the CHA. The combination draws a lot of people from the area to events, like the conference, that the center holds.
Houghton’s association with the CHA does not stop at being CHA certified. According to Grifoni, Houghton’s equestrian program director, Jo-anne Young is also the CHA Region 5 Director. However, that connection does not automatically mean that Houghton would be selected to host the event. “It’s kind of cool, and kind of an honor that we were selected to host the event,” said Grifoni. “We’re small, tiny little Houghton, and we’re getting to host the regional conference. It’s a big deal.”
Small as Houghton College may be, this honor is not out of the ordinary for the Equestrian Program. They were named one of “20 most amazing college Equestrian Centers” by Best Value School earlier in March, and recently received a large anonymous donation that will enable them to expand their indoor riding arena.
The workshops offered as part of the conference all focus on teaching, rather than on riding specifically. “Workshops aim at helping instructors improve teaching techniques and develop and educated eye,” the registration form reads. The sessions focus on things like “the power of self evaluation,” “teaching sidepassing,” and “teaching skills vs. Traffic Control.” According to Grifoni, out the of the ten workshops offered, there is something for everyone. Each individual workshop is ten dollars, one full day of five workshops is fifty dollars, and all workshops together cost seventy-five dollars. Workshops are taught by qualified instructors, and lunch is included in the price of a full day.
Although the conference is open to anyone who might wish to participate, according to Larissa Strappello, the coordinator of the event, it is especially beneficial to those interested in CHA certification. She said, “The conference is one way riding instructors who are certified through CHA can obtain continuing education hours towards the twenty-five hours they must have every three years to maintain their status as CHA certified instructors.” Strapello added the event is “a great day of learning and connecting with other equine enthusiasts.” Grifoni echoed the sentiment, saying she was looking forward to the event.