Appollo in Color: A Weekend at the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic

By Carolyn Adams, Santa Barbara Chapter

Fellow Santa Barbara Chapter members — this year I had the honor of representing our chapter at the CDS Central Region Adult Amateur Clinic, and I wanted to share the experience with all of you, along with some background on this wonderful CDS program in case you'd like to apply in the future.

About the Clinic

The clinic was held at Twin Rivers Ranch in San Miguel and kicked off Friday evening with clinician Patty Mayer and each of the riders introducing themselves over a delicious pizza dinner, generously hosted by the SLO Chapter.

Patty brought wisdom, expertise and a sense of humor to the weekend, meeting each horse-and-rider pair exactly where they were — whether that was Training Level, Grand Prix, or somewhere in between. It was wonderful to witness each horse/rider pair make noticeable progress from Saturday to Sunday.

After Saturday's riding, Patty demonstrated movements from the Grand Prix on her own horse, Pio, narrating as she rode. She demystified many elements of the Grand Prix, offering valuable insight both for those of us who only dream of riding at that level and for riders already competing at the FEI levels.

I was genuinely impressed by the horsemanship my fellow riders brought to the event, and I learned a great deal simply from watching rides that ranged from Training through Grand Prix. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend — full of quality horse time, camaraderie, and learning.

Many thanks to John Rees and CDS for organizing this event, to our own Santa Barbara Chapter for sponsoring me, to the Baxters for hosting, to my fellow riders, and of course to Patty!

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What Is the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic?

For members who aren't familiar with the program, here's a bit of background from the CDS website:

The goal of the CDS Amateur Clinics is to give adult amateurs the opportunity to receive instruction from eminent clinicians who might not otherwise be available to them. CDS makes every effort to select clinicians who can effectively teach both lower-level and upper-level riders. To keep the selection process fair, participants are chosen by random draw from among interested riders in the Chapters of each of the three CDS Regions. Each clinic consists of an evening lecture followed by two full days of riding instruction.

This year’s clinic for the Central Coast region was held at Central: July 18–19, 2026 — Twin Rivers Ranch, Paso Robles.

SBC-CDS Members interested in participating in the 2027 Adult Amateur clinic should volunteer at either of the Earl Warren Shows or other chapter events and enter the drawing during the Annual Banquet of the Santa Barbara Chapter.

Guidelines for Participation

CDS publishes detailed standing rules and guidelines for chapter participation. Here are the highlights for anyone considering applying in a future year:

Eligibility

• Riders must be CDS members in good standing and Adult Amateurs age 22 or older.

• The same rider may not ride in two consecutive yearly clinics.

• Riders must be able to walk/trot/canter with proper diagonals and leads (Training Level, at minimum).

• The horse must be sound, fit, and in good condition, and the pair must present as a genuine "horse/rider team" — a horse borrowed or loaned just for the clinic is strongly discouraged.

• Riders must be actively taking dressage lessons with their horse for at least the past 6 months.

• An application is required, including a written statement of interest, a short biography of the horse (age, breed, level shown/ridden, accomplishments), and a few sentences about the rider's goals and training background.

Selection Process

• Each Chapter selects its representative(s) by random draw and typically names one or two alternates.

• Winners and alternates are notified immediately after the drawing.

• The Chapter must report the selected rider's contact information and CDS membership number to the Regional Organizer no less than 60 days before the clinic.

What to Expect

• The clinic runs Friday evening through Sunday. Riders should plan to arrive Friday with enough time to get their horse settled in.

• A mandatory rider meeting and a potluck/pizza dinner take place Friday evening, open to riders and their grooms (grooms and trainers are encouraged to attend).

• The schedule is handed out and release forms are signed at the Friday meeting.

• On the two riding days, participants are required to attend all portions of the clinic, including any group discussion sessions.

• Riders should present in traditional riding attire, including an ASTM/SEI-approved helmet with chin strap and riding boots (whips and spurs are permitted), with their horse neatly groomed and tack clean and well fitted.

• For the safety and welfare of the horse, the Clinician, Clinic Organizer, and/or a Committee/Board member present may jointly decide to excuse a horse/rider pair from further participation if there are soundness or safety concerns.

Full details are available in the CDS Guidelines for Chapter Participation and on the Adult Amateur Clinic page of the CDS website.

If you've ever wanted to ride with a top clinician in a supportive, low-pressure setting, I can't recommend this program enough. Reach out to our Chapter board if you're interested in applying for a future clinic!