From Northern California to Massachusetts, athletes who took part in the 2026 USEF Dressage Training Series clinics say the experience delivered far more than just expert instruction.
The USEF Dressage Training Series gives selected athletes the chance to work with some of the sport's most respected competitors and trainers closer to home, without the cost and travel top-level coaching usually demands. Open to athletes at all FEI levels, the 2026 series brought Guenter Seidel, USEF Dressage Assistant Pathway Coach, to Woodside, Calif., on March 7-9, and George Williams, USEF Dressage High-Performance Pathway Development Advisor & Youth Coach, to Tucson, Ariz., on May 9-10. In the fall, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz, USEF Dressage Assistant Pathway Coach, led the Lexington, Ky., clinic on Oct. 10-11, followed by Olympian Marcus Orlob in Gladstone, N.J., on Oct. 17-18.
The USEF Dressage Pathways Program Training & Evaluation Sessions offered additional opportunities for athletes and their horses in 2026, including in Wellington, Fla., which hosted Development & Young Horse Program sessions with both Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Christine Traurig, USEF Dressage Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor, on Jan. 26-27 and Feb. 23-24, while Southern California welcomed Guenter Seidel on March 30-31 for an open program session. Two participants, one from each coast, shared what the clinics meant for their horses, their individual programs, and the impact that the training sessions provided for their short- and long-term goals in the sport.
West Coast: New Goals and Making Progress
For Jaclyn Pepper (Santa Rosa, Calif.), the series arrived at a pivotal moment. This past season was the “freshman year” for her mare Limited Edition, a 2016 U.S.-bred KWPN mare (Dante Weltino OLD x Contango), also known as “Ellie,” at the Grand Prix level. Pepper had set her sights on qualifying for the USEF Grand Prix National Championship in Ocala, Fla., and she felt participation in the clinics would help make sure the duo were on the right track in their training. Riding in the clinics with instruction from Guenter Seidel and Christine Traurig, whose styles she calls "very complimentary" in their approaches, gave her a clear picture of what she needed to do to get there.
"Having the opportunity to train with [Guenter] and say, 'Look, I'm trying to do this, what is the path I need to be on?' was really, really valuable," Pepper said. "I was able to accomplish that goal, and I think these clinics are definitely a piece of that."
The frequency of the clinics mattered, too. Pepper, who owns her mare outright, said having sessions spaced throughout the year allowed her to go home, work on what she had learned, and return with progress to show.
"It's still fresh enough in your mind, but you've made progress since then. You get to check in," she said.
Beyond the training itself, Pepper pointed to the community that has grown among Northern California riders. Evenings spent at dinner and conversation, away from the pace of a horse show, has turned a group of competitors into friends.
"This sport can be so individual and isolated and so competitive," she said. "Here in Northern California, we have a really wonderful, supportive group of people."
Looking ahead, Pepper will spend the winter in Florida for the first time, supported by the Debbie McDonald FEI Riders Fund awarded through The Dressage Foundation. She will train with Anne Gribbons, with plans to do the CDI-Ws and to qualify again for the Grand Prix National Championship, with the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, as a possible goal.
"I've wanted to do this my whole life, and I feel like I'm finally at the point where I'm going for it," she said.
East Coast: Bringing it Back to the Basics
Carly Collari, who runs a small dressage training program south of Boston in Plympton, Mass., attended the clinic for the second time this year. She first participated with her U.S.-bred Hanoverian, Rafaello, a 2020 gelding (Rocky Lee x Fling), who is known as “Jello” at home, whom she bought at 4 months old and started herself.
This year, she brought Jello back along with two client horses: Sesame LaRue, a 2023 U.S.-bred Hanoverian mare (Sanceo x Good To Be Queen), owned by Christina Lynn, who is known as “Seedling,” and Rubi Santana, a 2020 Lusitano gelding (Lider Seven x Macedonia Santan), owned by Susan Karsch.
For Collari, the biggest lesson was a reminder that the fundamentals matter at every level.
"It doesn't matter what you're doing, whether it's upper-level movements or trying to get a baby horse around the ring — it's all the basics," she said. "It's easy when you're off in your own little world of training to forget that."
At the Gladstone clinic with Marcus Orlob, the setting also gave her young horses valuable exposure. Sesame LaRue, who Collari describes as sensitive with "big feelings," handled the five-to-six-hour trip and the busy atmosphere better than expected. Access to this level of instruction is not easy to come by in Massachusetts, Collari noted, and the clinics also gave her ideas to bring back to her own students.
Her advice to future invitees is simple: go, and if possible, stay on site. In her first year, the barn was quiet. This year, several other riders stabled there, and the camaraderie made a difference.
"I know it's an individual sport, but it seems a little less individual," she said. "It's not all social media superficial. It's nice to meet people in real life."
Next season, Collari plans to take Seedling to the 4-year-old classes, and Jello will return to Florida for the winter as the pair continue working through the Third and Fourth Level challenges.
A Shared Takeaway
Whether in California or New England, both riders described the same outcome: sharper goals, a clearer path, and a stronger sense of connection to the riders around them. For anyone weighing an invitation to a future clinic, their message is the same.
"I can't encourage enough people to take the opportunity," Pepper said.
Collari put it even more simply: "You should absolutely go."
For athletes and horses working toward competition at FEI levels, USEF dressage clinics offer a chance to explore a new approach to training and focus on the next steps in their development. Offered through the USEF Dressage Training Series or as Pathway Program Training & Evaluation Sessions, the clinics provide one to two days of instruction while helping USEF learn more about each combination’s goals and identify potential future team combinations.
Athletes can apply online, with up to 10 combinations selected to participate. Learn more about these opportunities and how to apply on the USEF Dressage Clinics page. To learn more about the USEF Dressage Pathways Programs, click here.
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