1. 66 Dressage Today December 2016
transitions
Courtesy,CazenoviaCollege
Three Cheers for the Coach
of the Year
Honoring one IDA coach who sparks students’
passions for dressage
By Kimberlyn Beaudoin
S
itting across from her that night, I could tell how honored she was. After just
accepting the award for the 2016 Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA)
Coach of the Year, Ann Fowler, of Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, New
York, was beaming from head to toe. “WHAT!!!” She had exclaimed in her high
pitch, a sound that many had come to appreciate over the years. Her excitement
was everything we, her students, had hoped for, and it was apparent that she de-
served the award
she was given
when the Cen-
tenary Univer-
sity team cheered
even louder than
we did. She is
someone who
makes a special
impact on every-
one around her,
not just those in
her proximity.
When I look
back on my
collegiate riding
career, I see Ann
by my side the
entire way. Her
nomination for the award was a shoo-in. Current students and alumni from all
over the country stepped up to the plate to honor this person who had guided us,
supported us and laughed with us.
What makes a good coach? I think several things factor in. To my teammates
and me, a good coach is someone who doesn’t sugarcoat things. If you are having a
not-so-great ride, Ann will be the first to let you know. If you are having an amaz-
ing ride, Ann will also be the first to let you know. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ann
without a smile on her face. The way her spirit fills up a room is a powerful thing.
I remember the first day that I met her—Cazenovia College riding evaluations
2012. She was instantly one of my favorite people. She was a little eccentric with
her crazy red hair and her deep blue riding pants, patched with stars and she was
sporting a thick purple headband. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and it was
obvious to me right away that she made
friends everywhere she went.
Dressage is a beautiful sport. What
makes it so unique is the elegance that
a horse-and-rider pair demonstrates as
one. IDA takes that partnership and
builds upon it in a different way. It takes
a special kind of person to climb into a
van with up to 10 college students, trav-
el all across the northeast (sometimes
farther), put them on a horse they’ve
never met—let alone ridden—help them
create that same graceful partnership in
a 10-minute time frame and then do it
again for at least three more students. It
takes an even more impressive person to
do that for close to 20 years.
I was always reserved growing up. I
was quiet and timid and I never felt like
a natural-born leader. At the end of my
sophomore year of college, Ann ap-
proached me and asked if I would like to
be a captain. A little taken aback, a little
nervous about the entire choice, I hesi-
tantly accepted the offer. It took a little
getting used to, but I got the hang of
it. Now that it’s officially over, I would
like to think that I made her proud. She
knew that I could do it and because she
had the faith in me, I began to have
faith in myself.
I only wish that each rider could
have the opportunity to have an Ann
Fowler in her life. It makes things so
much more interesting. She makes
me laugh a little more and worry a
little less. She makes me sit up a little
straighter when I ride and smile a little
more when I look back on my college
memories. It all makes me happy be-
cause if she hadn’t taken me under her
wing back on that warm August day in
2012, I wouldn’t be anywhere close to
the person that I am today. So here is to
excellent coaches. May we know them,
may we appreciate them and may we
love them.
From left: Cazenovia College dressage team members
Leah Forges, Taylor Bass and Kimberlyn Beaudoin with
team coach Ann Fowler.