About Rita

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Rita Timpanaro at 12 yrs. of age winning a Junior Hunter class at Madison Square Garden.

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Rita at 15 winning a USET
class at Ox Ridge.

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Being presented with the AHSA
Hunter Seat Medal Championship Trophy at 16.

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Walking the Maclay course with a group of students at The Devon Horse Show.

As a Rider...
Rita Timpanaro began riding as a child under the guidance of Frank and Wayne Carroll and Bernie Traurig. Rita qualified for the National ASPCA Maclay Finals and National AHSA Medal Equitation Finals for 5 years, beginning at 12 years of age. She rode to blue ribbon wins in the Junior Hunters at Madison Square Garden and placed in the AHSA National Junior Jumper Year-end Awards. At the remarkable age of 13, she captured the ASPCA Maclay National Reserve Championship and went on to win the AHSA (presently USEF) Hunter Seat Medal Championship Finals at 16 years of age

As a Trainer...
Upon graduation from college, Rita became a professional Hunter/Jumper trainer in New York. During her 35 years as owner, manager, and trainer of her barn, her students have competed successfully on the "A" circuit in the hunter, hunter seat equitation and jumper divisions. Rita, a United States Hunter/Jumper Association (USHJA) Certified Trainer, has qualified more than 30 riders for the National Equitation Finals. Her students have earned USEF zone and national year-end awards in the hunter, pony hunter and jumper divisions including championship wins in:
• AHSA (presently USEF) National Pony Equitation
• National PHA Junior Medal Championship
• National PHA Junior Medal Reserve Championship
• Best Child Rider on a Pony at Devon.
• Marshall & Sterling League National Finals Children's Hunter Pony Small Division Championship

As a Judge...
Rita has held a United States Equestrian Federation "R" judge's license for the past 35 years. She is licensed in the Hunter, Hunter Seat Equitation, Hunter Breeding and Jumper divisions. In addition, Rita has traveled throughtout the country judging Miniature Horse Shows!

She has judged major shows on the East and West Coasts and Canada, including Regional, Zone and National Championships. She has officiated at:
• New England Equitation Championships
• Rhode Island Medal Finals
• Connecticut Medal Finals
• CET Regional Medal Finals
• Zone 2 Medal Finals
• Zone 2 ASPCA Maclay Regionals
• Midwest ASPCA Maclay Regionals

In addition, she has judged at Palm Beach, Ocala, Thermal; from New York to Florida to Washington to Canada.

Rita has also judged many Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association shows including:
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
• Holiday Tournament of Champions
• American National Riding Commission (ANRC) National Intercollegiate Championship
In addition, she has officiated at Zone and Regional Championships across the nation.

As a Clinician...
Rita conducts mounted Hunter Seat Equitation clinics throughout the country and recently has been appointed to serve as a USHJA Clinician. Rita is happy to share the system she has developed during her career, with emphasis on basics, both on the ground and on the horse. During the clinic she incorporates exercises to help improve the position of the rider and stresses the influence the rider's aids have on the performance of the horse. Each rider is given the oportunity to work within their abilities and enhance their knowledge and skills. At the conclusion of the clinic, all participants, trainers, auditors and parents are invited to ask questions. Each has the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the system and criteria used from the judge's perspective.

Affiliations...
Rita is a lifetime member of the United Stated Equestrian Federation (USEF) and United States Hunter/Jumper Association (USHJA). She is also a member of the National Professional Horsemen's Association of America, Inc, The American Association for Horsemanship Safety Inc. (AAHS) and The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA). She has served as Vice Chairman on the Junior Hunter Committee and is a past member of the Ad Hoc Measurement Task Force and Zone 2 Hunter/Jumper Committees. In addition, she has served as Vice Chairman of the Long Island Professional Horsemens Association. Presently she is a member of the USEF Continuing Education Committee.

Publications....
Rita has been published in the books Show Rider, The Horse Show, and Horse Show Judging for Beginners. In addition, she has been featured in magazines such as: Sports Illustrated, The Chronicle of the Horse, Horse Show, The Horse of Delaware Valley, Horsemen’s Yankee Pedlar, Today's Equestrian, HorsePeople, and Monarch International’s Show Circuit, to list just a few.