Alicia Timm is a 20-year old Canadian show jumper with big ambitions. When she finished high school two years ago, she moved to Europe to be in the epicenter of equestrian sport. Her decision has paid off; on June 26, 2022, her first time competing at the prestigious CHIO Aachen in Germany, Alicia and her top horse Loughnavatta ASH (barn name Ash) finished third in the highly-competitive Young Riders competition.
With her long-haired Dachshund puppy Maple sleeping on her lap, I met Alicia in Aachen on Canada Day to discuss her riding background, what it’s like living in Europe, and future goals.
Alicia lived in Germany until she was nine years old, when her parents told her they would be moving to Calgary, Alberta, for her dad’s job. “I didn’t want to move…I was at a little riding school in Germany and I kept saying, ‘No, I don’t want to leave the ponies.’ My dad made the mistake of saying ‘If we move to Canada, I’ll buy you a pony,’” Alicia laughed.
She credits her pony years in Calgary for igniting her love of show jumping. “I had one pony who would win absolutely everything and she was just a speed demon. I loved the thrill of winning. That’s when I thought I want to do this big stuff. I used to just sit at home and watch all the big grand prix, much more than just hang out with friends.”
Alicia initially trained with two top names in the Calgary jumping scene: Frank Selinger and Dayton Gorsline. In her later teenage years, she was based out of the stable Rocky Mountain Show Jumping and trained with World Champion Gail Greenough.
“Gail was the one who really got me going and she was like a mom to me, she believed in me. She found Ash for me, and she was also the person who got me to Europe. She’s been a huge influence.”
The third-place finish at CHIO Aachen last month was all the more important to Alicia, since Gail won the World Championship at that venue in 1986. “It was a big deal for me to come here and jump well because of all that,” Alicia said.
Alicia bought her top mare, Ash, with whom she competed at Spruce Meadows, from Irish breeder Marion Hughes, who offered Alicia a job. Alicia accepted, foregoing university to pursue a professional career with horses. ”My parents always said when I was younger that I needed to go to university, but over the years they were like ‘we won’t be able to get her away from these horses’… they saw how ambitious I was about it, they knew I really wanted to do it,” she explained.
After a stint working for show jumper Tim Wilks, Alicia decided to strike out on her own, launching a business developing young horses. Alicia now lives in Belgium with a roommate, a short commute to her stables in the Netherlands. She currently has two young horses, as well as Ash.
“Depending on how many horses I have each month, that’s how many boxes I rent,” Alicia explained. She only rents the space and takes care of her horses on her own. “I go there in the morning and do the basic barn chores. I do everything myself. I think it builds a better connection.”
Alicia discussed the merits of competing in Europe, where she aims to bring her young horses to the smaller national shows almost every weekend in between the 1* and 2* shows she competes in with Ash. “National shows are sometimes only one day. Like today, my class was at 12:00 and I went there at 11:30 and came back home at 1:00. It’s so good for all the horses.”
Alicia and Maple. (Julie Ma photo)
When asked if it’s been difficult moving to Europe on her own at such a young age, Alicia reflects on the challenges. “It is a whole lot different than Canada. It was hard at first. It was a bit of a culture shock for sure. It was hard not having my parents around all the time.”
It has taken about two years for her to get really comfortable. “I prefer it now, I prefer making my own decisions and doing it on my own… I’m so happy here and I find if I’m going to make it in the sport this is the best place to be. You meet so many people and there are so many horses. Every second street there’s a breeding farm. The sport is harder here, I find. It’s a lot more competitive.”
She credits her sociability in helping her get comfortable. “I love speaking to new people and getting to know new people. It’s not really a world you can be shy in – you have to put your name out there. Especially being a girl, you have to put your foot down and say ‘I want to do it.’
“I found when I was younger there were no boys in the sport at all. As I started going to the big shows, there are a lot more men than there are women. For a woman to make it to the top you have be tough and you have to want it. You can’t just do it as a hobby anymore.”
Alicia, who is sponsored by Voltaire Designs, underscores how hard the lifestyle is, but achieving a great result like her third-place finish at CHIO Aachen makes it all worth it. “Getting up early every morning, the long days – it is draining. When things like last week happen, then you’re like ‘it’s worth it. I’ve worked for this.’ Then I find it better, you feel like you’ve actually done something to be able to make it. It’s not just given to you.”
What is it about show jumping that keeps her working so hard? “I really love the horses and I love the feeling that they give. I think on course you can’t really beat that feeling. Even jumping at home is not the same. The feeling you get when you’re in the ring, you almost crave it. You want to go and do it again,” she replied.
Ash, a 14-year-old Irish bred mare, is Alicia’s “heart horse.” “I’d do anything for that horse,” she says. In the near future, she hopes to be chosen to compete in some 3* Nation’s Cups with her. She also has two sales horses: a six-year-old named Nina, and a five-year-old named Kevin, who she will keep for a year or more to “bring out the best in them” before selling.
Alicia’s love of horses shines through as she talks. “You need to do what’s best for the horse…the horses always come first. They’re not machines. You take everything as a win; even when you’ve had a bad day you take it as a learning experience – that’s what has helped me the most.”
This busy competitor only comes back to Canada about once a year, for Christmas with her parents and three sisters. She hopes to return to Spruce Meadows in the future. “I hope to one day have a good set of horses to go back and show at Spruce. That’s a big goal of mine to go and jump the five-star there. I’d love to jump on home ground again.”
