A granddaughter of the late newspaper baron Roy Thomson, as a young child Susan tagged along with a friend who was taking riding lessons and “loved it immediately.” She moved to England with her family in 1967, where she showed a bit and went foxhunting on a regular basis. After moving back to Canada, she rode out of Lorne Siegle’s barn in Oakville. She became a top competitor, enjoying success in the grand prix ring with Bricklin, Eli, Normandy, and Right Pass. She spent five years showing with legendary horseman and CET Olympic coach Carl Knee in the US, purchasing property in Cheltenham and developing Lothlorien Farm in 1974.
Susan and her husband, John, breed and raise top jumping prospects and standardbreds at Lothlorien Farm – home of the Cheltenham Gold Cup from 1977-1989 – and also run a show barn called Lothlorien South in Wellington, FL. Among her current top string of equine talent is Game Ready, Ariana, and Carlotta Singular. She co-owns five others with her daughter, Ariel, including Dixson, Fortis Fortuna, Lansdowne, and the latest, a six-year-old stallion named Dillinger.
What prompted you to invest in a sport which often promises very little financial return?
I do not consider my participation in the horse industry to be an investment. I have several other more profitable investments outside of the horse industry. I participate in the sport because it is my passion.
I began riding at a local pony ranch when I was about 10 years old, and went on to buy horses and compete as a rider throughout North America. I never bought myself expensive horses; usually I would buy a three-year-old Thoroughbred off the racetrack and work with it over several years to progress through the preliminary jumper, intermediate jumper and hopefully reach the open jumper and the grand prix. Unfortunately, after several years, I herniated a disc in my back which prevented me from carrying on my riding career. As you can imagine, I was very frustrated with this predicament, and actually got away from the horse show scene for several years. I always said that I could never be “just an owner” and stand on the sidelines. However, as time went by I realized that I could not just walk away from my love for horses – even if it meant not riding myself.
Since I have become strictly an owner, I have always actively run my barn and been instrumental in developing the horses’ daily programs. I also have had an extensive breeding program for several years now and consequently currently have several lovely young horses.
My passion is finding the right horse, whether it’s from within my barn or from somewhere else, and developing them to their full potential. It is this passion and dedication to the horses that is the reason that I am still involved in the horse industry. Everyone that has been in the business realizes that there is little, if any, financial gain in the sport.
Where do you shop for equine talent these days?
I start with my own young horses which I have bred and foaled on the farm. As I mentioned earlier, I have a small but intensive breeding program that I have painstakingly developed. All of my young horses are impeccably bred and they are performing very well.
If I decide that I would like to purchase a horse elsewhere, I generally travel to Europe and scout horses throughout Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Italy. I have dealt with the Hendrix brothers for many years now, but I am not afraid to travel to other places as well.
What qualities do you look for in a show jumper?
I look for a nice “type” of horse, with good conformation, that is athletic. I usually buy young horses who are not fully developed, so I look for a horse with natural ability and natural balance that has a scopey and careful jump with good technique. After purchasing a horse, it is important to design a program that is suitable for that particular horse and continue with its development, hopefully to the international level.
Now that Conor Swail is riding many of your top horses, what happens if they become eligible for Canadian teams?
I have a spent a large amount of money on my horses over the years, and have dedicated a lot of my time and energy to developing them. It is important to make sure that one has the correct rider for each horse – not every horse suits every rider, no matter how talented the rider is. The combination of horse and rider is the key to success. At this point, I cannot imagine having a rider develop a horse to become a winning combination and then pull the horse away to put another rider on the horse for one event. This would split up the winning combination and could destroy all of the hard work that went into developing that horse.
I would like to mention, though, that I recently purchased a new horse for Ian (Millar) to ride, Dixson, which we are all very excited about.
What is the most appealing aspect of being an owner?
Since I am actively involved with my horses, their individual programs, and the riders, I am very proud when any of my horses go well, knowing that I had selected the horse and been instrumental in bringing it along. This, and the fact that participation in big events has brought my entire family together on a regular basis, is what is most gratifying to me. The Olympics, the WEG, the Pan American Games, and other large events have turned out to be a family affair.
Do you think there should be more support or incentives for owners?
There is not really much support or incentive to be an owner nationally or internationally, unfortunately. At the larger venues, the owner is often not even mentioned – it is all about the horse and the rider. Even our Hall of Fame does not recognize or have an award for owners.
I have found that when you have a horse that shows internationally for the country, it is almost as if the horse becomes the possession of the team. All communication regarding the team and the horses is between Equine Canada and the rider. Unless the rider informs the owner, the owner would never be made aware of travel plans, agendas, or even expenses, until after the fact. It is really very discouraging!
I am also an owner of Standardbreds and have enjoyed great success with them, especially for only being involved for such a short time. I have found that the owners are much more highly-recognized in this sport. If you are involved in a big race, you are invited to various functions, treated to dinner the night of the race, and often given a gift just for being in the big race. Whether you win a big or small race, the owner is taken down to the presentation and included in the festivities. It is very exciting to be a part of the partnership.
It is time for all federations and riders to become aware that there would be no horse without an owner, and consequently no horse and rider combinations to make up our teams, and in the extreme no future to our sport. It is imperative that something be done to change this situation.
What kind of relationship do you strive to develop with your riders?
I have always had great correspondence and good relationships with my riders. If this were not the case, I would likely not still be supporting the sport of show jumping.
Although the sport does very little to include owners, the riders that I have discuss the horses’ progress and programs with me on a regular basis and listen to any input I might have. They respect me for the knowledge that I have learned throughout the years and consider me a vital part of the team. They show great appreciation to me and realize that it is not easy to find someone who will step up and become an owner of a grand prix horse, and they also appreciate the expenses that I incur as an owner.
The key to a great horse/rider combination is not all about the horse and rider; it is also about finding an owner who is willing to match a rider with a horse, and pay the bills, and have a wonderful support team who work very long hours behind the scenes.
