Most would agree that the North American equitation classes are doing their job as a stepping stone for riders hoping to compete at the grand prix level. Year after year, medal finals winners make the transition to the leaderboard of the world’s biggest jumping classes, in part due to the foundation laid in their quest for an equitation finals victory. Although the end result is the same – to produce effective and disciplined students in the sport – there remains a divide in the depth of talent when comparing the Canadian equitation classes with those in the United States.
A leg-up to the world stage
Erynn Ballard has been a force in the jumper ring since she graduated from the junior ranks with almost every conceivable accolade under her belt, including a win in the 1998 ASPCA Maclay Finals. She believes that the horsemanship, dedication, work ethic, attention to detail, and emphasis on mastery of the basics that goes hand-in-hand with equitation success eases the transition to success at the grand prix level.
“As a trainer, when I have the opportunity to work with a student who has grand prix goals, I always push the equitation on them,” she explains. “I believe it plays a key role in a rider’s ability to move up the ranks of the sport. It develops your timing, ability to follow a track, stride control, and of course position, strength, and balance. Not only are we saying that to be a top rider you need to have a perfect position, but you also need to be able to manage your horse from start to finish every time you ride. I believe if you have the dedication to equitation, your chances of achieving all these goals become a reality.”
Another equitation graduate who credits her success to her equitation foundation is Canadian team member Tiffany Foster, who won the Jump Canada Medal and CET Finals in 2001 and now rides and trains at Artisan Farms. “I am a huge believer in the fundamentals of equitation and I think that they are very important for any young rider,” she explains. “The equitation division instills an understanding of pace and track that is invaluable at all levels of show jumping. It has served me time and time again in the jumper ring and I use what I learned in the equitation division daily with my students.”
The European infrastructure
Foster competes extensively in Europe, where she has the opportunity to test herself against professionals who did not grow up with an equitation division background. So how does the European program continue to produce exceptional riders without this emphasis? “I am fortunate enough to compete at the biggest shows in the world alongside the best riders in the world,” she says. “It is true that the Europeans do not have the equitation infrastructure that we have in North America; however, the definition of equitation is ‘the art or practice of horse riding or horsemanship.’ You learn how to ride short or long lines, how to ride rollbacks, how to ride direct bending lines – all of the things you need to do in a jump-off to win.
“Europeans learn these things naturally while competing in show jumping. The main difference is that we have learned from an early age to do it with a standard position – a position that has taught to us to have maximum efficiency. And while there are some exceptions, most European riders adhere to this position because it is effective. I believe we have an advantage, because we are able to learn this technical aspect of riding over small jumps, while the European model has them learning while jumping big and trying to go fast.”
“Blood, sweat and tears”
Tara Metzner has amassed a string of impressive victories in the hunter ring at the biggest shows in North America, most recently winning the 2014 WCHR Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge aboard Davlyn Farms’ Come Monday. The winner of the 1995 CET Finals believes it is more than the skills in the saddle that the equitation teaches to riders. “The equitation is a necessary stepping stone to becoming a good professional. Most importantly, it emphasizes the need for dedication and discipline. Equitation is not for the fair-weather ‘weekend rider’: it takes a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and a little bit of a thick skin, all of which are necessary to become a top professional.”
As the first Canadian and youngest female to win the USEF Medal and ASPCA Maclay finals, Laura Tidball-Balisky knows firsthand the pressure that equitation riders face. She believes her equitation background was integral in the development of a career that has seen her represent Canada at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, the 1986 World Championships, and as a member of the gold medal team at the 1987 Pan American Games. “All of my training was in the equitation ring,” she explains. “Two years after I became a professional I was on the Canadian Equestrian Team. I was able to take everything I learned and further my career.”
The exposure to high-pressure situations, such as competing at equitation finals, is a valuable experience for any young rider, and one that she believes is almost impossible to duplicate until a high level of team competition is reached. “I think, properly used, it can be very beneficial to not only your skills, but also your confidence. It is a way to accept pressure and work through it to develop that ‘ice in your veins.’ Walking down the ramp into the CET Finals at the Royal Winter Fair, or walking the course of the Maclay Finals at five a.m. – I don’t know where else you are going to find that kind of pressure as a junior rider.”
Closing the gap
Tidball-Balisky believes in the talent of Canadian junior riders, but stresses the importance of exposure to the stiff competition the American equitation classes offer with upwards of 60 entries per class. “I truly believe our top kids can win anywhere,” she says. “I know that in Canada we have the riders and the programs, and we have produced some really successful professionals, but for the most part the numbers are what really hold us back.
“The United States has huge numbers of junior riders that focus on the equitation and that depth is difficult to compete against. As Canadians, we can’t just stay home and compete against ourselves – in any discipline. You need to travel and get out and see what the rest of the world is doing.”
Bobbie Reber has been a prominent supporter of the equitation for decades. In her over 30-year career she has trained a number of finals winners and judged at North America’s most prestigious shows. She believes there is a growing divide in the quality of Canadian and American equitation riders, a gap which is in part perpetuated by the relatively small playing field associated with the Canadian finals. She has witnessed the equitation in the US become a sport unto itself, with trainers that specialize solely on the equitation and horse shows that offer a staggering amount of equitation classes each week.
The exposure that comes from competing in many classes against stiff competition makes the difference, which Reber notes may play a role in the large number of west coast riders that win the Canadian finals. “We are very lucky out west to have venues like Thunderbird, Milner Downs, and Rocky Mountain that really promote the equitation and offer USEF-rated equitation classes,” Reber says. “We have the Thunderbird Good Hands & Seat, Jump Canada, CET, ASPCA Maclay, USEF Medal, and WIHS medal offered at every show, and those classes just aren’t offered as frequently in most other provinces. West over east is similar to American over Canadian in a way, because the kids just become more prepared.”
Reber also points out that the Canadian riders who have won American equitation finals have done so largely under the tutelage of American trainers and as part of the American system. “It’s an unpopular opinion, but when you come to the Canadian equitation finals after American exposure, it’s almost like taking candy from a baby.”
Flaws in the system
Foster is of the mind that the importance of the equitation needs to be enforced at a young age, but that the skills should then be applied to the jumper ring as soon as possible. “The flaw in our system, in my opinion, is that sometimes kids stay in the equitation division too long,” she says. “Once one has a firm grasp of the principles and can execute them well, they should move on to the jumpers and start applying these skills. This is where we fall behind; good riders who have learned what they need to know continue chasing points and titles when they should get into the jumper ring and get experience over bigger jumps with higher stakes.
“This is a sport of experience, so if your goal is to ride at the grand prix level, then I believe you should get what you can out of the equitation ring and get into the jumper ring.”
Promoting the equitation is the responsibility of trainers and show organizers, as it is a key player in developing a depth of talent in the next generation of team riders. “In America, qualifying for Harrisburg is such a huge goal – all kids through the junior ranks want to go to the medal finals, and there is an incredible amount of prestige attached to even qualifying for regionals. I believe that an equitation finals win is less of a goal for the Canadian juniors, because there isn’t that incentive or as much prestige. I think a huge part of the solution is that we simply need more trainers that actively promote the equitation in Canada.”
In a sport where the perception exists that money can buy you a spot on the team if you can afford the right horse, Ballard promotes the equitation classes as a necessary stepping stone in the development of her riders, and believes that the pursuit of a finals win is a worthwhile goal.
“Riding on a national team, Global Champions Tour shows, European shows and Spruce Meadows becomes a dream for all young riders. People seem to believe that equitation isn’t necessary if you have the means to buy a grand prix horse,” she explains. “It is almost like me saying I would like to buy myself a law degree and skip going to school.
“I believe in the equitation; to qualify and compete in a national championship is a huge honour, and a win is something that you will have with you for the rest of your life.”
