Girl on Fire - Jordan Macpherson

Jordan Macpherson made quite an impression at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2013. The 24-year-old Toronto native won the National Talent Squad Series Championships aboard Aanwinst, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, and placed fourth in the Greenhawk Canadian Championships aboard the 15-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare, Piccobello du Val de Geer. The latter placing earned her a coveted spot in the international ring, where she performed admirably against some of the top riders in the world.

Jordan, who began training with Ian, Amy, and Jonathon Millar in 2008, moved up to the international division during the second half of the 2013 season and was rewarded with a win in the $35,000 Ram Equestrian Grand Prix at Palgrave, a second-place finish in the $35,000 Peel Maryborough/Aviva Caledon Cup 2 at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, and a win in the $7,500 Open 1.50m class at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in October. Her 2014 season started with a bang when she won the $34,000 Suncast 1.50m FEI Championship Jumper Classic in a field of 44 entries at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL.

Jordan is currently enrolled online at Western University and in her fourth year as a psychology major with a minor in anthropology.

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How did you get involved with horses?

My mother signed me up for summer camp at Sunnybrook Stables when I was quite young and I was immediately smitten. When I was in Grade 4, I moved to Hunters Glen in King City and started showing on the ‘A’ circuit with Randy Roy. The first pony I showed was Dawn Watcher. She was an amazing pony and I consider myself very lucky that I had the opportunity to ride her. As far as ponies go she was pretty much perfect and almost never put a foot wrong.

When did it become apparent to you that you would pursue riding competitively?

I would say the summer that I turned 13 years old. Two weeks into camp I called my mother and begged her to let me come home two weeks early so that I could compete at both weeks of the horse show [Palgrave] instead of just one. From that moment on I knew that riding competitively was what I wanted to do. Ever since then I have been focused on bettering myself to accomplish my goals.

What is the most difficult thing about balancing your horse/school commitments?

Being able to compartmentalize the two areas so that one does not negatively affect the other. When I have an essay or assignment due, it is hard for me to not let the stress of that deadline seep into and affect my riding, especially if I happen to be competing at the same time. This is something that I have been trying to work on and given the success that I had in the fall, it seems like I have made great strides in that area. I simply find a way to do both. After I graduate I plan to ride full-time with the option of doing a masters. I believe these degrees will help me in the future to not only better understand how people think, but also how to have culturally appropriate interactions with people from around the world. In this way, I will be better prepared for whatever circumstances the future holds in the equestrian world – or elsewhere.

What influence has riding with the Millars had on your day-to-day life and your time in the saddle?

Being able to ride with the Millar family has been a great opportunity. Under their guidance I have been able to grow and develop not only as an athlete and horsewoman, but as an individual as well. I believe that it is their well-rounded program for both students and horses that have allowed me not only to excel, but also to achieve the goals I have set. Having three coaches was a bit intimidating at first, but now I see it as a great benefit; they all do and explain things a little bit differently, while still accomplishing the same end result. I am able to learn how to accomplish something using different techniques depending on what the individual situation requires. When working with horses that require unique and individualized training, being able to use different techniques that I have been taught by Ian, Amy, and Jonathon is of great value.

What I admire most about the Millar family is their dedication to the sport. They are not only competitive at the highest levels of competition, but they are also dedicated to training and teaching individuals who have the desire and willingness to learn in order to help them accomplish their goals.

Tell us about your 2013 season and how it felt to cap it all off with such a fantastic Royal Winter Fair.

It was not only a great year because of the results, but because of how much I was able to learn and improve over the course of the season. One of my goals for the year was to qualify for the Talent Squad and the international division at the Royal Winter Fair; with that in mind, throughout the season I felt as though I was able to push myself to be at the level that I needed to achieve my goals. Throughout the summer Piccobello taught me an extraordinary amount, especially during the Spruce Meadows summer series, where we competed in the International Ring for the first time. Capping off the season by being champion of the Talent Squad with Aanwinst was amazing and is something that I will never forget. Without the horses, family, friends, trainers, coaches, and the team that supports me, I would not have been able to accomplish my goals.