Jill MacRae, assistant coach at Wingberry Farms, is an educator, manager and coach with over 30 years’ experience leading and managing change in the Toronto and York Catholic School Boards, coupled with 20 years of Olympic and international management experience with the Canadian Equestrian Team. She is an avid rider and coach with a passion for learning and sharing. Between 1978 and 1995, Jill managed numerous Canadian Equestrian Teams at Pan American Games, World Championships, World Equestrian Games and Olympics. She was Team Leader for the 1996 Olympic team in Atlanta, and is currently co-chair of the Ontario Young Riders Show Jumping Program.
Congratulations – you’ve had a successful outdoor show season and have qualified to ride, for the first time, at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, one of the most prestigious competitions in Canada. As exciting as that prospect may be, it may also be intimidating and stressful. With proper preparation, doing your homework and practicing some of the elements you anticipate you’ll encounter in the ring, your experience can be a Royal treat.
Here’s what Wingberry Farms’ assistant coach Jill MacRae, a seasoned Royal veteran, has to say about preparing yourself and your horse for your first visit to the Royal. Even if you don’t plan to compete under the bright lights at the Ricoh Coliseum in downtown Toronto, these same tips are useful if you plan to compete in indoor shows anywhere this winter.
“Preparation and planning are the keys to making your first RWF experience a great one. Your coach/trainer is a valuable resource and likely the person who knows your competitive profile the best, so communication with him/her will ensure confidence, an important element on your first RWF journey.
The facility for the Royal is multi-faceted and there are horses everywhere. There are huge draft horses, ponies, hackneys, international jumpers, horses pulling buggies and carts, as well as the odd six-horse hitch! Showing a small pony could be overwhelming for both of you. The performance class in the ring just prior to your Junior Amateur Jumper class might consist of heavy horses in harness or hackney ponies pulling buggies.
Arrive Early
The Royal is the big final showcase for the year and that instantly ups the adrenaline and stress levels. If you can, spend a morning or afternoon there in advance of the day you’re showing. Locate the stable manager’s office, find out where your stall is, pick up your passes, find the wash stalls, learn where the closest washrooms to the ingate are (important for those pre-competition jitters!), and where the orders of go and courses are posted. Get your hands on the updated show schedule and training times. Find the exercise ring and the hitching ring, as well as the route you will take from your stall to the show ring.
Watch some classes and get a sense of the size of the ring and the noise level of the people in the stands. Walk through the “chute” to the in-gate so you have a feel for the moment you enter the ring. You may not think it’s that important, but it can help you feel prepared.
The other thing you should think about is parking. It’s usually a bit of a nightmare, so you have to know where to get your parking passes and where to park. Many people end up panicking because they can’t find parking spots, and as a result are late for their class. Finding your way from the parking lots into the Horse Palace and Coliseum can be challenging as well, so make a plan. Be aware that hotels tend to fill up quickly when the Royal is on. Reservations well in advance ensure you have a place to stay; you can always cancel your reservation if you have to.
If your horse gets unsettled and nervous in new surroundings, try to get him there a day or two early to give him a chance to settle in. Start planning this in advance. Find out when you can move in and when you have to move out. You want to take this information and consult with your coach.
Research the Course Designer
Do some homework and know who the course designer is for your division. You may have jumped their courses before, which will be helpful in your preparation. Your coach will have a sense of the types of lines they may set, whether it’s hunters or jumpers. Ask your coach about his/her signature elements on course; for example, jump placement, bending lines, the use of liverpools and triple bars. This knowledge will be useful in your schooling preparation. Hunter courses may not have as many ‘tricks’ as jumper courses, but many courses designers have their own bending line strategy, or they may set an in-and-out right off the in gate going away from home.
One designer may use the triple bar going into a triple combination, another may set a jump on the short end of the ring, then an immediate square oxer coming out of the corner on the long side. Other course designers make jumps very airy by not using many poles, so your horse is looking through the jumps. Skinny jumps have shorter poles and because of the way horses are built, with their eyes on the side of their heads, it’s harder for them to see something in front of them with narrower rails, so it’s a more challenging jump. Course designers each make things technical in their own way, and practicing these elements at home in advance may give you the edge you need to feel confident heading down the chute into the ring for the first time.
Get a Sneak Peek
Some horses don’t jump well indoors, especially the first time, as the ring is smaller than the outdoor rings they’re used to and they can’t open up their stride like they can outdoors. One preparation option is to show at the Canadian National Exhibition (in late August/early September – start planning now for next year). Horses and riders compete in the same ring as they will at the Royal, and you will be less stressed if you are familiar with the show ring, warm-up area, stabling, crowds and noise. Replicating the Royal experience at a less stressful competition is a great way to prepare, and the education is invaluable.
If you can’t get to the CNE, find another facility holding an indoor horse show that has a ring of suitable size with good footing and lighting. The jumps come up much faster than outdoors, which might surprise a first-timer. It’s very valuable to go to an indoor schooling show or to a facility that offers the opportunity for you to school over an indoor course.
At home, practice indoors. This will allow you to adjust yourself and your horse to the type of striding you’ll need. Decorate your ring with signs or banners on the kickboards around the ring. Create an interesting “island” or two. It’s amazing how many horses will spook at those things.
Minimizing “Surprises”
Before you get to the Royal, make a plan and be prepared to introduce yourself and your horse to the new surroundings and situations. You want to have as productive an experience as possible. When you get to the Fair (or a day or two in advance) make sure to plan times to ride your horse or pony in the Coliseum ring the morning of your class and/or the day before. That’s as important as showing and can often eliminate “surprises” when you compete.
Make sure you have everything you need in terms of you and your horse’s attire and equipment. You want to minimize any disasters, so ensure your tack is in good condition. Is there a broken buckle on one of your horse’s boots? Fix it! Does a rein look “ iffy”? Fix it! Make you sure have doubles of things like reins, halters, stirrup leathers, bridle and martingale pieces. Take more saddle pads than you think you’ll need, because getting to a laundromat is not that easy. Make a list of what you are packing, plus the extras you have, and run it by your coach. It’s tough for your horse to drink water if you forget the water buckets!
Another interesting anomaly for a first-timer to the Royal is the ramp in the midst of the stabling area. You may have to deal with it if your stall is on the second level, so your horse needs to get comfortable going up and down the ramp. You don’t want your first experience there to be when you have to get to the ring to show. It’s helpful to familiarize your horse with where he’ll be competing without going overboard. Remember that the Horse Palace has hard concrete floors everywhere, so consult with your coach and farrier for your best plan of action.
The same goes for riding in the exercise ring. This could be your equine partners’ first introduction to close indoor crowds due to the bleachers around the ring. This should be carefully done, under supervision, so make sure your coach is with you to ensure a successful first ride.
Often similar classes run in close proximity to each other, so check out the courses and watch the classes. Take a pen and paper and make notes or take photos with your camera or phone so you can review what you’ll be dealing with in the ring. The Coliseum is not as visually accessible from the warm-up area as outdoor show rings are, and you cannot see as many of the rides in front of you as you are used to. Check your course and learn it in advance.
Show Day
So, it’s your time to compete. Make sure your ring box has everything you’ll need at the ring…including water. Your spurs, crop helmet and gloves are like your underwear – they are your responsibility! Check your timing, and remember that it’s important to take time for yourself to “zone in” on your “job.” You don’t want a crowd of family and friends all around before you compete. I suggest that 45 minutes before the class, they should leave you to yourself to work with you coach and groom. Take a few minutes to be by yourself, maybe in your tack stall. Sit down, relax and breathe deeply. Self talk is very useful, but talk positively about how well things are going to go in your first class at the Royal. Perception is projection!
Many coaches have training to help you with visualization and focus, which is awesome. Riders who want to be at the top of their game can’t go wrong with this tool. If coaches have this in their repertoire, it’s a really nice tool, especially if they have a client who gets nervous.
You have planned and prepared, your homework is complete, stay focused, enjoy the ride, have fun and take home a wonderful first Royal Winter Fair experience. When all is said and done, thank the folks who have helped you along the way, and thank your equine partner and your coach.
Best of luck on your first of many more journeys to the Royal Winter Fair.”
