Allison Springer's How To: Win Best Turnout at Rolex and/or Make it to the Top

Another beautiful photo by Josh Walker

Arthur at Rolex 3-Day Event; jogs 2009

Allison's Mom says she's tenacious. And, you know, she is. We talked first on the tail end of her cold and a lost voice. We made it through about a quarter of the interview of Allison gamely pressing on before we agreed perhaps it was best for her to rest her voice and talk again later. So we did that and I got to finish the interview perched on the wooden steps of my barn after a lesson with Allison in Aiken, SC resting between Team Training Sessions. She talked enthusiastically about everything from her childhood, to her involvement in the Professional Rider's Organization, to how happiness happens works for her. So she was more than tenacious. She was an inspiration.

Q. What happens at training sessions? Can you walk me through one?

A. The training sessions begin the year before they put out the high performance list and developing rider list. The people that are on those lists will receive training. It used to be that developing riders got to do one or two days of lessons. It seems to me that they’re really trying to make our developing rider program a little better now and they’re getting more training. Last year [Captain] Mark [Phillips] started training them as well. It’s great they’re doing something more.

I do have mixed feelings about having him teach the developing riders. I’ve felt he should spend more time with riders on the high performance list getting them ready. I’ve liked what I’ve heard about what they do in England where you go to each of the riders’ farms and spend a day with them and ride a lot of their horses including their young horses. It’s funny, here they pick who’s hot on what horse and you get lessons. For the long terms and building a team and understanding individual rider’s needs. Not every rider is the same. Some need pressure, a kick in the pants. Some need training. This year they’ve been trying to get some more specialized help. In the past we’ve used Laura Kraut and Lauren Huff; they’re both really good showjump riders. This year we’re using Katie Prudent who’s my showjump instructor and one of the best horse people I’ve met. She’s amazing. We’re also using a grad prix dressage rider and we’re really taking all the horses to a whole new level of engagement.

photo courtesy of Allison Springer

Allison and Arthur dancing their way through the World Cup Finals, France

When the high performance list comes out there’s a conference call and we decide on what dates work and set a calendar. Generally that changes a couple times! They’ll schedule lessons. I feel like we’ve done something every week in February. It’s been a hard month. I’m excited Arthur isn’t competing this weekend and gets a few easy days.

It’s set up like a clinic where we have our ride times and come and take out lessons. It is open to auditors and it’s free for people to come and watch. Especially when Katie Prudent comes back in March. She actually teaches the auditors as well. You can’t help but learn when you’re around her. Katie really talks to the crowd. Everyone should come and watch. I think it’s March 16^th and 17^th

Q. You grew up in a place called Barrington Hills. What was it like?

A. It was amazing. It’s kind of why I’m doing what I’m dong today. I was blessed to grow up in that area. I owe so much of my riding to that place. Barrington is a North West suburb of Chicago. It’s a really neat place with a forest reserve and a park district with a riding center with indoor and riding arena. No one boarded but you could trailer in. They had such a dedicated riding community that Barrington Hills Riding Club kept an extensive riding system and from anybody’s place you could take a trail and get over to the forest reserve. I Pony Clubbed and fox hunted too. My playtime was with my friends cruising around on our ponies. I had a wonderful childhood because of that.

photo courtesy of Allison Springer

Allison Springer with some Barrington Hills fans

Q. Your mom uses the word “tenacious” in describing you. How would you describe yourself?

A. I think I’m very hard working. I’m very hard working! I’m very honest. Even if I have plans to go to dinner and I didn’t want to go I wouldn’t make up an excuse. I am honest. I think that I’m a happy person. I think that happiness is something you can choose to be and I choose to have a happy life. Everyone has problems. Everyone knows someone who has been sick or had tragedies and I’ve had them as well. Even with those things I choose to be a positive person and I choose to see the positive side. Even when something is tough or doesn’t go well like at a competition I choose to see the positive. That’s kind of me. I’m pretty positive and choose to be that way.

Q. A lot of eventers go to Aiken, SC or Ocala, FL. You go to both Wellington and Aiken. How did you make that decision?

A. My time in Wellington is all about me. I don’t take students down there and I might have some horses in training but it’s really the time I take to get the lessons I need and work a lot with Katie Prudent. I used to be not great in dressage and the winter I went to Wellington I started working with JJ Tate. I had been doing well at Advanced but I felt like I’d gotten to a spot where I ‘d been doing well, but how do you make it to the top? That’s a foundation thing. It’s the basics that make you the best. I went down to Wellington the first winter and I went thinking I know nothing and I want to learn all over again. I want to produce horses correctly and do it right. I learned so, so much. For two years I went for the entire winter. There was a chunk in my career where I didn’t have Advanced horses so that was a good time to do that. You can stay down there when you’re doing Intermediate but not Advanced. You can’t get the conditioning and it’s too far to travel to competitions. Aiken has so many more choices for competitions and so many more of them and the footing is great. So Aiken is the place to be in February and March.

photo by Josh Walker

Wellington is a totally different world. One of my best friends has a farm there so I can be a little out of the circus. It’s wonderful to spend time with her and it becomes a little more affordable. It’s done so much for my riding.

Q. Tell me about your horses

A. Arthur is competing right now and will go to Rolex [Kentucky 3-Day] this spring and trying to get on the WEG [World Equestrian Games] team this year. I’ve had him since he was five and he’s sort of a momma’s boy. He’s sweet and kind and a little spooky and tricky to ride, but honest. Some are spooky and nappy and naughty but he’s genuine and a superb athlete. He’s eleven this year and he’s a very sound horse and we just keep him happy with his ulcers and stuff like that. I have Burger-Destination Known-my gray horse. He’s a totally ham. He puts a smile on your face every day. Burger is more of the frat boy of the bunch. He’s hopefully doing some rehab work and then a trot program then flatting next month. He won’t make it to [Rolex] Kentucky, which is disappointing. We’ll go to Bromont and we’d love to go to Germany for the four stars but I own him so if I do that I’ll have to syndicate him. You know it’s not cheap to go into that sort of thing! He’s very ready to do a four star. We just sold Tiamo this week to a little girl who will adore him in Memphis, TN. We bought him to be a big horse for me or Katie who owns him but there was a question if he would really be a 4 star horse and if he’ll have the scope. He’s like my son I cry so hard when I sell a horse. Anything I sell is something I’ve had for a while and supposed to, maybe, be for me. But if they’re not going to be an upper-level horse I do what’s best for them. I just get so attached to them.

photo by Emily Daily

Allison Springer on Arthur

Q. You’ve won the Best Turnout award at Rolex. Any tips for the rest of us?

A. I don’t know. You’re going to have to ask Arthur about it! We call it 'The Most Handsomest Horse Award'. He’s this gorgeous liver chestnut but he has a harder time in Florida than in Aiken and gets that skin irritation in the winter. He’ll have hair growing in different colors through January and February. Last year he looked like someone threw bleach on him. But there’s something about Rolex: come time for the jog he’s just blooming dapples. He always dapples in Kentucky, I think he enjoys being there. I don’t know what he does, but come Sunday, we’re like--he looks good! We were surprised he got it the second year last year. They give you your cooler right after showjumping for the awards ceremony and we were like-- we won it again?

As far as turnout my style at the jog is more of a classic. I wear outfits that compliment my horse. I think a lot of people go to the jog and just get attention drawn to them. Some people look down right trashy. I think a classic, clean look that compliments your horse. We are athletes as riders but our horses are what we’re showcasing especially in the jog. It’s important to have that classic look. It is a ground jury who picks that award which is a real honor to win.

Want to go to a training session? You can! Call Sara Ike at the USEF at 908-326-1164 or email her at sara.ike@usef.org. Check back in for more from Allison Springer including creating balance and happiness in your life and why no whining is allowed! See ya soon.

Amy Tryon Balances Olympic Medals, Losing Le Samurai, and Paradise in the North West.

Amy Tryon was the littlest bit quiet when we first started our conversation, but then I noticed her infectious laugh that, sometimes, was practically a giggle. And she laughed a lot. She was enthusiastic when she spoke of her horses, the incredible support from her husband, Greg Tryon, and growing up in Seattle, Washington. There can be no doubt how much she loves the area, her horses, and her husband. She has a staggering list of laurels that includes a Team Bronze medal from the 2004 Olympics and a Team Gold from the 2002 World Equestrian Games. Then there's the seemingly endless firsts at major competitions, the acclaim of highest placed American rider at the 2002 Badminton CCI ****, and winning Jersey Fresh in 2008. I loved learning more about her and hope you do too!

Q. What do you like about eventing on the West Coast?

A. The best part is the fact that I feel like you can develop a young horse at a pace that suits the horse. I can take a five or six or seven year old and do the events they need. I can see them progressing and developing.

Above: Amy on Poggio

photo courtesy of Samantha Bergin

Q. Once ready what do you do?

A. I come out East once a year in Spring time and usually take the young horses as well as older horses so I have something to do every day. I work them into the appropriate division and try to go with what best suits their level. They get exposed to some of the bigger competitions.

Q. Why do you love eventing?

A. The biggest thing I love is the relationship you build with the horses. I’ve been lucky to have long careers with the horses and I usually get them off the racetrack. They don’t all get to be 4 star horses but just getting the satisfaction of seeing them go on to be good hunter or whatever-- it’s just fun!

Q. What’s important about you that you want your fans to know?

A. I think the hard thing is we all get so busy at events it appears we go from one horse to the next and there isn’t a lot of emotion; it’s hard to stop and chat. People derive a certain expectation that they see of your personality. I love it when people come up to me and I like to be approachable. People can come up to me and ask to walk a course--I love to help them do it.

Above: Poggio and a wild Jethro The Miniature Donkey

photo courtesy of Samantha Bergin

Q. What do you most value in others?

A. Definitely honesty. That’s the number one thing. Dealing with folks in business and trying to be honest with the owners--I think a lot of people have had a bad experience in equestrian sports where things haven’t been represented in an honest way. That’s a huge part of what we need to change about our sport.

Q. What has been the hardest moment you’ve ever had in eventing?

A. By far the hardest thing was losing Le Samurai at Kentucky. We actually don’t know what happened other than he took a bad step at the last fence. He ruptured the suspensory in the left front. We made the decision to put him down. He was a horse that was never happy in his stall; he never would have enjoyed life a year in the stall. The owner, Becky Broussard was fantastic and willing to do whatever we needed to do. She said whatever is best for the horse—we’ll do it.

Q. Your husband is Greg Tryon. How would you describe him?

A. He’s very good at helping me. He’s not a horse person but he is an amazing amount of support. I travel a ton and he never once put his foot down and said he can’t do it anymore. I’m gone 3-4 months a year and he stays at home, pays the bills, goes to work every day, runs the barn. We’ve gone on team trips and if anyone needs anything you just ask Greg to do it. He’s been a pillar to me in good and bad times.

Above: Team Tryon (Greg Tryon second from Left)

photo courtesy of Samantha Bergin

Q. Do you guys live on the farm?

A. We run my business, Maple Leaf/Amy Tryon Eventing and we live at the farm. We’ve been there about seven and a half years. Dee, the owner, rides and I help her with her horses. She’s very busy so we take over the management.

Q. What’s it like around your barn? Busy? Peaceful? Neat?

A. It’s a fabulous facility. We designed it from the ground up; it was a neat process. we’ve been in lots of barns all over the world. We have twenty stalls. About ten are my business and ten are boarders. I have three girls that help me in the barn with everything including cleaning stalls. We all do it all. It’s great, we’ve got a lot of turn-out pastures; they all spend at least 12 hours outdoors. I’m lucky to take care of my horses how I want to.

Q. Do you have any pets?

A. We do. Two terriers: Razzle and Jasmine. Razzle is a Border Terrier that we got in Pennsylvania when she was a puppy. She had a rendezvous with one of Karen O’Connor's dogs, unplanned, and so we got four puppies. They’ve gone to two of my students and my mom has one and we have one. She is Border Terrier and half Black and Tan.

photo courtesy of Samantha Bergin

Q. What was your childhood like?

A. It was fantastic. I grew up in Seattle. My mom wanted horses and never could have one. She got a pony for me and my sister when I was one and she was three. We grew up on a farm and did 4H and Pony Club, Western, English, and bare back. I started eventing when I was eight and went from there.

Q. What about what you do with your time out of the saddle?

A. Greg and I love to go to the movies. We just enjoy our time at home together. Everyone asks me where I want to go on vacation and I always say I want to be at home for two weeks! Just hanging out together.

Q. What about the weather in the North West?

A. It’s actually pretty nice because it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. We do get a fair amount of rain in the winter. It’s a great area to have horses and to keep them fit and healthy and live outside if they need to.

Q. Any favorite musicians or authors?

A. One of my favorite movies is Good Will Hunting and I only read non-fiction; I’m a weirdo. I just finished reading Mary King’s autobiography. I enjoy history. My husband was in the military growing up so I enjoy military history; I enjoy reading things that are true.

Q. You are on the road a lot traveling. What do you always bring with you?

A. I always have my dogs with me. It’s funny, every trip we do is different, it’s kind of goofy. I pretty much live in my trailer whenever I’m on the road and that’s great. I usually take one person with me to help with the horses. For the most part it’s a little bit of a break in the routine but nevertheless it’s a seven day a week thing. It’s hard, Greg comes and visits now and then.

Part II with Amy Tryon will post soon. In the mean time don't hesitate to leave your thoughts below or visit us on Facebook or Twitter to keep up with the eventing scoop. Don't you love Jethro-the-miniature donkey? Do any of your horses have little buddies?

Buck Davidson Takes 3rd at Rolex and: The Horse that Broke His Heart, That "It" Thing, and Fierce Friendships.

Currently the number one rider in the United States, Buck Davidson, Jr. is the son of Bruce Davidson, one of eventing’s greats.  Buck was a three-time Markham Trophy recipient as the highest placing Young Rider in a United States Equestrian Team Championship.  He was the 2008 Olympic alternate in Hong Kong.  Buck won the recent Fork CIC***, won two Advanced divisions at the Rocking Horse Winter Horse Trials and just placed 3rd this past weekend at Rolex on My Boy Bobby.

Q. When did you start riding? 

A. When I was four.

Q. What was your first horse or pony’s name? 

A. Bucket.  He was a  furry, bay pony with a white face about size of a dog.  The first time I rode mom and dad put Nancy and me on Bucket and held us there.  Then they simulataneously let go and Nancy fell off on way and I fell off the other way.  It was day one: learning how to fall off.    

photo by Stu Forster/ Getty Images

Q. How old are you now? 

A. 33

Q. How is your family involved in eventing? 

A. Obviously my Dad has done everything in the sport: won two world championships, Olympic gold, silver, bronze, Pan Am gold, Badminton, Kentucky, Burghley.  He's won everything there is to win.  Mom has done Burghley, Badminton, and she was the leading rider in the country one year.  My sister rode up to 2-star level and then went on to other things. I grew up with it.

Q. What did your path to eventing look like? 

A. Because it was so easy and so right there--you always want what you can’t have.  A million horses around and the only thing I wanted to do was anything without horses. I did what I call "guy sports" like football, basketball, ice hockey.  I had to work at the farm and pay rent so-to-speak.  But then I tore up my knee and had to get knee surgery so missed a soccer season.  I played hockey and had another surgery and missed another soccer season.  So then I rode and as I got better I thought maybe I could make living at it.  And after high school I jumped into the family business and here we are today.  It's not the easiest way to make a living but there may not be a better way.  I work for myself.  I couldn’t sit behind a desk. 

Q. What are your colors? 

A. Red and yellow.  And that came from Dad and that came from the guy that taught him to ride and his name was Bayard Tuckerman.

Q. Are you in a relationship? 

A. I am not for the first time.  I've been single for 6 or 7 months and it’s good.

Q. Do you have any kids or hope to? 

A. I don’t have any kids that’s for sure.  I definitely want to get married and have kids and a family and live a life that’s not just for me.  It's definitely something I want to do.  The right thing will come around I’m sure about it.

photo by Emily Daily

Q. Who’s your favorite horse of all time? 

A. There's been a bunch. Diffferent horses for different times.  Pajama Game was a  half-Morgan, half-Thoroughbred that got me the jacket so to speak.  We didn’t know anything but we believed in each other and got the stuff done.  

Trans Am A flirt took me to my first 4-star.  Not the world’s best mover but an unbelievable jumper.  He got me my first top 5 in a 3-star and 4-star.  Mystic Mike got me the National Championship at Kentucky.  The best horse I've ever ridden is Reggie.  But there's been so many.  

Glad Touch...all he ever seemed to do was break me: my back, my leg.  But he was probably most talented horse I've ever ridden.  He died of some weird liver disease.  It was a train wreck from day one.  We thought I needed "real" horse so we got a syndicate together.  He came lame off the plane from Ireland.  But he looked like the real thing.  So a week after one of my horses went lame in Australia I came home and rode him at Menfelt.  He turned over and broke my leg.  We got things righted and got on the list for World Games.  Then we went to Burghley and fell on steeplechase and he broke my back and neck.  For all the horses that aren’t good enough the worst things that happened were on the best horse.  

One day he laid down in the field and that was weird for him.  He had a temperature of 105 so we took him to the vet.   When we got him home I walked past his stall and he was laying down.  He stood up when I walked past. I walked away and he laid back down.  I walked back to his stall again and he stood up. I couldn’t take it anymore.  It still makes me sad to think about it now.  He made my dad so angry because he cribbed so bad and tore up the place!  It was the first horse that was for me and didn’t have some problem.  He was a special horse.  Thinking back he’d be older now but would still be going.  He was as talented or more talented than Reggie. He jumped around Kentucky like it was a joke.  But sometimes it doesn’t work out.  I wish things could have been different--that was a good horse.    I wish we could do it over.   

Q. Who are your current Advanced Horses? 

A. I'm lucky right now have six of them. Ballynoecastle (Reggie), might be the most famous of them all; My Boy Bobby (we call Bobby)--those go to [Rolex] Kentucky.  May I Tell Ya (Ben) goes to Jersey Fresh 3-star; Titanium (Ty)also goes to Jersey Fresh 3-star; LA Albert (Albert) goes to Bromont; Donald also goes to Bromont.

Q. How do you decide which competitions to take them to? 

A.  Reggie and Bobby are both at the 3-star level and ready to go to a 4-star.  Ben and Ty go to the Jersey Fresh 3-star because it's maybe a little easier and the emphasis is more on dressage and show jumping.  Donald will go to Bromont since he's still a bit weak on dressage and the show jumping is not as technical as Jersey Fresh.  The best cross country horses go to Bromont.  And then you pick which one could be most competitive:  at that level you go to win.   I'm lucky for the first time to have the number of horses at this level.  At the end of the day on their day they could all be really competitive.

photo by Emily Daily

Q. Who's your best/ favorite right now? 

A.  They’re all good unique in their own way.  Reggie is so talented and so young and we trust each other.  Albert is the greenest one and the most unreliable but I love him.  He’s beautiful and sweet.  Ty is a beautiful grey horse with a beautiful eye.  He's just a baby and actually and I own him.  That’s fun since I can do exactly what I want, when I want, and if do something wrong no one can get mad at me.  I paid nothing for him and think he will be very very good.  He gives you everything.  Bobby I don’t know very well.  I just started riding him last year so this winter he's staying with me and I ride him every day.  He has won every Advanced he’s gone in [three so far] and won the CIC*** [at The Fork].  He's a sweet horse though he doesn’t have tons of personality and character.  May I Tell Ya (Ben) looks like a pony.  He's so cute and it's exciting to have him back after two years off.  He's dead, dead quiet and then out of no where he bucks you off --and he’ll buck you off right proper.  Then he’ll look at you on the ground and think “I got ya”.  He’s the sweetest in stall.  He’ll pick up all the halters and throw them around aisle.  He has a mini pony that lives with him to try and keep him under wraps.  He's been hurt a couple times in field.  I'm happy to have him back.  

Q.  Do you have any superstitions? 

A.  A lot.  Like unbelievably a lot.  Everything starts with left.  Left sock first, left pant leg first, left shoe first.  Also, at every event I would know exactly what I did the first three times in warm up.  If I jumped the x three times in a row and it goes well then I jump the next horse over the x three times in a row.  If it goes badly then I definitely don't jump the x three times in a row the next time.  Once I had a run out at a competition and I changed everything: boots, britches, underwear, socks--everything.  The next one had a run out and I changed everything again: socks, boots, britches, underwear.  Then the third one went well.  I'm a bit crazy like that.  I once marked pair of britches that went really well.  I wore them the next week and that didn’t work out so I don’t do that anymore!  Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.  You put in the work and you should be good but then it doesn’t hurt to have a little luck.

Q.  What are you known for or proud of in your riding style?  

A.  I'm proud of the work I put in and my development and improvement from the beginning to now.  Everyone thought I was the person that could ride any horse and since I can ride bad horses people send bad horses.  I earned my stripes riding horses no one else could ride.  As they say:  good horses allow you to ride well, bad horses make you ride bad. As I've gotten older and hopefully smarter (hence, broken) I don’t ride just anything anymore.  If it’s not good enough it’s not good enough. 

Q. How would your friends describe you? 

A.  I hope they would say first and foremost that I’m a good friend. My friends have been my friends for a long time.  I don’t have a lot of friends but the friends I have would do anything for me and I would do anything for them.  Wendy and Rob [Lewis] are friends like that.  

 I would do anything for them.  If I was in real trouble I could call them up and they would drop everything and I would do the same for them.  Wins and losses don’t mean anything without that.  My friends would tell you I’m nothing like what everyone thinks I am.  The public side of me is not at all me.  I’m basically a boring person.  I don’t drink, don't smoke, don't go out. I go home, watch tv, and go to bed.  I'm not that exciting.  I'm shy, then maybe once you know me you can’t get me to shut up.  

Q.  What do you look for in a successful four-star horse? 

A.  It's doing it.  You don’t know until you do it.  I'm not sure that Bobby is 4-star horse.  He's a 3-star winner.  Not to say that he’s not a 4-star horse.  He was having trouble going prelim last year and with a change of pilot in a year he's going to a  4-star.  That’s a big step.  He's done everything I've ever asked him to do.  He's a fantastic jumper, the best.  The same with Reggie.  Neither are throughbred horses.  They're Irish and not clean bred for sure.  I try to give them a nice time.  I look for minds.  You can’t train horse that doesn’t have good mind.   You watch American Idol and think that guy has it or he doesn’t.  You'll turn and look at a 4-star horse a second time.  Even if you don’t’ know it’s a 4-star horse.  It has that “it” thing.  It takes a special horse. 

Q.  What is the highlight of your career so far?  

A.  It’s still gonna happen.  I don’t look back on anything I’ve done.  It doesn’t really matter.  It’s:  Where are you gonna go?  We live in sally-come-lately-society.  Last weekend I won the 3-star with Bobby and then had to go back and ride Reggie Advanced and people said "smile!".  Maybe I need to take a step back.  I'm more proud of the person that I am and the friends that I have.  At the end of day it's all about the people in your life.  Nobody in 30 years is gonna remember what Buck Davidson did as a rider.  Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that we’re important.  And it is important to me. But it’s not the only thing.

Q.  What are your ultimate goals and hopes? 

A.  Short term I would really love to win the World Championships next year.

Q.  Who’s been most influential in your riding career? 

A.  My mom and my Dad. Taught me everything I know, basically.  It would have to be them.  No question.

photo by Kelsey Sherman

Wendy Lewis Makes it Happen: Lucky Breaks, Going to Rolex and a Secret Grooming Tip

Photo courtesy of Shannon Brinkman

Q. When did you start riding?

A. I started in 1st grade.  My mom gave me two weeks of lessons at a summer camp for my birthday to get me out of the house.  Little did she know what it would turn into!

Q. Did you start eventing right away?

A. No, but I was lucky when in my early teens, through a friend, I met Lousie McCarthy who was very influential in the sport and heading the Area II Young Riders Program.  She gave me my first event horse, one of her daughter's old horses, and that's the whole reason I got into eventing.

Q. What was the name of your first horse?

A.  I was miserable without a horse in college so my parents scrounged together enough money to buy one for me; that was my first Advanced horse, Maelstrom, and we went to Rolex.  He had gone Training but had a serious ditch problem.  It took about a year of stopping and falling off for him to get over it.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Brinkman

Q. Are you in a relationship?

A.  Yes, I've been married for 11 years.

Q. Do you have any kids?

A. I have a daughter, Kira, who is three.  If it were up to my husband we would have many more!  But time will tell.

Q.  Who's your favorite horse of all time?

A. I owe my whole career to Maelstrom.  He was so generous and I didn't know what I was doing and we learned together.  Rampant Lion was the one who was the nicest and brought me to the top.  I wouldn't have ridden him, but Murphy Himself ridden by Ian Stark was the most amazing horse to watch go around.  He had so much exuberance.

Q. What were their barn names?

A. Maelstrom was Bleu and Rampant Lion was RL.

Q. Did they have any unique mannerisms in the barn?

A. RL loved for anyone to put a towel in his ear and clean it.  He'd lean his head over for it!

Q. Do you have any superstitions?

A.  The more I hang out with Buck [Davidson] the more I get.  I have always avoided using anything brand new at an event.  If something goes well I'll use that equipment over again and again.  I do find I get into patterns and rituals I didn't even realize I was getting into.

Q. What are you known for or proud of in your riding style?

A.  I try to take pride in having a well prepared and confident horse and take pride in my  turnout. I take a lot of pride in how I take care of the horses at home and having a daily routine to get ready for events: A thorough grooming every day, feeding the best quality hay and grain tailored to meet their needs, keeping them in consistent work according to their work level.  I keep everything cleaned and organized so it's not a frantic environment.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Brinkman

Q. Describe your ideal horse.

A. I've had a lot of success with greys (Maelsrom, RL and Blazer were all greys) even though they're a pain to keep clean.  A 15.3-16.0h gelding, beautiful mover, brave jumper that takes me to the jumps a little.

Q. Where is your operation based?

A. Perrineville, NJ, a few miles form where Jersey Fresh is held.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Brinkman

Q. What's your most memorable or defining moment?

A. There were two.  One was after completing my first 3-star at Rolex (it was only a 3-star then) on Maelstrom and knowing I wanted to do this the rest of my life.  The most sense of accomplishment I had was completing my first 4-star at Rolex and finishing 9th on RL.

Q. Have you had any memorable tumbles?

A. One when I was riding Hyperlite Preliminary and fell off cross-country and he stepped on my right hand with a stud and crushed half of it.  I had to have it put back together.  Another would be when I was four and a half months pregnant and the horse I was riding tripped and fell over.  I got knocked out and sent to the ER.  I didn't ride the rest of my pregnancy.  Both me and the baby were fine; it just left an impression!

Q. What the most common mistake you see in eventing today?

A. If I had to say one thing it's that people are getting involved in the sport who aren't taking the time to get the experience that's necessary.  It's not something you can just jump right into and be successful at and compete at the upper levels.  It take years and years to develop the subconscious reactions needed to give a really good ride cross country.  It's time and hours in the saddle.  Everyone wants things right away in this day and age.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Brinkman

Q.  What's your favorite competition?

A. Rolex.  Because it feels like you're a superstar when you're there  competing.  It felt like being a movie star and professional athlete all at once.

Q. What is your ultimate goal?

A. To ride for the USA.

Q. Do you have any favorite tack or supplies you can't live without?

A. I love my Nunn Finer products, especially the leather products and their new five-way breast plate.

Q. Any grooming tricks?

A. I was the first one to have known about the Cape Cod metal polish and introduced it to the eventing world and now everyone has it.  But the credit goes to my mom for finding it.

Q. What's your barn management style?

I expect a lot of the people who work for me but never expect more than what I'm willing to put in myself.  But Buck did nickname me the Drill Sargeant since I like things orderly!

Buck Davidson (photo credit to www.StockImageServices.com)

Q. Who is your favorite rider and why?

A. Buck Davidson.  On a personal level because he's such a friend and mentor to me and has helped so much.  On a professional level I respect him for his amazing riding ability.

Q. Is there anything you want to add?

A. Despite the recent bad press the sport is getting I have been doing it for a long time and am still doing it because I love it and there is really not a better group of people to be found.