New Challenges
Just like that we already find ourselves approaching the midway point of another year, meaning my first time competing at the Royal Windsor Horse Show has been and gone. It was amazing to be back competing on home ground and despite the miserable weather, the crowds still showed up in full force to cheer us on. The smell of a full English breakfast food van also perked up my mood and set me up to take on the day with my wellies on and rain jacket in hand! The history and sense of tradition attached to Windsor is what makes it so unique. From the Household Cavalry to the Pony Club and the Working Show Hunters the number of horses and ponies amazed me. There’s no doubt about the health of equestrian sport in the UK, and it is always a nice reminder when watching the little girls and boys competing in the Frogmore Ring besides the International Warm Up arena of how it all began. On paper besides one third place in Friday’s jump off class, I did not have my best show. I had not jumped a 5* in over three months and in hindsight such a long break away from the big league was not necessarily the best idea. My horses and I were all a little ring rusty and lacked the rhythm and confidence I would have liked to deliver a top performance. When divers are training, they don’t just dive off a small board for a few months and all of a sudden go three steps higher. If they did this it would be undoubtedly harder to level up again and showjumping is very much the same. Naturally when you feel a little out of your comfort zone the brain tends to look for problems, it is important to come back to yourself with solutions and to try and find the positives in all you do. On reflection my horses were jumping confidently and with a few rideability tweaks, I am hopeful it is just a case of getting the momentum going at that level again. One or two bad rounds does not make it a bad week, and it certainly does not mean that you are miles away from where you want to be, it’s all just a matter of perspective!
After a disappointing weekend it was nice to be able to spend time at home with the family for a few days post the show, to refresh and reset before heading back to Holland. It also meant I was able to celebrate my 23rd birthday surrounded by my nearest and dearest family and friends. It was such a fun evening and great to let loose and hit the dancefloor before a busy summer on the road. The first of my campaigns as part of the British Nations Cup team followed one week later in Rome. The show was located in the beautiful Piazza Di Siena right in the middle of the city. I was delighted to win Thursday’s feature class with Kimosa and get a few other placings throughout the week. However, the highlight at these shows is always dusting off the British team kit and cantering into the arena as part of the squad with the Union Jack on the big screen. My teammates Ben Maher, John Whitaker, Matt Sampson and Tim Gredley all looked out for me and were really encouraging the whole weekend. My first round for the team did not quite go to plan but I bounced back for the second round ending with just one down. Having a group of people on the kiss and cry really motivates you to fight your hardest, so I was pleased I learnt from my mistakes and improved on my score for round two. When I watch John, it makes me realise I still have plenty of time and he always reinforces the notion that you never stop learning with the horses, even after decades at the top of the game! As anchor-man for the team, he jumped a double clear; his ability to master the big occasion is admirable. There were ten younger riders competing in Rome who are fellow members of the Rolex Young Riders Academy, so the sense of comradery was enhanced even more. It is always great to catch up with old faces, share in the moments together and support one another along the way.
With one month of five star shows for both Nations Cup and Global Champions Tour team duties coming up I am hopeful I can keep building on the last few weeks. As I am no longer in my rookie season it is important to remind myself that careers go in waves and nothing is simply linear, especially when it comes to progression. It is important to keep challenging yourself in new ways and being open-minded when it comes to bettering yourself. I recently started working with personal trainer Diego from ‘Rider Balance’ thanks to the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Programme. It is a tailor-made body functional training programme for equestrian athletes. We have been working over Zoom the last few weeks in order to improve my posture, position and balance on the horse so that I am more effective and efficient in the saddle. I already feel the benefits of working muscles I was previously neglecting, and you can feel such quick improvements when you are targeting the right places. The way the sport is evolving there is a greater emphasis placed on physical fitness, mental stamina and nutrition for example. It is becoming increasingly normal to see top riders lying on their gym mats outside their tackboxes in the stables doing their warmup stretches or testing their reaction training with tennis balls before stepping in the saddle. It is not as simple as just riding and the little gains really can create the big margins when it matters most. These are all values that are the norm for the next generation of riders, so it is essential to keep up with the times. In other news I am excited to be a part of ‘Target Sports Stars Fishing Championship’ on the 25th July in aid of the ‘Willow Foundation’, a charity that provides special days out for seriously ill kids. My teammates will include Barry Hearne OBE, Eddie Hearne and David Seaman MBE so it promises to be an interesting event and a chance for me to try something new whilst helping others in the process of it all. So, as I get set to take on the challenges and adventures of the next few weeks it will be vital to simply take everyday as it comes. We are where we are so all you can do is make the effort to take the best that you can from it all!
All the best,
Jodie x