Before the Wellington Classic Dressage Cup on March 19-20, Chloe Taylor had never competed above second level, but when she cantered down centerline for her first FEI test, she had the best possible partner in Calecto V.
The 17-year-old rider had just over a week to get to know Tina Konyot’s Olympic and World Equestrian Games mount before putting in a 66.62 percent for second in an FEI Junior Team test in Wellington, Fla.
“I’d only been riding him for a week, so I wasn’t expecting anything amazing, and I was still trying to get him bent through our corners. My main concern was getting the tempo for my strength. I have to just keep the tempo or else he gets a little slow behind,” said Taylor.
Konyot rode the Danish Warmblood (Come Back II—Bahera, Rastell) in the 2012 Olympics (London), the 2014 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final (France) and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010 (Ky.) and 2014 (France.). Following their contribution to the fourth-placed United States team at last year’s World Games, Konyot celebrated her career with the 17-year-old stallion by taking a gallop on the beach before he returned to the States for a two-month vacation.
Taylor, who is a classically trained ballerina, only started riding two years ago after an injury prevented her from continuing to dance.
“[Dressage] is exactly like ballet,” she said. “I think ballet just gave me the body control, the body awareness, the discipline. It set me up for [dressage].”
She spent last season showing her now 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood at first and second level before purchasing a 9-year-old Andalusian in hopes he’d be her FEI Junior mount.
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She brought the horses to Florida to ride under Konyot’s tutelage, but it soon became clear her Andalusian needed some holes in his training fixed before he’d be ready for the juniors. So when the working student who’d been riding Calecto had to leave, Konyot offered Taylor the ride.
“It’s a huge learning curve for me, but I’m learning so much. He’s going to give me really good skills in the future,” Taylor said. “He gives you a really amazing feeling. He’s just there for you, and he wants to work for you. My only issue is that I’ve never ridden a horse like this before, so it’s all about me figuring [it] out.
“I know if there’s a mistake it’s my fault of course because he’s an Olympic horse,” she continued with a laugh. “It’s really just learning his buttons and what I can do to get him to bend properly through a turn and set him up for a half-pass.”
For Taylor, the experience has been an eye-opening one since she had little experience in the more advanced movements.
“He’s pretty much forced me to be as correct as possible. Tina has such precise riding that if you asked incorrectly he’s not going to be able to do it. He doesn’t know anything but perfect aids, which is a really good thing for me.”
Taylor hopes their early success is a sign for a strong future since she’s working towards qualifying for the Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (Ky.) later this year.
“In the show ring [it’s] a little bit [intimidating] because I feel like there’s some pressure there—like if he doesn’t get 70s—because everyone knows he can do it,” Taylor said. “So it’s a little bit of pressure for me, but honestly it’s more gratitude than anything. I’m just so happy to be on his back that I don’t even mind about anything else.”
