PrintPatience is a hard skill to learn, especially in the horse world. In a sport where competitive success often defines a horseman’s livelihood, it can be difficult to wait for the right moment, show and horse to make a breakthrough.
But if Suzy Stafford has learned anything in her long journey with Beverley Lesher’s Courage To Lead, patience ranks at the top of her list. “I was willing to wait for her because I knew she was special,” said Stafford. “Waiting for something that’s worth it takes a while sometimes.”
In Stafford’s case, it took six years.
She first met “Katy” when the mare was sent to Lisa Singer’s barn in 2003. Stafford had been working as an assistant for Singer at the time, and it quickly became clear that Katy and Stafford had a connection.
“We hit it off from the start, and for whatever reason we understood each other,” said Stafford. “Things have to be her idea for her to think it’s a good idea. I had to make everything her plan, and then she was quite happy to do the work. She trusted me and never gave me any reason not to trust her.”
Katy and Stafford had an outstanding season in 2005, which granted them a spot on the U.S. squad for the FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championships in England. But a few days before Katy was to head overseas, she came up lame.
“She tore a muscle high up in her hip,” said Stafford, who went on to the Championships without her partner but won a gold medal driving Sybil Humphreys’ Cefnoakpark Bouncer.
The following year was a long one for the pair. Stafford took Katy’s rehabilitation slowly and was determined to have her pony ready for the next world championship in 2007. Even though the utmost care was taken to have Katy at her peak, a pasture accident resulting in a broken splint bone left her on the sidelines again.
Stafford traveled to Europe without Katy once more and drove “Bouncer” to a team bronze medal at the FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championships in Denmark. But she was determined to get Katy her moment in the spotlight.
“She never really showed any horrible steps backward while we were bringing her back,” said Stafford. “We just took it super slow. If we would have rushed it we might not have had the same end results. I never gave up on her and never felt like she couldn’t do it.”
With an undefeated qualifying season under their belts in 2008, they finally boarded the plane to Europe together to contest the 2009 championships in Germany.
And at the end of competition, they emerged with an individual bronze medal, though Stafford said just completing the event felt as good as gold. “I feel like people are making a bigger deal about this medal,” said Stafford with a smile. “It’s a testament to people realizing the relationship between the driver and horse. It’s not just about winning medals; it’s about the partnership. Finally getting her there, and even the whole year prior, meant a lot to me. For me, it was more of an emotional year than anything else.”
Boyd Exell, who has been working with Stafford for about 10 years, believes that Stafford’s setbacks have improved her as a driver and a horseman.
“She’s just a little bit more mature now when it comes to competitions,” said Exell, who also coached the U.S. team in Germany. “Suzy knew not to do too many shows and knew there was a fine line. The only way to learn that was by doing too many and realizing Katy’s limit. When it came to the important year, they both knew each other’s limits and capabilities.”
