Confidence Propels Boris To Blue At USEF Talent Search Finals—West

The 16-year-old makes a name for himself in Los Angeles with an impressive victory.

If you’d have told Theodore Boris six months ago that he’d be leading the victory gallop at the Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Medal Finals—West this fall, he never would have believed you.

After all, Boris had won just two qualifying classes in his career and last year had contested the final thrilled just to get around. But a brand new mindset elevated Boris from a talented rider to top contender over the past few months, helping him find blue during the competition, held Sept. 17-19, in Burbank, Calif.

Great rounds in the ride-off earned Cayla Richards second place, with Jocelyn Neff and Navona Gallegos rounding out the top four.

Boris’ newfound focus started paying off a week earlier at the Region 8 Maclay Regionals (Calif.), where he finished a strong second behind Richards (p 68). By the time he got to the Los Angeles International Jumping Festival for Talent Search Finals, he was prepared for the victory.

“Regionals brought an entirely different attitude—I felt really different,” said Boris. “When I got here I thought, ‘I feel good; my horse is amazing. I’m ready.’ I wasn’t cocky—I just felt confident in a positive way, and that changed everything.”

Part of that confidence came from his mount for the final, W.C. Swing, who won the class last year with Hannah Selleck and earned the Gulliver Trophy for best horse, which went to Richards’ mount Bingo Bongo this time around.

Boris leased W.C. Swing—whom he described as “basically the perfect horse”—for the occasion from owner Carol Bird.

But the biggest confidence boost came from trainer Karen Healey, who started working with Boris 31⁄2 months ago. Coupled with a newfound interest in sports psychology, Boris felt his entire mentality shift.

“I went into the competition feeling completely prepared,” said Boris. “The information that Karen’s given me really gave me that extra boost. It made all the difference.”

 “Laura [Van Meter] did a wonderful job getting him started,” said Healey.

“He’s very empathetic with the horses, and they love him. If anything, I had to toughen him up a little and get him to where he understood that horses do what you tell them to do and what you allow them to do.”

Sticking To His Decisions

Boris and W.C. Swing rose to the challenges set forth by course designer George Morris, who also judged the class along-side Susie Schoellkopf. After a relatively straightforward flat phase, Boris lay fifth heading into the gymnastics, which he wryly described as “not exactly a piece of cake.”

There were plenty of tough challenges for the 37 riders, with adjustability questions and striding options coupled with difficult fences including a careful plank jump just five strides before an open water.

Boris took an unusual tactic when it came time to prepare for the course. While his fellow competitors walked the track multiple times to recheck the striding and their decisions, Boris purposely walked it only once.