PrintWho will represent the United States on the show jumping team at the 2034 Olympic Games? That year might sound far-off, but it’s only 23 years away. Most likely, the riders who will be on that team are showing in the junior ranks right now.
But what’s their path from junior classes to the Olympics? According to many of the top show jumpers today, the difficulties encountered along that path are worrisome. At the open show jumping forum hosted by the U.S. Equestrian Federation on Nov. 7, many of the sport’s leaders spoke of the lack of a “feeder system” to develop young riders into international stars. The traditional avenue of junior hunter and equitation divisions leading to international show jumpers isn’t as defined as it was in the past.
“In decades past, the show hunters were the cornerstone of the American system and developed our riders' skills and future team riders. But that system is broken now. We need a feeder system for developing our horses and our riders to become the horsemen and riders that we have today and had more of in the past. We need to install a good pipeline to develop the kind of riders, horsemen and horses that we need greatly to affect where we go over the next 25 to 50 years,” said Peter Leone.
Apprenticeships
In Europe, many top riders come up through the ranks as apprentices or assistants for top-level riders. Current German star Marco Kutscher got his start breaking young horses in Ludger Beerbaum’s barn and worked his way up to competing young horses and eventually riding in top classes.
But U.S. grand prix riders argue that the expenses associated with showing in the United States prevent that from being a viable option. “Before my time in the sport, most of the professionals had a young rider with them, a student. There's no possible way I could do that now,” said McLain Ward.
“I can't spend $2,000 or $3,000 a week for a young rider to make a mistake, which we all do. I can't afford that cost. It's much easier to just do it myself. If I could send that kid into the junior jumpers or the young horse classes, and it cost me $500 a week or a more realistic price, I might be willing to take on the kid who won the Maclay Finals or another young rider who I'd be glad to support. But I don't see anybody doing that anymore; it's very rare. It's too expensive,” he continued.
Jay Land, a former grand prix rider who now has two daughters competing in the junior jumpers, spoke of the need to give junior riders access to the top riders in some way. “When I was a kid, I rode in the schooling area with George [Morris]. We saw Katie Prudent and Anne Kursinski and Joe Fargis, and we rode with them. The only place we get to do that now is when we go to Spruce Meadows [Alberta]. That's the only place my kids get to see Eric Lamaze ride Hickstead,” he said.
