I didn’t know what would happen or what to expect after I accepted the invitation to compete for the United States on the Samsung Nations Cup tour in Europe this past summer.

It felt like everybody had to tell me his or her version before I left. Some people told me that Katie Prudent wasn’t a great chef d’equipe and others said the opposite. I was told I was on the “Rich Girl’s” team because it consisted of Georgina Bloomberg, Cara Raether and Robin Sweely. Well, that left me out–I’m a working professional!

I knew them all before we left: Cara was Katie’s student (and ended up being a good friend), Georgina (who liked to be called George) and Robin, also a good friend.

During the first show, the Helsinki CSIO (Finland) June 17-20, we all stayed in a dorm–coach, grooms and riders–and it was a great start. We all did lunch, dinner, shopping, pretty much everything together. It was a learning experience and the time to get to know each other.

The interesting part about that first show was that the press seemed to only care about “The Mayor’s daughter” showing in Finland. George is the daughter of New York City Mayor Michael Boomberg, which was a great news hook, I guess. Thank goodness that didn’t continue at the next two shows.

I see why we in the United States need to be taught how to work as a team. Our staff–caretakers of each horse–has their own thoughts on the well being and soundness of their animals. And I feel we were just as guilty with our own two mounts. My manager, Sheryl Sutherby, knew more of what was right for my animals so we tried to follow our own protocol. The veterinary care was excellent, but we should have had more discussion about our animals prior to the beginning of the first show.

I come from a family business, a barn that travels with 30-some different customers to each show, so I understand teamwork. But some riders don’t have this background. So we need to educate our younger riders and help instill in them the understanding of this system–we’re there to ride together as representatives of the USA, not just for ourselves. And that same philosophy should carry over to the individual rider’s coaches.

I learned so much more in those five weeks abroad than I could have in a year of showing at home. In addition to Helsinki, we competed at the CSIOs in Drammen (Norway) and Falterbo (Sweden). I had two very different horses to take–Graf Rossini S and Kartousch–and I learned which classes were best for each horse and to go with the flow of my animals.

My parents, Bud and Janice Nicholson, were able to go to two of the shows, and I was happy for them to see how far I’d come and what more I have to do to get better. I was able to just concentrate on my animals and me; I didn’t have five rings to worry about!

At most shows I usually have to train a half-dozen or so children’s/adult jumpers at the same time the grand prix takes place. It’s a juggling act. Even though I was able to appreciate the five weeks of just me, I know it’s training my children’s/adult riders who support me financially that keeps me in the grand prix ring.

I hope the new chef d’equipe of the U.S. Equestrian Federation–whether Katie or Mark Leone or someone else found through the official search–will keep the doors open for everyone to have a chance to experience what I did. It’s taken me several years of applying to the USEF to get a chance to go to Europe, and still it was not the USEF who sent us.

It was Katie Prudent who took the bull by the horns and got a team together for Europe. We each had to come up with the funds to pay for the trip. For me, it meant giving up a paycheck every week and leaving my barn without a professional rider. Thank goodness for a great barn and well-run operation.

When I came home, I had two weeks off before the next show. Our barn then traveled to Vermont to show, and when I came out of my first grand prix at home and went clean (I was second and sixth). I immediately called my parents and customers–including owner Bruce Chovnick–to thank them for sending me to Europe. It was worth the sacrifice from everyone.