Here's your horse. Here's your groom. All the gear you need is neatly packed and organized. All you have to do is show up. Well - not quite.
Riding and competing in Europe with my Swiss coach and her elite team from her private yard has been a blast. There have been many ups and downs over the years for sure. Mostly ups. I'm not going to focus on the time my groom forgot my entire wardrobe trunk, or the time my horses arrived just 40 minutes before my first class ( actually I will later), or the time the airline somehow managed to lose one of two boots that were packed in the same boot bag ( most useful one boot), or me running flat-out through the terminal in riding boots and breeches carrying a shadbelly (that, thankfully, only happened once). Not the most comfortable footwear to travel in. But I did make the gate.
Travel between European countries is easy enough but driving takes a lot of time due to the traffic and travel from the USA to Europe is expensive. I always book as direct a route as possible, and we usually hop planes between venues. Sounds exciting, but in reality it is a lot of waiting at airports and hoping and praying your flights are on time. Good company helps. Join an airline club if you can so you have the comfort of the club lounges and priority boarding/security and re-booking privileges. Trouble sleeping in the air can usually be solved with a Tylenol PM or some melatonin.
I try to schedule a few days at the barn in advance of the competition to 'ride in' my horse, look over all the preparations and get some serious intensive training done in the little time available. While I ride the horse or horses I am showing, I also ride a couple of others. I am lucky as my coach has multiple horses available. If I am having trouble with a particular part of the test or a specific movement we can rehearse it further on another horse, saving my horse the repetition and keeping the sparkle in the horse. Freestyles are a bit trickier because you really need to iron out all the steps beforehand with your actual equine partner as frame and rhythm varies so much from horse to horse.
Keeping up your energy levels is crucial. I use raw food diet for a few days before I leave, and add more protein once I arrive. A glass or two of wine in the evening is relaxing and can help you sleep, or a turmeric tea is also very useful to assure you sleep soundly, but if you want to stay on your USA biological clock, eat your meals at the regular USA time. The worst is when you have an early morning class, and you are still on USA time and just cannot muster the energy. Fortunately at the higher levels classes are often later in the day. But those morning qualifiers can really catch you off guard, so make sure you figure out whether you are going to switch to European time or stay on American and plan accordingly. As I often travel for only 4/5 day stints, this depends for me on class times, driving or flying distances but squeezing in a few 20 minute power naps can be very beneficial throughout the day. Once again I am fortunate as my coach has her own RV style 'coach' that one of the grooms generally drives to the event in advance and we can drop in to change, sleep, shower, eat and refresh throughout the show. I just love that!
Love a massage? I once made the mistake of having a massage the same day as the show. Never again. I was so dreamy I managed to make a complete gaff of the rides. The day before however makes perfect sense. You will sleep much better for it too. Acupuncture I do before travel not right before or during the event. Same for my horse. I do not let anyone work on/or around my horse unless it is absolutely necessary just before the event, only my groom or myself. For security purposes my groom or 2nd groom is always with my horse at all times on the showgrounds.
Have a back up plan for riding apparel and equipment. It is reasonably easy to replace tack ( apart from the saddle but we have a back up we can use), but not so easy to replace riding apparel, especially if like me you are on the heavy side. My calf length is short so custom boots are needed. I leave a trunk of all my major show gear in Switzerland and carry on luggage takes care of more personal items. I pack a 2nd set of major components that I could not easily replace - these are my back up set made up of items I may have updated but they fit and can easily be used in an emergency.
One of the most needed and appreciated items is a waterproof, lightweight and full body/saddle encompassing trench coat. Weather changes at the 'drop of a hat' in Europe and I have relied on this item to keep me warm and dry and clean on many, many occasions. Check this one out for a reasonable price, good features and lightweight benefit. Similarly don't forget head protection from the heat. Europe can be very very hot! Shade and the highest rated SPF make up you can find. I am constantly forgetting and look like Rudolf by the end of events.
My first check on arrival at the showgrounds is of course my horse(s). He may have arrived a day or so before, but commonly less than 24 hours before. usually by commercial hauler or on Greta's horse 'box'. My groom will have already reported any issues she has seen and they will have been quickly addressed. There is nothing however, quite as reassuring as checking on your horse yourself. A quick ride in is scheduled, followed by a tour of the grounds and some quick introductions with the event staff and other riders. Like many of my colleagues, we save the long chats and catch ups for after the event. No-one appreciates their time being taken up chatting when they are focusing on their rides.
At a recent event in Lugano my horse arrived late, and no doubt the trucker had attempted to make up time and he had driven a little faster than he should have done. My horse arrived hot and irritable. In the very short time we had to check the horse in and get tacked and ready to ride, it was clear that this was not going to be a fun ride. As we entered the ring this youngster ( medium level), took up a center line of bucks. Not fun! Traffic happens but the delay wrecked the class. It was not the company that Greta regularly uses, and needless to say, will not use again. Truckers in Europe are usually much more efficient than this, but you have to be prepared to keep your cool and go with the flow no matter what happens. A cup of chamomile tea and some time alone for twenty minutes usually does it for me but on this occasion we didn't have that luxury. As for my young horse, his second ride was much better but the damage was done. In my case it re-damaged my left hip and shook some confidence. On that occasion I had an acupuncture treatment right away. For my horse it also shook his confidence. We took him to another show a month later just to show him how relaxed an occasion it could be and put him back on track.
Check your paperwork: While my coach is super efficient things can easily be overlooked. A double check before leaving the yard and on arrival and check in with the show office is of course a must. Even if you believe you already have everything you need in hand, or your coach has handled the details with the show office, double check them yourself.
Times: Know them yourself. A coach is a great help but all coaches make mistakes with the clock from time to time. Know your 'updated' class time and try and watch the clock. It's hard when you don't speak the language and can't understand the announcer and all you recognize is your name. Try and learn some rudimentary language of competition. Also be responsible for timing your own warm up. Laura Bechtolsheimer's famous dad Dr. B. and Klaus Balkenhol can attest to the fact overlooking the class time can happen. In their case, on camera. Whoops.
The Jog: Dress appropriately. You should look smart, but be practical in the length of a skirt or tightness of trousers. Unless your horse is not the soundest and then a short skirt might help ( just kidding). No bouncing boobs either. You may not need a regular bar and a sports bra over it, but you do need to keep them from being uncomfortable at best and distracting at worst. Jewelry is OK but don't go overboard. Officials do not want to listen to your twenty bangle bracelets as you jog and neither does your horse and neck jewelry may hit you on the nose. Yes, I've seen it happen. Footwear can be heeled if you can pull it off put I'd keep the 5 inch Ferragamo heels for the cocktail party. Practical and professional is the way to go. If your hair is long it should be neat and not hiding your face or you may trip over. Yep, also seen that happen.
Video: Leave the camera/video to the professionals at the event but be sure to have organized a back up. Usually one of the other grooms can do it for you - it hurts when you ride a great test and don't have a record of it. At big events this is not such an issue as all rides are filmed. But be careful at smaller ones to make sure it is booked and handled. One of our team members Tina handles all the communication for me. That worked brilliantly until she lost her computer complete with memory sticks..so remember to back that all up as soon as possible. It is easy to have equipment damaged, lost or in this case stolen, during travel. Also be sure to obtain competition pictures at the event of any products you or your horse may be wearing and follow up with your sponsors with the photos after the event. No better way to garner their support. Be sure to obtain any necessary copyright releases or photographer information.
On a sidebar: It sounds obvious but it is always worth mentioning. If you find yourself becoming nervous during a test, teach yourself to always focus on the letter to which you are riding. How many riders are star gazing as they try and remember the test. You should know your test inside and out well beforehand. This is something I drill into my students. Otherwise this just adds to the nerves. I've messed up many pretty video shots because I was thinking so hard and my gaze drifted.
Warm up protocol: This is very important. All too often I see newbie riders in Europe being overcome with aggressive moves by other riders. Mistakes will happen and when they do a short apology if it your fault is fine. If someone apologizes to you accept it gracefully. Do not become worked up if other riders play tricks with you. Riding full extensions down the long side directly toward you for example. Just be fully aware of your surroundings and take evasive action by circling or moving out of the line of fire when necessary. It is simply not worth being worked up over. Try and time your rehearsals to off times where possible and have your groom discreetly check out another rider to see if they are tacking up when you are, if they have caused you issues before and you want to avoid meeting them full on during the warm up times. This is rarely needed but in some instances it can be helpful. Especially with a more nervous horse who will benefit from a quieter work space.
We always rehearse this at home before the event. This way our horses are unfazed by such antics and so hopefully, are we. It is so easy when you are nervous to become irate at the slightest nuance. If bothered head to your trainer, stand outside the ring ( not inside in the way), and chat for a bit until the offending rider has finished.
Access to judges: It is easy to become engrossed in conversations over drinks with judges at the show/competitors parties etc. Be polite. A short conversation is enough and they truly do not want to hear your life story or the details of your horse/test etc. Europeans are in general extremely polite, and will not curtail your chat or dismiss themselves. It is also easy to 'over indulge' in the free alcohol, especially when you are full of relief that your show day is over. Once again, do not. Save the partying for home.
Tipping: While here in the USA you may regularly 'tip' all sorts of helpful people it is not as commonplace in Europe. Obviously at restaurants a tip of 10% or so is appreciated, but gratuities are often included for large parties. For help at the show, check with someone familiar with the practices of the particular country to find out what is the norm so as not to mistakenly cause offense.
Press: You won't forget the first time a press agent comes up and asks for an interview or holding your first 'press' conference. It is a rush. The press are generally very interested in riders from overseas, whether things go smoothly or even if they don't. Offering a few sound bites at the conclusion of a ride is great, and definitely take time to talk to the press. But avoid being put off track and your important schedule by interviews. It is up to you to schedule an appropriate time where you can give them your full attention if they want a more in depth discussion. It is also important to remember to thank your sponsors ( if you have any) during the press interview where possible.
Finally, remember you are doing this not just to further your career or experience but also to have fun. Smile! Everything goes better when you smile, including your horse.
Riding and competing in Europe with my Swiss coach and her elite team from her private yard has been a blast. There have been many ups and downs over the years for sure. Mostly ups. I'm not going to focus on the time my groom forgot my entire wardrobe trunk, or the time my horses arrived just 40 minutes before my first class ( actually I will later), or the time the airline somehow managed to lose one of two boots that were packed in the same boot bag ( most useful one boot), or me running flat-out through the terminal in riding boots and breeches carrying a shadbelly (that, thankfully, only happened once). Not the most comfortable footwear to travel in. But I did make the gate.
Travel between European countries is easy enough but driving takes a lot of time due to the traffic and travel from the USA to Europe is expensive. I always book as direct a route as possible, and we usually hop planes between venues. Sounds exciting, but in reality it is a lot of waiting at airports and hoping and praying your flights are on time. Good company helps. Join an airline club if you can so you have the comfort of the club lounges and priority boarding/security and re-booking privileges. Trouble sleeping in the air can usually be solved with a Tylenol PM or some melatonin.
I try to schedule a few days at the barn in advance of the competition to 'ride in' my horse, look over all the preparations and get some serious intensive training done in the little time available. While I ride the horse or horses I am showing, I also ride a couple of others. I am lucky as my coach has multiple horses available. If I am having trouble with a particular part of the test or a specific movement we can rehearse it further on another horse, saving my horse the repetition and keeping the sparkle in the horse. Freestyles are a bit trickier because you really need to iron out all the steps beforehand with your actual equine partner as frame and rhythm varies so much from horse to horse.
Keeping up your energy levels is crucial. I use raw food diet for a few days before I leave, and add more protein once I arrive. A glass or two of wine in the evening is relaxing and can help you sleep, or a turmeric tea is also very useful to assure you sleep soundly, but if you want to stay on your USA biological clock, eat your meals at the regular USA time. The worst is when you have an early morning class, and you are still on USA time and just cannot muster the energy. Fortunately at the higher levels classes are often later in the day. But those morning qualifiers can really catch you off guard, so make sure you figure out whether you are going to switch to European time or stay on American and plan accordingly. As I often travel for only 4/5 day stints, this depends for me on class times, driving or flying distances but squeezing in a few 20 minute power naps can be very beneficial throughout the day. Once again I am fortunate as my coach has her own RV style 'coach' that one of the grooms generally drives to the event in advance and we can drop in to change, sleep, shower, eat and refresh throughout the show. I just love that!
Love a massage? I once made the mistake of having a massage the same day as the show. Never again. I was so dreamy I managed to make a complete gaff of the rides. The day before however makes perfect sense. You will sleep much better for it too. Acupuncture I do before travel not right before or during the event. Same for my horse. I do not let anyone work on/or around my horse unless it is absolutely necessary just before the event, only my groom or myself. For security purposes my groom or 2nd groom is always with my horse at all times on the showgrounds.
Have a back up plan for riding apparel and equipment. It is reasonably easy to replace tack ( apart from the saddle but we have a back up we can use), but not so easy to replace riding apparel, especially if like me you are on the heavy side. My calf length is short so custom boots are needed. I leave a trunk of all my major show gear in Switzerland and carry on luggage takes care of more personal items. I pack a 2nd set of major components that I could not easily replace - these are my back up set made up of items I may have updated but they fit and can easily be used in an emergency.
One of the most needed and appreciated items is a waterproof, lightweight and full body/saddle encompassing trench coat. Weather changes at the 'drop of a hat' in Europe and I have relied on this item to keep me warm and dry and clean on many, many occasions. Check this one out for a reasonable price, good features and lightweight benefit. Similarly don't forget head protection from the heat. Europe can be very very hot! Shade and the highest rated SPF make up you can find. I am constantly forgetting and look like Rudolf by the end of events.
My first check on arrival at the showgrounds is of course my horse(s). He may have arrived a day or so before, but commonly less than 24 hours before. usually by commercial hauler or on Greta's horse 'box'. My groom will have already reported any issues she has seen and they will have been quickly addressed. There is nothing however, quite as reassuring as checking on your horse yourself. A quick ride in is scheduled, followed by a tour of the grounds and some quick introductions with the event staff and other riders. Like many of my colleagues, we save the long chats and catch ups for after the event. No-one appreciates their time being taken up chatting when they are focusing on their rides.
At a recent event in Lugano my horse arrived late, and no doubt the trucker had attempted to make up time and he had driven a little faster than he should have done. My horse arrived hot and irritable. In the very short time we had to check the horse in and get tacked and ready to ride, it was clear that this was not going to be a fun ride. As we entered the ring this youngster ( medium level), took up a center line of bucks. Not fun! Traffic happens but the delay wrecked the class. It was not the company that Greta regularly uses, and needless to say, will not use again. Truckers in Europe are usually much more efficient than this, but you have to be prepared to keep your cool and go with the flow no matter what happens. A cup of chamomile tea and some time alone for twenty minutes usually does it for me but on this occasion we didn't have that luxury. As for my young horse, his second ride was much better but the damage was done. In my case it re-damaged my left hip and shook some confidence. On that occasion I had an acupuncture treatment right away. For my horse it also shook his confidence. We took him to another show a month later just to show him how relaxed an occasion it could be and put him back on track.
Check your paperwork: While my coach is super efficient things can easily be overlooked. A double check before leaving the yard and on arrival and check in with the show office is of course a must. Even if you believe you already have everything you need in hand, or your coach has handled the details with the show office, double check them yourself.
Times: Know them yourself. A coach is a great help but all coaches make mistakes with the clock from time to time. Know your 'updated' class time and try and watch the clock. It's hard when you don't speak the language and can't understand the announcer and all you recognize is your name. Try and learn some rudimentary language of competition. Also be responsible for timing your own warm up. Laura Bechtolsheimer's famous dad Dr. B. and Klaus Balkenhol can attest to the fact overlooking the class time can happen. In their case, on camera. Whoops.
The Jog: Dress appropriately. You should look smart, but be practical in the length of a skirt or tightness of trousers. Unless your horse is not the soundest and then a short skirt might help ( just kidding). No bouncing boobs either. You may not need a regular bar and a sports bra over it, but you do need to keep them from being uncomfortable at best and distracting at worst. Jewelry is OK but don't go overboard. Officials do not want to listen to your twenty bangle bracelets as you jog and neither does your horse and neck jewelry may hit you on the nose. Yes, I've seen it happen. Footwear can be heeled if you can pull it off put I'd keep the 5 inch Ferragamo heels for the cocktail party. Practical and professional is the way to go. If your hair is long it should be neat and not hiding your face or you may trip over. Yep, also seen that happen.
Video: Leave the camera/video to the professionals at the event but be sure to have organized a back up. Usually one of the other grooms can do it for you - it hurts when you ride a great test and don't have a record of it. At big events this is not such an issue as all rides are filmed. But be careful at smaller ones to make sure it is booked and handled. One of our team members Tina handles all the communication for me. That worked brilliantly until she lost her computer complete with memory sticks..so remember to back that all up as soon as possible. It is easy to have equipment damaged, lost or in this case stolen, during travel. Also be sure to obtain competition pictures at the event of any products you or your horse may be wearing and follow up with your sponsors with the photos after the event. No better way to garner their support. Be sure to obtain any necessary copyright releases or photographer information.
On a sidebar: It sounds obvious but it is always worth mentioning. If you find yourself becoming nervous during a test, teach yourself to always focus on the letter to which you are riding. How many riders are star gazing as they try and remember the test. You should know your test inside and out well beforehand. This is something I drill into my students. Otherwise this just adds to the nerves. I've messed up many pretty video shots because I was thinking so hard and my gaze drifted.
Warm up protocol: This is very important. All too often I see newbie riders in Europe being overcome with aggressive moves by other riders. Mistakes will happen and when they do a short apology if it your fault is fine. If someone apologizes to you accept it gracefully. Do not become worked up if other riders play tricks with you. Riding full extensions down the long side directly toward you for example. Just be fully aware of your surroundings and take evasive action by circling or moving out of the line of fire when necessary. It is simply not worth being worked up over. Try and time your rehearsals to off times where possible and have your groom discreetly check out another rider to see if they are tacking up when you are, if they have caused you issues before and you want to avoid meeting them full on during the warm up times. This is rarely needed but in some instances it can be helpful. Especially with a more nervous horse who will benefit from a quieter work space.
We always rehearse this at home before the event. This way our horses are unfazed by such antics and so hopefully, are we. It is so easy when you are nervous to become irate at the slightest nuance. If bothered head to your trainer, stand outside the ring ( not inside in the way), and chat for a bit until the offending rider has finished.
Access to judges: It is easy to become engrossed in conversations over drinks with judges at the show/competitors parties etc. Be polite. A short conversation is enough and they truly do not want to hear your life story or the details of your horse/test etc. Europeans are in general extremely polite, and will not curtail your chat or dismiss themselves. It is also easy to 'over indulge' in the free alcohol, especially when you are full of relief that your show day is over. Once again, do not. Save the partying for home.
Tipping: While here in the USA you may regularly 'tip' all sorts of helpful people it is not as commonplace in Europe. Obviously at restaurants a tip of 10% or so is appreciated, but gratuities are often included for large parties. For help at the show, check with someone familiar with the practices of the particular country to find out what is the norm so as not to mistakenly cause offense.
Press: You won't forget the first time a press agent comes up and asks for an interview or holding your first 'press' conference. It is a rush. The press are generally very interested in riders from overseas, whether things go smoothly or even if they don't. Offering a few sound bites at the conclusion of a ride is great, and definitely take time to talk to the press. But avoid being put off track and your important schedule by interviews. It is up to you to schedule an appropriate time where you can give them your full attention if they want a more in depth discussion. It is also important to remember to thank your sponsors ( if you have any) during the press interview where possible.
Finally, remember you are doing this not just to further your career or experience but also to have fun. Smile! Everything goes better when you smile, including your horse.
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