Junior News by Sophie Benjamin
On Monday, our day off, I learned comparison to the one in Aachen. In
J that my junior jumper we had just sold Germany, the crowds topped 300,000
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was very sick and in the hospital. I fig- for the week, plus 15 or so anxious
ured I could let myself be a bit of a grooms, riders, and trainers watching
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wreck and get it all out of my system the live feed from a laptop computer
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while I wasn’t at work, but to my hor- on top of the fridge at the end of the
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ror I turned into a human hosepipe as JMS barn isle in Calgary. Throughout
soon as I got to the barn the next day. the fifth week, when he didn’t have
R Later that day, I had my first lesson horses showing, you could find John
with John and I really needed to be glued to the computer screen.
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focused, instead of blubbering over a On Sunday, Beezie was competing
situation I had no control over. I kept in the prestigious Grand Prix of
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it together for my lessons, but com- Aachen. Before the jump off between
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pletely lost my head and embarrassed Beezie and two other riders, as he
myself later that day. was busy composing his nerves and
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John’s lessons were very different I was sweeping, John gave me some
from what we usually get in Califor- words of wisdom. He said, “I have
nia. The lesson began with questions something very important to tell you.
about the origins and components of Before Beezie went in as the anchor
the “forward seat”. Embarrassingly, I rider in the Olympics, I was so nervous.
didn’t know any of the answers, but I knew that if she had one rail, we
now I’m not likely to forget about the would be out of the medals. But just
D’Inzeo brothers or Caprilli anytime before she entered the ring, Beezie said
soon. The questions made me think to me, ‘If I go clear, we’ll get the Silver
about how lazily I’ve slipped into the medal’. There was nothing negative in
for the Maddens (and they would
routine of showing and showing and her thought process. And we ended up
know my name), that I’d go to Spruce
showing without really knowing about with the Gold.”
Meadows, have lessons with John and
the position I’m supposed to be exhib- Later that day as we all gathered to
Beezie, ride with Beacon Hill, ride a
iting. Don’t get me wrong - I ride with watch the jump-off from Aachen, I
horse of John and Beezie Madden’s,
many great trainers (my own and the was suddenly struck by the company
show at Saugerties, or show in the
people I ride with when I catch ride), I was in: our little group had swelled
medal finals, I probably would have
but John’s lesson made me realize how and included Mario Deslauriers,
laughed my head off.
much learning was still ahead. The last Schuyler Riley, Will Simpson and so
I can honestly say that being a working
time I was asked horsemanship ques- many others. I was standing shoulder
student is the most rewarding thing I
tions in a regular lesson was 10 years to shoulder with the GREAT riders
have ever done...not only have I gotten
ago when I was riding lesson ponies. of our sport. Being a working student
amazing opportunities, I feel incredibly
It is the same for horsemanship ques- has given me the opportunity to meet
proud that I worked for every single
tions posed in the show ring. I have al- all these incredible people, and learn
one of them.
ways been prepared for an occasional from watching them.
question from the judge in work offs, As it turns out, it also got me a horse
Last issue, Sophie was the focus of
but the only time it ever happened was to ride for Medal Finals. One of John
the “Winners Circle”, in recognition
in a local one-day show. How can eq- and Beezie’s sale horses from Europe
of earning the Shalanno Style of
uitation classes claim to judge the rid- is on its way to the U.S. right now for
Riding Award. This prestigous
ers horsemanship if they only test the me to ride. It didn’t really sink in until
physical aspects? To me, not knowing we were driving to the airport. It was
award is presented to the top junior
where the billet straps are is as grave a the day after her spectacular victory in
rider for their horsemanship and
mistake as any riding error. the Aachen Grand Prix and John on
sportsmanship.
During the final week of Spruce, it the phone with Beezie. With a wink
seemed that all of Calgary turned out he said, “If you have time tomorrow,
If you would like to send Sophie
to watch. There were games, bands, why don’t you start training that eq
a message, please email to
and dancers to keep the thousands of horse for Sophie”.
califshowbiz@aol.com. Please include
spectators entertained, and the com- So I’m off to Saugerties next week
“For Sophie” in the subject line.
petition was intense. Forget all the ag- with Beacon Hill to show this new
onizing we do over here in the States horse. It is impossible to put into
about how hard it is to get a wide au- words what I have gotten out of this
dience for our sport. The audience at summer. If someone had told me this
Spruce Meadows, however, paled in time last year that I was going to work
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