POINT OF VIEW Although we come from different backgrounds in
the sport and our thought processes are different, our partnership has been successful because we are all on the same wavelength. For example, at a show we sit in the stands together and each judge which two horses we would purchase from the class. When we ex- change our papers at the end, we will have chosen the same two horses. Early on, we moved into breed-
ing as well. We thought that the best way to create the animals we desired was to breed them ourselves. We currently have more than fifteen offspring on the ground, some of which have been sold and some of which we have kept and are developing for ourselves.
America, I believe the height of the fences and the level of the competition is a little too watered down to prop- erly prepare the young horses to eventually step up to jumping the bigger classes. I think that the Young Jumper Championship pro-
“I believe that if you are trying to bring up the nicest young jumper horses in North America, they should be able to jump the same heights that everyone else’s horses are jumping throughout the world.”
Developing a Young Prospect Although I also own horses in North America, devel- oping the young horses in Europe is advantageous for us. From a financial perspective, I can support ten young horses in Europe for every one I can support in America. I also think that as far as the education of the young horses is concerned, there is still a big gap. In Europe, the height of the fences at each level for each age group is considered the grand prix level for that age group. That height is what, for example, the top seven-year-old should be jumping. Over here in
gram is, in theory, really good for our sport. But, I be- lieve that if you are trying to bring up the nicest young jumper horses in North Ameri- ca, they should be able to jump the same heights that every- one else’s horses are jumping throughout the world. Creating consistency across the conti- nents is important for keeping American young horses com- petitive when they step up to the international stage to face their European counterparts. I also believe it is important
to give the young horses experience in the main arenas at top venues, as in Europe, because that is an integral part of developing a young horse. When you are trying to develop a five- or six-year-old in this country, you are shoved into a small ring in the back of the show, and the horse never sees the inside of the main arenas until later in his career.
Owner Recognition Additionally, in the United States, very little is done to champion the owners of these horses. That is a huge flaw in this industry. In Europe, the owners are made known and are shown more appreciation. The horse shows here in the United States are more concerned with taking everyone’s money than promoting the sport and recognizing the driving forces that are keep- ing it alive. If we are taking all the blood from the own- ers, the industry is eventually going to die. The riders become the celebrities, while the owners stand in the shadows. Of course the riders should be celebrated, but we cannot forget that the owners along with the breed- ers form the true backbone of our industry. I made it part of my mission to avoid overshadow-
The 2016 M. Michael Meller Style of Riding Award is presented to Allison Robitaille with Peter Lutz and his family present. The author Michael stands second from the left.
44 March/April 2017
ing my owners at all costs. When I partnered with my good friend Katherine Gallagher, we were able to cre- ate another branch of the business in North America in 2009. From the very beginning, Katherine has been sol- idly behind me and has upheld the same ideals as I do. She believes in my business plan for these horses, she supports my dream for these horses, and she allows me
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