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“I will not change my horse with any that treads but on four pasterns. When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes. It is a beast for Perseus: he is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him, but only in Patient stillness while his rider mounts him: he is indeed a horse; and all other jades you may call beasts.”
– William Shakespeare (Henry V)
Anyone who has ever seen the world through the flickering, pricked ears of an eager pony or galloped full tilt to the sound of thundering hooves, will know the incomparable joy of horse-riding. The Dauphin of Shakespeare’s Henry V is so smitten with his particular equine that he devotes nearly thirty effusively eloquent lines of the play to extolling its virtues, culminating in the revelation that “I / once writ a sonnet in his praise and began thus: / 'Wonder of nature’."
When I asked Rosalie (G10, France) if, like Shakespeare’s Dauphin, she would like to write a sonnet to one of her horses, she was somewhat dubious. She did, however, agree to take part in an interview about her experience competing in dressage at the Equita Lyon this weekend, along with her sister Bianca (G9, France), who competed in the show jumping.
Unlike most of us who love horses, whose time spent with them is perhaps limited to an occasional hack on a riding school pony; or, for the more fortunate, regular outings on one’s own pony when not at school or work, Rosalie and Bianca have already climbed several rungs up the ladder of a career in equestrianism, with both girls dreaming of a life spent working with horses.
Still only in their early teens, the girls are already semi-professional, with their own sponsors, and competing at an International level in their respective disciplines. Their devotion to their sport, and, most importantly, to their horses (Rosalie makes clear in her interview that her horses’ health and wellbeing comes before everything else), is keeping them firmly on the road to success – and what greater success is there in life than making a living from doing what you love?
As Rosalie admits in her interview, balancing a semi-pro riding career and life as a school student can be challenging. However, Surval’s ability to offer bespoke timetabling has ensured that the girls are able to pursue their equestrianism whilst still achieving their potential in the classroom. Sometimes, of course, the two come together – Rosalie is one of three Surval students who, as part of their work in the school’s Sustainability Club, have been accepted to deliver TED-style talks at the upcoming Youth Forum Switzerland in January. Her topic? The future of professional sport in a sustainable world…
For now, both Rosalie and Bianca have taken the time to respond to interview questions about their journey as equestriennes thus far: keep reading for the interviews; click here to take you to a video of the girls competing at Lyon this weekend.
Q & A with Rosalie:
Surval: Tell us a little about your background in equestrianism – when did you begin horse-riding? Why did you start competing? What drew you to the discipline of dressage?
Rosalie: I started riding when I was three years old. I first started as a jumping rider until 2017, when I changed disciplines to dressage. I started dressage because my coach was a dressage rider and I really enjoyed watching her ride, so I wanted to try dressage.
What is dressage? What skills does it test in the rider and the horse / their partnership? Why do you enjoy it?
Dressage is an Olympic discipline. An equestrian sport defined by the International Equestrian Federation, dressage is "the highest expression of horse training" where "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.” The rider needs to have total control of himself and of his horse. Both rider and horse need to have good physical and mental training. To be able to compete at a high level in dressage, the rider and horse need to trust each other and know each other very well. I enjoy dressage a lot because there is always something to improve. It can take up to a lifetime to be able to master some movements completely!
What were the most memorable moments of the Lyon International?
There were a lot of memorable moments at the Lyon Horse Show but I think my best memory was the competition. It was my first time competing in the Pro (professional) category and I really loved seeing all the professional riders riding in the same arena as I was in; I could really see the little details in their riding that makes them such amazing riders. I think that it was an incredible first experience in this new category. I also loved meeting new people and seeing all the people I have not seen in a long time.
Tell us a little bit about your horses. What are their personalities like? What are your favourite things to do with each?
I have two horses, Velisko de Lauture and Quanthe. Velisko is a dressage horse who always tries his best while training and during competitions. He loves being ridden! He is very playful and loves human contact, even if he gets a little bit nervous when he sees someone for the first time.
Quanthe is a jumping mare. She is very kind but she likes testing people a lot and will always show it when the rider is doing something that she doesn't like. She enjoys going out for long walks where she is not scared of anything. A bomb could explode and she would not be scared but while working in the arena, she gets scared of small things like a pigeon 255678 kilometers away (she pretends to be scared)! She loves treats and rolling on the floor.
When were you first sponsored, and by whom? How did this feel? Can you remember when you decided that you wanted to make equestrianism your professional career?
I had my first sponsors quite recently (approximately one and a half years ago). I was really happy because I did not think that I would get sponsors so early in my career. I don't remember when exactly I wanted a professional career around horses but since I was small, I knew that I would want to be around horses all my life.
What are you most proud of in your career as an equestrienne thus far?
I am most proud of having two horses that are happy and healthy; everything else comes after that.
How challenging is it to balance school life with your horse-riding? How does Surval support this?
Balancing school life and horse riding is not always easy; it is very tiring because my timetable is always full and, sometimes, it is hard to keep on top of everything, but Surval helped to adapt my timetable which made things a lot easier!
What are your dreams / ambitions in your future career? What do you hope to achieve?
Firstly, I want my horses to be healthy and then, I would love to participate in the Olympic Games and perhaps win the Gold medal.
Which riders do you look up to and why?
I look up to my coaches because I love their way of riding, of teaching and their ability to make everything seem so easy. I also look up a lot to Charlotte Dujardin because she rides extremely well, cares about her horses and she either does things to a very high standard or she doesn't do anything. She doesn't do things halfway!
Have you learned anything from your equestrianism that has helped you in the rest of your life? How has it shaped you as a person?
I have learned to always try my best and persevere on things I am not so good at, as eventually, they will become easier. I also learned to be patient.
What message would you give to someone who is thinking about trying horse-riding for the first time…
I would say that it is not going to be easy, it will take time, it will cause injuries but to keep trying and it will be worth it.
Q & A with Bianca.JPG)
Surval: Tell us a little about your background in equestrianism – when did you begin horse-riding? Why did you start competing? What drew you the discipline of show jumping?
Bianca: The first time I rode a horse was in Paris in le Jardin D’Acclimatation when I was four years old. When I was eight years old, I moved to Corsica and I had my first pony, Flash. She was very little but could go very fast. It was with Flash that I did my first competition, with jumps of about 55 cms high.
What is show jumping? What skills does it test in the rider and the horse / their partnership? Why do you enjoy it?
Show jumping is to jump twelve obstacles as fast as possible without making them fall. Show jumping ponies can jump until 130 cms and for the horses 160 cm. I enjoy doing show jumping because I like to jump and to go fast, and my ponies like this too.
What were the most memorable moments of the Lyon International?
The first day was terrible as I nearly fell! The best moment was when I completed my clear round!
Tell us a little bit about your horses. What are their personalities like? What are your favourite things to do with each?
My pony, Carrero, is seven years old and 150.5 cm high. He is very forgiving. When I make a mistake he continues in the correct way. He loves to walk out in the forest to relax after a competition. He is very brave in jumping competitions. He does not like dressage and tries not to do it!
My other pony, Belem, is eight years old and measures 147 cm high. He is nervous and scared of walking in the forest. He is afraid of trucks and cars and once he kicked a bicycle with a child on it! He can jump higher than Carrero, but he does not forgive my mistakes. When I am stressed, he gets stressed.
Although my ponies have different personalities, I love them both.
When were you first sponsored, and by whom? How did this feel? Can you remember when you decided that you wanted to make equestrianism your professional career?
I was first sponsored by Wow Store, a horse riding brand. I was very happy because they gave me equipment. As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a professional equestrienne.
What are you most proud of in your career as an equestrienne thus far?
I am most proud that I can now ride Belem in competitions because when he was young, he was very difficult to control, and my grandmother said I should give him up.
How challenging is it to balance school life with your horse-riding? How does Surval support this?
It is easy to balance school life with horse riding except when there are competitions. Then I have to miss school and take work with me. Sometimes there isn't enough time to do everything.
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What are your dreams / ambitions in your future career? What do you hope to achieve?
My dream is to compete in the European Championship with Belem. I will have to achieve a high ranking over jumps of 125 cm. I think I can do this but it will be difficult.
Which riders do you look up to and why?
I admire Penelope Leprevost. She is a French rider who always jumps well and achieves a good place.
Have you learned anything from your equestrianism that has helped you in the rest of your life? How has it shaped you as a person?
I have learnt that when things don’t go well, I have to keep trying and learn from my mistakes. I have also learnt not to listen to other people all the time and to trust my own judgement.
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What message would you give to someone who is thinking about trying horse-riding for the first time…
I would tell people to try because it is a wonderful experience. There are lots of different types of horse riding - you don’t have to jump. Try it, and you might find you love it as much as I do.
Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
I would like to thank my grandmother for all the help and encouragement she has given me over the years and Mrs Reid and Mrs Wilkinson for their support with this interview.
We would like to thank Rosalie and Bianca for taking the time to share these interview responses, and wish them all the best of success in their future careers!