Luck, talent and the kindness of strangers. These elements all factored in to my qualifying for the George Morris Training Sessions, which took place Jan. 15-20 in Florida.
I was one of eight very privileged young riders chosen from the top rankings of the Bates Equitation List, which is comprised of winning scores throughout the year in the big equitation classes. I was second on the list from the Western United States and was nearly overlooked because I often compete on the East Coast and the organizers assumed I was from the East Coast. This was the luck part.
Talent, because I won the Maclay Regional, was fifth in the USEF Hunt Seat Equitation Final at Harrisburg, and 13th at the ASPCA Maclay Final in Syracuse. These heavily pointed placings catapulted me up the rankings list.
The role that the kindness of strangers played is two-pronged.
The Esse family and Oscany, Inc., for whom I have catch-ridden ponies and Junior Hunters, asked me to polish an Equitation horse for their daughter Olivia. I was very successful in California on their horse Clocktower Optimist, thus adding more points on the rankings list.
The other prong was legendary East Coast equitation trainer Missy Clark, who trained with George Morris. I credit Missy and her husband John Brennan for getting me in the ring at all the big equitation finals. I worked with them throughout the summer of 2006. I can say unequivocally that their method of preparation and their horses are the best in the country. As a rider, they transferred their confidence to me and I carry it into the ring with me every time I compete.

The GM Sessions
The George Morris Sessions emphasized horse care and stable management, as well as riding. For five days, every hour was devoted to riding and caring for our horses. Experts gave clinics on conformation, nutrition, veterinary matters, course design and correct grooming, bandaging and preservation and cleaning of tack. Every detail of the sessions has been beautifully chronicled by a number of accomplished equine journalists. Google it if you want all the details.
My perspective on the sessions is unique. I was the youngest rider, I am from the West Coast, I care for my own horses at home and I am from a non-professional family with limited financial resources.
The sessions made me realize that, in riding, you never finish learning. You must always be open to new ideas and methods of training.
Mr. Morris said, ”Less is more.” If you over-school a jumper, his jump deteriorates. It’s essential to keep a jumper fresh. It also keeps them sound. He told us that, at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, his job was to tell the riders to stop warming their horses up: to stop jumping them, so the horses wouldn’t get tired.
Flat work is the foundation for jumping and a thorough understanding of dressage helps with the flat work. In particular, Mr. Morris wanted me to work on keeping my hands steady. He told me that they improved by the last day. This also helped with my automatic release, although this involves leg strength as well.
Mr. Morris encouraged us to know the history of riding and to study the greats. He used the example of Tiger Woods and his respect for Jack Nicklaus. To this end, Mr. Morris had Frank Chapot (Olympic team member and captain) present at many of the sessions. Mr. Morris and Mr. Chapot told anecdotes and bantered about past Olympians, famous horses and noteworthy European show jumping legends. It made me feel a part of something special, like being asked to join a secret club of exceptional, brave and courageous athletes.
On the West Coast, we feel disconnected from the “brains of riding,” USEF, the organizations that make the rules, and the USET Foundation, which raises the money for the Olympic team. Four organizations, USEF (the High Performance division), USHJA, the USET Foundation and the FEI all impact our sport and it’s helpful to be familiar with the people who run them. The sessions afforded me an opportunity to meet some of them.
On an emotional level, hearing Mr. Morris outline his formula for success was very poignant. He said ambition, empathy, courage and talent are key.
He also made a point of saying that riding and yachting are the most expensive sports in the world and that we should be prepared to ask for sponsorship. This is interesting to me because it is not talked about in the junior ranks. If anything it would seem crass and egocentric to seek out sponsors. I guess that is because many trainers are also Grand Prix riders. On the West Coast they have a rough time finding their own sponsors, so if a junior rider went to the same sponsors, it would be, at best, disrespectful, and more likely insulting.
Mr. Morris painted a picture of himself saving up money to take a wealthy patron to an elegant lunch and finding the right moment to ask for her support and sponsorship. It was an interesting image and legitimized the act of asking for help.
The sessions were educational and thought provoking. I will work on what I learned as I embark on the competition year ahead of me. I look forward to it. Mr. Morris’ final words were, “Practice what’s not comfortable in order to get better at it.”
I plan on doing just that.
Author Zazou Hoffman is a 15-year-old who trains with Meredith Bullock at the Sullivan Canyon Community arena in West Los Angeles. She made her first splash on the national hunter/jumper scene when she won, in 2005, the Ronnie Mutch Working Student Scholarship. That led Zazou to Missy Clark, and the impressive young rider’s talent and hard work have taken her far since. Zazou is an honor student at Santa Monica High School and provided a great report on the 2005 World Cup Show Jumping Final for this magazine.