Dressage judge shares wisdom with riders

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This article was published 31/10/2019 (2378 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stephen Clarke has travelled all over the globe throughout his lengthy career as an international dressage judge, which includes serving as an official during the last Summer Olympics in Rio, London and Athens.

But on Oct. 19-20, Clarke took up residence at the Westoba Agricultural Centre of Excellence in Brandon to provide some pointers to riders from Western Canada who are looking to up their game.

This two-day clinic featured 16 different athletes from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta who varied in terms of ability ranging from beginner to Grand Prix, the highest level one can achieve in this equestrian sport. 

At the tail end of the Oct. 19 session, Clarke told the Sun that he was thoroughly impressed with the local facilities and the way Westman Dressage put this event together. 

“Everything is so organized,” he said. “It’s wonderful. It makes my job easy.”

As a sport, dressage requires a special level of precision and finesse, since athletes are judged on their ability to get their horse to perform special, controlled movements.

Clarke has been on both sides of this equation, having represented his native Great Britain in many international events as a competitor, including the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

One of the most promising riders to cross Clarke’s path during his recent weekend in Brandon was Eiren Crawford, who, alongside her horse Godot SSF, is hoping to qualify for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Even though she often visits Brandon for training purposes, Crawford told the Sun she didn’t have to think twice about travelling all the way from her home in Edmonton to get Clarke’s feedback. 

“It is worth a 12-hour drive in each direction for a 45-minute lesson with this man,” she said on Saturday. “My only complaint is that I can’t get two (sessions).”

This event actually marks the second year in a row Westman Dressage has booked Clarke for a fall clinic in Brandon, which isn’t easy considering the fact that he regularly jets off to different parts of the world to fulfil his duties as a five-star judge for the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

However, Clarke’s back-to-back visits to Brandon has helped him maintain a sense of continuity with some of the riders, which feeds directly into his training philosophy.

“My job is to give riders something that they can work on long-term. I don’t do quick fixes,” he said. “It’s about discussing with the riders what they’re up to and forming a plan about what they can do to develop the horse in the future.”

In terms of an up-and-coming talent like Crawford, who is slated to enter Olympic qualifying rounds in January, Clarke recommends that she stick to a systematic training program that can be worked on at home.  

“Because the more solid your training at home becomes the more successful you will be in the competition,” he said. “So it’s just daily progress really, physical and mental development.”

While Clarke will continue to provide his services around the world, he told the Sun that he will not be officiating during the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and is leaving that slot open for fellow FEI five-star judge Andrew Gardner.

“In the old days, they used to say that a judge only ever got one Olympics because there are many other people who would like to do it,” he said. “And I feel very, very lucky that I’ve been able to do three.”

Westman Dressage board member Lori Versavel is hoping to get Clarke back for a third straight year, although she’s thrilled that they managed to swing this deal in the first place.

“We’re a little group and I’m just really proud of what we’ve been able to do to put it together and the support that the community has given us,” she said.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

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