MURILLO - A local equestrian will be taking her horse jumping skills to South America to compete on the international stage.
Sophie Potvin-Begin is travelling to Bogata, Colombia to compete in the International Equestrian Federation competition next week.
The competition is designed for young riders and will include teams from all over the world. Potvin-Begin will be representing Canada with two teammates from Manitoba and one from British Columbia.
Leila Farmer, who coaches riders at Dell Farms, said it was a pleasant shock to learn that Potvin-Begin was accepted to compete in Colombia.
“It was especially surprising for someone who has only been riding for three years,” Farmer said. “There are riders who have been riding since they were five or six, and Sophie is probably the least experienced rider going into this competition.”
Despite riding competitively for only three years, the 19-year-old has already earned several championships at competitions in Toronto, Winnipeg, Mississippi, and Chicago.
To prepare for the competition, Potvin-Begin has been training extensively, being at the farm and on her horse every day. However, during the competition, Potvin-Begin will not be riding her own horse, but rather choosing a new horse from a pool in Colombia along with all other competitors.
While she will get two days to train with the new horse, Potvin-Begin said that it is still going to be a challenge becoming familiar with a new horse in such a short period of time.
“There is a partnership involved in competing with a horse,” she said. “The horse I have at home that I compete, I’ve had her for about a year and a half and there is a bond there. But it is a very good experience and a good talent to have to be able to get on a different horse and still compete.”
According to Potvin-Begin, the relationship between the rider and the horse is no different than any other team sport.
“You do view it as a team,” she said. “Most people wouldn’t consider an animal a teammate, but as an equestrian you do and you have to consider them. Every time you go out into the ring you try to not let them down and they do the same and try not to let you down. It is a team mentality. You do everything for your partner.”
Potvin-Begin has been riding horses for more than five years, but she quickly became interested in competition because she said it suits her personality.
“I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie and just trail riding around wasn’t my deal, so I wanted to do something a little more exciting with my horses,” she said.
But participating in competitions like the one in Colombia is the result of more than just seeking a thrill, it takes a lot of training and discipline, which Potvin-Begin owes to her coach, Farmer.
“Right from the start she built me up, so I owe everything to her,” she said.
Farmer has been coaching young riders for the last 13 years and though it began as a way for her to earn enough money to compete in competitions, she has since moved into coaching full time and is working with more than 60 students.
“It’s extremely rewarding to see a student make a success of themselves and get accepted for things like Colombia,” Farmer said. “We’ve had some really good highlights over the years and it’s really fun to watch that happen when they started so low and got so high.”
