Born to Ride

For equestrian legends Gina Smith and Ian Roberts, the bond between them and their horses is
an inseparable one.

“The relationship with my horses [runs] very deep and differs from horse to horse, since they
are so different in their temperaments,” reflects Smith. “Like family members, some like to be
hugged and some don’t. We develop a mutual respect for each other and I try to understand
each as an individual, with their strengths and weaknesses.”

Smith’s love for the sport began at an early age, having joined the Saskatoon Pony Club at age
11. One of her first “extended family members” was a racehorse named Flying Phil. As one
of Canada’s most accomplished horse riders, Smith adds that she believes all horses may be
trained in similar ways, but that each of their different personalities must be encouraged.

“There have been many moments with all of the horses I have developed with as a rider,” she
says. For example, Malte, the Westfalen gelding she rode as a member of Canada’s bronze-
medal-winning dressage team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, taught her all about competition at
the Grand Prix level, having competed there for 10 years. Like many riders, she maintains that
all of her horses have greatly contributed to her success as an international competitor.

As a fellow Olympian, Roberts’ family history with horses extends all the way back to his
grandfather, who rode in the British army and cavalry during the First World War. Describing his
equestrian roots, Roberts explains he was just five years old when he first learned how to ride.

“[Riding] is something where I ask myself what I can do to be a better rider and train the
horses,” he says.

Both he and Smith are frantically, and excitedly, preparing for the London Olympic Games,
which will host the world in less than a year.

Even after a long athletic career, Roberts reflects that the process of training can be both
rewarding and challenging.

“It’s quite complicated,” he says. “ There’s a great affection for the horse you’re paired with
and you become very attached competing with them… They’re an amazing animal that will do
virtually anything for you.”

Smith remembers one such moment in her career during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where
she and her horse at the time, Faust, had to work together as a team. It’s a riding moment she
carries with her to this day, she says.

“For a short period of time, he was unable to compete,” she explains. “There was a competition
in Ohio where we were faced with an unforgettable test. It was like everything around us just
crystallized and everything was communicated easily between us. He was incredibly talented,

but at the same time very difficult, like the fine line between genius and crazy. He captured the
hearts of everyone who saw him — even non-horse people were attracted to his presence, like
a magnet.”

While preparations for the 2012 Games continue, equestrian sports also have a longstanding
and unique history, and is the only Olympic sport that allows humans and animals to compete
together. Dating back over 2,000 years ago, the first equestrian sports began in Greece, when
the Greeks introduced cavalry training in order to prepare horses for battle conditions.

More specifically, dressage, which tests the rider and horse on a series of requested
movements, is said to have reached its peak with the creation of Vienna’s famous Spanish
Riding School in 1729, which laid the foundation for the modern discipline.

Equestrian sport itself is comprised of three disciplines: Dressage, eventing and jumping, which
have been included in the modern Olympic program since 1912, when the Games were held in
Stockholm.

Smith, a world-famous competitor in the dressage category, and his fellow competitors are
marked on accuracy of movement, calmness, suppleness and flexibility. As such, it’s no wonder
the discipline is sometimes referred to as “horse ballet.”

In eventing, for which Rogers has earned international recognition, competitors are put to the
test in nearly every element of horsemanship, including the endurance of cross-country and the
high level of skill required in jumping.

After watching a show on Vancouver Island as a young boy, Roberts says he was hooked on the
eventing aspect of the competition.

“I thought it was a lot of fun,” he recalls. “I also thought it suited my way of riding and
temperament.”

Now, doubling as an athlete and coach, he says he is influenced by famous riders of the past.

“Clearly, I’m not the youngest member on my team, but maybe I can be the oldest.”

As for other memorable riding moments, he says it is a combination of being privileged to have
built up a passionate career, and his involvement in coaching his students on his farm.

“None jump out at me any more than others, but I always remember students who go on to be
successful and live their dreams. I always get that thrill [out] of coaching.”

Teaching future generations of equestrians is also a pursued passion of Smith’s, who like
Roberts, continues to offer riding lessons to students at her homestead. While their careers
have opened up opportunities to travel the world, their involvement with coaching has helped
nurture the dreams of future riders. For more than 20 years, Roberts has trained many young
eventing riders, as well as numerous Ontario teams for the North American Young Riders
Championships. Smith, who operates Franklands Farms in Brockville, Ont., also possesses strong

coaching credentials, including being the proud recipient of the German Bereiter Award for her
exceptional teaching skill in all equestrian disciplines.

When put another way, these highly acclaimed names in the equestrian realm share a lot in
common. From being evolving students, to progressing on the world stage as Olympic riders
and coaching new beginners, you might say both, like so many of their fellow competitors, have
found the winning ticket to ride.


 

A Winning Breed

From an equestrian perspective, specific horses with certain traits are bred for particular
sporting events. While athletes like Roberts and Smith may not stick with one type of breed
consistently, both agree that the thoroughbred horse breed commonly work best for the work
they’re involved in. As well-respected individuals on the Canadian Equestrian Team, their focus
and dedication back up the well-known notion that Canada is home to winning equestrian
athletes and breeds.

“For eventing, if they’re not thoroughbred they just will not have the endurance and mental
toughness involved for the sport,” says Roberts. “They’re a very smart breed and very clever;
they’re bred to be athletes.”

Meanwhile, Smith notes that while she has worked with many types of horses, warm
bloods tend to work best for the type of sport she is involved in. Warm blood refers to the
temperament of the horse, and is most commonly used for racing and equestrian sport. Hot
bloods, for example, are commonly seen in world-famous races such as the Kentucky Derby,
placing the temperament of a warm blood somewhere in between a cold and hot blood horse.

The thoroughbred, known for its agility and speed, is classified as a hot-blooded horse, and
is mainly used for racing, though they are also bred for other riding disciplines such as show
jumping dressage and polo. Also referred to as the English running horse, the thoroughbred is
believed to be the first crossbred horse, like its name suggests — originating in England from
crosses between imported Arabian horses and existing English lines. As one of the fastest
horses, it has upheld undisputed supremacy as a race breed.•