While Endurance rider Lisa Davenport is no stranger to the winning circle in New Zealand, her recent trip to England to work as an Endurance groom and work rider proved there's plenty more to learn in the world of Endurance, even for the very seasoned riders.
When the young kiwi rider and former New Zealand Junior Endurance Champion made the decision to take up work experience in England, she had no idea of the experiences that lay ahead of her. Shortly after her arrival in England during May last year, Lisa took up a position at the busy stable of top Endurance rider and member of the British Endurance Team, Christine Yeoman.
Based in Shepton Mallet, near Bath, the stable is home to 14 Endurance horses and a team of groundsman and four grooms. With ten years of solid Endurance riding experience under her tiny size eight belt, Lisa was quickly snapped up for her Endurance experience and riding ability, and without hesitation accepted the job as stable groom. Eventually her position evolved into the role of work rider; a promotion Lisa embraced wholeheartedly.
In true kiwi style, Lisa rolled up her sleeves and threw herself into the action-packed days of riding and exercising, generally riding two to three horses, and sometimes covering up to 40kms with each horse on a daily basis. She pointed out that while the other grooms were riders, she was the only rider with Endurance experience, and therefore was well used to the intense riding regime that went with the sport. She joked "Three-four hour long rides, over and again was not everyone's idea of fun."
Luckily for Lisa, the busy Endurance training regime and long periods in the saddle were factors that made this job special. Endurance riding was something she had grown up with and therefore the position suited her perfectly.
Lisa's typical working day started at 8am and involved the usual stable duties such as feeding, mucking out and exercising horses on the walker. In a normal day, Lisa would ride through forest and bridal paths, or gallop work on the stable's own half mile track.
With eight horses in full work, there was no shortage of work around the stables, and any time not spent riding Lisa found herself mucking out paddocks, cleaning saddlery, or grooming. She states that the stable was particularly well organised and every day's activities were strictly recorded.
Weekends certainly didn't mean a holiday for Lisa, and during the peak of the competition season (April-October) she was required to travel with Christine and the horses to Endurance events throughout the countryside. The competition team (usually consisting of Christine, her husband and two to three grooms) would leave on Thursday or Friday (depending on where the event was located) to allow for one day's rest for the horses, and time to prepare for the weekend's competition. The team would compete in all parts of England and even greater Europe.
Left: A British team horse is vetted prior to the European Endurance Championships in Assisi, Italy.
On the day of the event, it was Lisa's job to ensure the horses were comfortable, fed and walked. She would be required to set up the portable stables, and set up the crewing area in preparation for the horse and rider during competition. While Lisa admits that the events could be very stressful at times, the sheer size and level of competition was awe-inspiring.
Christine's extremely competitive edge on the European circuit meant that the grooms were expected to work at a very high standard, as well as being on call 24/7. A tall order one may think, but to this young kiwi, traveling with Christine's team was an experience of a lifetime and a huge learning curve.
Of all its differences, Lisa points out that the European system of training sees horses ridden harder and faster than in New Zealand. This is mainly due to availability of flat, fast land in Europe, compared to the steeper hill country in NZ. Lisa adds "It's hard to find a flat course for a 160km race in NZ, so the training has its differences”.
The crewing system is also rather different to what Lisa has known from the New Zealand circuit. She points out that in European competition the courses are a lot more accessible during the ride, allowing for on-course crewing; "Where a rider will meet his/her crew only during vet-gates (every 20-40kms) on a New Zealand course, a European rider might meet their crew as frequently as every 10kms, during each loop, as well as at the vet-gate... it makes the day go a lot faster for the crew!”
Of the events that stood out, Lisa explains that it was the 'Ride of the Stars' that was particularly memorable. A prestigious 120km event put on and funded by an endurance rider from the United Arab Emirates, the Ride of the Stars saw some of the very best riders from across Europe come to England to secure their place (and very attractive prize money) amongst the 120-strong field. This was one of the few events Lisa was asked to ride in; a credit to her skills and competence indeed. Unfortunately for Lisa (who was riding Christine's advanced horse 'Nour du Roch'), she was vetted out during the competition due to a lameness problem in her horse. Christine however, finished a pleasing mid-field place on her other horse 'LM Midday'.
Left: Lisa (second from right) with some of the British Endurance Team members, Assisi, Italy.
Another stand out experience for Lisa was being one of the traveling grooms for the British Endurance Team to the European Endurance Championships in Assisi, Italy. It was Lisa's responsibility to travel with the seven team horses to Italy (a four day drive from England), something that certainly proved a real highlight of her year. The team spent ten days in Italy before embarking on the long drive back to England.
When she's asked if she's inspired to ride at such a competitive level, she's quick to reply that she's not; "It's too fast and I just don’t think I’m that competitive."
While she may not be so keen to partake in such a high level of competitive riding, there's one thing that Lisa cannot argue with, and that's the value of her experience. She's taken away more than she could have imagined during her stint at Christine's stable and she's pleased to acknowledge the entire experience was a fantastic learning curve.
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