The National
WEG Team Canada: Mario Deslauriers, Beth Underhill, Amy Millar, Tiffany Foster, Erynn Ballard, with chef d’equipe Eric Lamaze.
Well. Things got REAL this week at the National. It was busy, and it was hard. It felt like moving up from the 1.10m division to the 1.45m. I found myself learning real sports journalism through the school of hard knocks. But how else do you learn?
Even though I’m in the Media Centre, I’m not given a lot of information and I have to learn everything on the fly. I’m found myself attending my first press conferences with no idea what they are like and what I’m supposed to do. I have to learn fast, which suits my skillset, but it’s stressful.
The press conferences are pretty intense. It’s a small, silent room, buzzing with tension as everyone waits for the riders to arrive, the primary sounds being “check, check” and “testing 1-2-3…” Every press conference seems to have a different tone and feel. The first one was made jovial by Patricio Pasquel, a warm man from Mexico who has been coming to Spruce for more than a decade and who loved talking about his homebred horse and partner, Babel. Nayel Nassar was also there that night, accompanied by his wife Jennifer Gates. I asked him what he likes about show jumping. I also discovered that he will be at Aachen when I will - one of only two riders going there from Spruce Meadows.
Friday night’s conference with winner Kent Farrington was brusque; professional - more of a “get it done affair” - it was late and it was raining.
Grand Prix Day. Saturday’s press conference was emotional - it was British rider’s Matthew Sampson first 5* win and he was clearly overjoyed - the “best day in my life,” he said. How cool to share that with him! Conor Swail was there as the runner-up - he arrived, faithful dog in tow, a little terrier who meandered around the cables on the floor getting pats from the camera guys as Conor answered questions. Erynn Ballard, who came in third-place, spoke passionately about the “great vibe in Canadian Show Jumping” and her love of horses.
It was fun to have 17-year old local boy Sam Walker at the press conference on Sunday - I noticed they had removed the Oxer Ale that is usually offered to the winners. Don’t want to serve alcohol to a minor!
Then, a very serious press conference from Equestrian Canada announcing the team for the World Equestrian Games in August in Denmark. Everyone was there: Mario Deslauriers, Beth Underhill, Amy Millar, Tiffany Foster, Erynn Ballard and Eric Lamaze. All the riders I’ve been following almost my whole life. What a way to finish off the week!