Many people come to us and ask if we know this and that person when they find out of our equestrian background. I always start by asking them what discipline (or type of horse riding for the non-equestrianated). Some would reply show jumping, others showing, etc. People don’t understand how big the equestrian industry is in South Africa. They don’t understand that we get little to nothing to do with other disciplines. Some are lucky enough to do two disciplines, but others are fully invested in being an Endurance Rider.
But what does this mean? What is an endurance rider? What are the prerequisites or fundamental requirements to be called this prestigious position? The answer is two-fold: The person who you are off the horse, and the person you become on the horse.
Who are we off the horse?
Most endurance riders off the horse are like any average person. We have our business owners, doctors, teachers, farmers, stay at home moms, accountants, students and everything else you can imagine. These are usually people that know who they are and are fully capable of, and willing to, push boundaries.
They say horse people are difficult and stubborn, but I would like to suggest that endurance riders are at the top of that list. We will stop at nothing to make sure our family gets what they need to flourish, whether it’s our kids, spouses or our animals. We bear through pain for hours so that the horse can finish what he worked so hard to accomplish. Endurance Riders are keen learners, always listening to new methods of doing things, although they might have a strict routine. Endurance Riders are determined above all else.
What do we become on the horse?
Then comes competition time. Endurance riders have this innate ability to completely transform from whatever they were on the ground, into what they were born to be – an Endurance Rider. Here, no matter what your level of competitiveness, you look out for your horse. As the saying goes “the welfare of the horse is paramount”. But this doesn’t keep you from taking risks. At every vet check and at every uphill and downhill, every stone and every sand pit, you calculate whether or not you made the right call. Moments fly by as you see whether you are riding at capacity, without tiring your horse out too much. A fine balance that is as much science as it is art.
It’s tough enough to ride against your own feelings, emotions and overactive imagination, now we add the clock and other riders. Will your horse kick, buck or run away? Are you going to be able to ease him into a trot down the steep hill? Is he going to keep a constant pace while the other horses are passing him by? All these factors run through our mind every moment we sit on that horse. Every second is calculated, but it’s also fun!
Why we do what we do
Feeling the fresh breeze hit your lungs as you depart just before dawn after a night of little to no sleep, seeing the beauty of nature from across the country, getting together with friends (although you compete against each other) and getting to ride amazing animals. This is what makes it fun and worth it. Like any other sport, the moment the ride is over, we shake hands and gather together to celebrate the day. Everyone is welcome and everyone is family.
There is so much excitement going on at the venue. Grooms and riders walking their horses at all hours, people preparing food and drinks. We all get a little excited when we think about what is about to happen and the horses feel it too. Simply articulating the rush doesn’t give it the depth of the true experience! Truly something to experience first-hand!
We are just…,well, Endurance Riders
Endurance Riders are just strange creatures of our own being. We love the horses more than our own welfare. Together, we travel thousands of kilometers each year to compete at these rides. We camp in the freezing cold while our horses stay in warm stables. We do everything for the love for our horses and the love for our sport. The horses serve us by doing what we ask of them, but we invest our hearts and souls. The tears of joy and tears of sorrow come from the same heart. We all mourn together when a horse is eliminated, but we all share in the joy of victory!
One thing is evident in all of this: Endurance Riding is in our blood. It’s not about who we are on the ground, but it’s about what the horse makes us out to be. They truly give us wings to fly. But remember this, whether you are riding your 15 year old pony or your 15+hh arab, “To finish is to Win.”
Baie mooi geskryf!!