Catherine Chamberlain, a west Chandler 16-year-old, found her passion in life when she was only nine years old. And she’s been following it ever since – intensely.
Right now, Catherine is in Kentucky, competing in a champion horse competition, often referred to as the Junior Olympics of rider championships, with other dressage riders from around the world.
“My aunt is a professional horse trainer in Payson,” Chamberlain said. “I started going up there when I was five during the summers, and I just fell in love with it.”
Dressage is a highly-competitive Olympic sport that has the impression of gymnastics and ballet combined – all on a champion horse and choreographed to music by the rider who follows a balancing act of precise coordination.
The horse makes distinct body and leg movements based on subtle indications by the rider, Catherine said, performing a variety of trots that resemble dancing motions.
“Dressage is described as a ballet of horses,” said Catherine, who has been competing in equestrian competitions for seven years. “It takes a lot of coordination, grace and skill.”
Competitors present disciplines of dressage, eventing, show jumping, endurance and reining during the championships, earning individual and team awards.
“I really enjoy working with the horse – you build a really strong friendship and partnership with them,” Catherine said. “They become your best friend.”
Catherine will join her fellow Arizona teammates, Taylor Lindsten and Brandi Roenick, during this year’s competition. Taylor and Brandi both have a received numerous awards in dressage.
The 2011 Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRO) is held from July 27 to 31, and includes riders invited from the U.S., Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands and Bermuda.
“This is the biggest competition in North America for junior riders,” Catherine said.
To be invited, contestants must meet a variety of qualifications, including awards in three competitions per year, she said.
“There are nine regions in the U.S. for junior horse riders,” Catherine said. “You have to be one of the top four riders in your region to make the team for this competition.”
By working with professionals who compete in the Olympic discipline of dressage, Catherine is prepared for the competition. An injury in May, however, almost prevented her from entering the championship.
“I was working with a horse and got kicked in the elbow, shattering it,” she said. “It made it a little bit of a last minute thing to train for this championship, but we made it work.”
Training for a junior Olympic championship is a rigorous schedule of weekly practices, in addition to the everyday care of the horses.
“My horse usually trains six days a week, spending anywhere from a half an hour to an hour each day,” Catherine said. “It can take more than six years to train a horse to top skill levels.”
Catherine’s horse and longtime companion, Verdicci (or Chance, as he is called around Catherine’s barn), is a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, and at the top of the training schedule, she said.
“I got him as a five-year-old Training Level horse and together we have moved up the levels to compete in the FEI Young Rider Division,” Catherine said. “It takes a lot of patience working with animals – they have their own opinions about things and sometimes it can be frustrating.”
As she accumulates more and more championship experiences under her belt, Catherine hopes to one day compete in the Summer Olympics.
“My goal is to represent the U.S. on an international team someday,” she said. “This is my passion; it’s what I love doing.”
To keep up on Catherine’s riding, visit her blog at http://catsyoungrideryears.wordpress.com/ .
