Joie Gatlin heads to World Cup jumping competition in Geneva

Joie Gatlin heads to World Cup jumping competition in Geneva
By Cheryl Pruett, For OCLNN
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Joie Gatlin rode her first horse at the age of two and never looked
back. Next week The Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final in
Geneva, Switzerland, awaits the San Juan Capistrano resident,
business woman and national show jumping competitor. It will be
her third World Cup appearance.
Only nine other U.S. riders earned a spot in the 2010 international
competition, which will be held from April 14 to April 18 in Geneva.
The 43-year-old Gatlin is no stranger to awards, having rounded up
about 150 wins in 27 years of competition. Her first award came at
the age of 15 in 1982. She worked Joan Irvine Smith, riding her
horses and showing her Grand Prix horses. Gatlin eventually
moved up to jumping for the love of big jumps and speed.
The road to the World Cup
On Friday Gatlin placed eighth at the Blenheim Spring Classic II
Horse Show in San Juan Capistrano before boarding a flight to
Geneva on Saturday. (The Blenheim II continues this weekend and
Blenheim III on April 14 to April 18 with admission and parking
free.) According to Gatlin, her World Cup spot was solidified by the
Blenheim competition and the first place win in March at the
$50,000 HITS CSI-W Grand Prix in Thermal, Calif.
Gatlin’s goal for the World Cup: by the final day of competition on Sunday, April 18, to be in the top 25 riders left standing out of 43 riders from 19
countries vying in the event. She will be in an elite group of riders from countries that include Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany,
Ireland, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and The Netherlands.
The biggest difference in this year’s World’s Cup will be the indoor ring, said Gatlin. “I will probably be a little nervous. You’re riding against some
of the best rides in world and it’s humbling to compete with them.” Gatlin will be riding 10-year-old Camaron Hills Quick Dollar, a horse she has
ridden for two years. “He has talent and ability,” she said. “He lacks a little of the international competition, but he has a big heart.”
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World Cup horse attributes
The best World Cup horses are athletic with a nice build–a good conformation, she said. “They have a good mind—a good head on their
shoulders. They are willing, strong and will listen to you. You want a fearless horse to a certain extent, but a careful horse as well as a brave
horse.”
Gatlin’s riding and training experience tells her that if a horse is rude on the ground (tries to bite you, act up) then the behavior will carry over to the
saddle. “You don’t want a horse that has its own agenda. There has to be a clear line. They have to listen and behave—pay attention—and do
what you ask them to do.”
Career advice to young riders
Gatlin advises young people to stick with it, even when they are having bad days and they don’t see improvement. “Set goals for yourself and write
them down.”
She and her husband Morley Abey own and operate Joie Gatlin and Morley Abey Show Jumping in San Juan Capistrano, which they started 14
years ago. When it comes to business, she said that jumping has taught her patience—to be patient with horses and with herself.
What have horses taught her? “Horses have given me a lot of confidence and I’ve learned to be a partner with someone. There’s a lot of give and
take. You have to have a good relationship.” This carries over into all aspects of life.
Read more: http://www.oclnn.com/orange-county/2010-04-10/local-news/joie-gatlin-heads-to-world-cup-jumping-competition-ingeneva#ixzz0l2a4YFNR