Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Favian at the Maryland 5 Star. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
Halfway through a bustling eventing season, Valerie Pride has barely had a moment to breathe — let alone pause to reflect. The year kicked off, as it often does, under the hot Florida sun, where she and her horses trained and competed non-stop through the early spring. Now back at her home base in Maryland, she’s catching a “second wind” — reconnecting with clients who stayed north and stepping into a slightly quieter (but no less focused) phase of her year.
Her current string of horses includes promising six-year-old Irish gelding Excel Star Je T’Aime, who is “huge and still growing”. He recently made a statement with a second-place finish in his first CCI2*. Valerie is aiming him at a 2*-L this fall, believing that it’s an essential step for a big-framed horse like him before climbing up the levels.
Meanwhile, her nine-year-old gelding Kiss My Jambo M is at the top of the national leaderboards at the Preliminary and 2* levels, though they’ve momentarily stepped back from an Intermediate move up. “He’s so game, but gets tired on the cross-country. I don’t want to rush it,” she says. “When you’ve been in the sport as long as I have, you can look back and see all the mistakes you made before you knew better. Now I want to take the time to get it right.”
It’s a perspective that only time and horses can teach. “When you’re younger, taking time off from competing feels counterproductive. Now I know that patience is progress. Waiting is hard, but it’s worth it.”
This fall, however, Valerie isn’t just focused on the horses in her barn. She’s heading to Europe as a judge, instead of as a rider. And not just anywhere: she’s judging at the Burghley 5*, the British Eventing Young Horse Championships at Cornbury, and the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim — some of the most prestigious events in the sport. It’s a milestone moment in her judging career, and perhaps even a turning point for her future.
Valerie judged her first 5* at Maryland last year, followed by the 4*-S at Kentucky. She describes both with a kind of reverent excitement. “When you judge the 3*-L at Maryland, you hang out with the 5* judges and hope that’ll be you one day. Then suddenly it is.”
Her selection for Burghley, one of the biggest and boldest events in the world, was a moment of disbelief. “I’ve never even been to Burghley. To walk that course in person? I’m going to get goosebumps. It’s massive, technical, and iconic.”
Shortly after came another invitation: to judge the European Championships at Blenheim. It felt full circle. “I competed at Blenheim years ago, but the Queen had just passed away, so the event had a somber tone. This year I get to go back as an official, and I’m hoping it’s more celebratory, more festive.”
Then comes Cornbury, where she’ll judge the seven-year-old British Championships, many of whom will be the future stars bound for Burghley, the European Championships, or even the Olympics.
Each weekend she’ll work with a different team of talented judges and officials, and she’s looking forward to the variety. “I’m going to learn so much and come back completely inspired,” she said, “and I’ll definitely be bringing that energy back to my own program.” Between the three events, she might stay at longtime friend and coach William Fox-Pitt’s farm and catch up with other riders as well as their young horses. When Val gets home though, the rest won’t last long: Fall Area II Championships and local three-day events will be right around the corner for her and her team.
Valerie Pride and Favian competed at Blenheim Palace in 2022. Valerie will return this year — but this time as a judge. Photo by The Jockey Club.
Despite the excitement, Valerie knows that judging at this level requires serious preparation. As the junior judge at each event, she’s determined not to be the weak link. “I’ve been watching old Burghley videos, trying to understand where the horses struggle,” she said. “For Blenheim, they’re running the 4* Test D, so I’m practicing it myself at home to really know it inside out.”
Cornbury is expected to be overwhelming just due to the sheer size of the event, with hundreds of horses competing. Valerie is relying on experience from other large events like Blair Castle to keep her focused. “You have to be ready for the first horse in the ring to be the best one of the day.”
Valerie believes her experience as a 5* rider is what makes her such a strong judge. “It’s my biggest asset. I know what it feels like to be in the ring — I know when something goes wrong, how hard it is to recover, and how much you want the judging to feel fair.” That rider perspective also helps her notice patterns others might miss. Judging show jumping especially, she sees where the majority of competitors struggle in a course and takes that knowledge home to her own horses and students. “I’m not afraid to ask questions. These course designers are geniuses. Understanding why they do what they do makes you a better horseman.”
She’s also extremely aware of the standards she holds herself to, both in and out of the arena. “Because I’m an official, I expect more from myself and my staff. Everything we do is done with care and intention. There are no shortcuts. Legs are checked at each walk to and from the field, and our cool down routine is established and extensive.” Her team uses systems like Stable Secretary to stay on top of every detail, and she keeps them sharp with pop quizzes. “We know what a normal heart rate is because our horses wear monitors. We know how many strides are in a line, what canter we need, and how to prep before it happens.”
Valerie Pride served on the ground jury at the Blair Castle Horse Trials. Photo courtesy of Valerie Pride.
Valerie’s judging “Tune-Up Tips” video series on social media has also been growing in popularity. The series started out as a way to answer the same questions she kept getting over and over again at shows. “People would come to my trailer and ask things, and I’m always happy to share. Then I realized I was writing the same thing on 27 dressage tests, so I thought, why not make a video about it?”
The videos cover everything from new rules to common mistakes, usually filmed on the fly during her rides. One early video about dressage whip use remains a favorite. “I threw the whip at my groom so many times I actually spooked my horse,” she laughed. “It kind of sabotaged the training for a second, but it got the point across.” Feedback for her series has been overwhelmingly positive, with riders saying they didn’t know that certain things were in the rule book. “I view it as good karma. If I can help people ride better and stay within the rules, it’s worth it.”
This judging tour is just the beginning of what Valerie hopes will be a long-term journey. She’s eager to judge in more countries, including Germany and Japan, and dreams of going to more major championships and iconic venues like Aachen. “I’m a total eventing nerd,” she admits. “I’ve judged in Poland already, which was really different, and I’d love to see more of the world through this role.” To keep her home program running smoothly while she travels, she’s currently hiring for an assistant trainer. Most of her current horses are up-and-coming, so they need someone who can keep the training consistent when she’s away.
While Valerie isn’t naming any specific Olympic goals just yet, she acknowledges that her role as a judge may one day be the way she contributes to the sport at the highest level. “My horses are young. They won’t be ready in time for some of the major events on the horizon, but maybe judging is the role I can play on the world stage.”
For now, Valerie is happy balancing both parts of her career. She plans competition schedules around judging commitments and vice versa; sometimes she’ll judge an event one year and return to ride in it the next. “I don’t have eight advanced horses, and that’s by design. I want to do both well.”
Valerie Pride and Favian salute the judge at the inaugural Maryland 5 Star. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
QUICK TAKES WITH VAL
Best judging advice she’s ever received:
“Don’t second guess yourself. Trust your gut, and be fair.”
One rule riders consistently misunderstand:
“The flag rule. What you see on video or feel when riding isn’t always what the officials see from the ground.”
Favorite venue to judge at:
“Kentucky. It’s just magic.”
Dressage ring pet peeves:
“Late flying changes. Riders going into the corners on serpentines. People switching their whip during a direction change — how do the horses not just run off??”
by Anya Ostrovsky for Athletux
