Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jiff en route to 14th place at Badminton CCI**** 2010
Photo used with kind permission of Nico Morgan
Ireland are currently in the unenviable position of having to qualify a team for the Olympic Games next year based on individual rankings. Their Eventing High Performance Manager Ginny Elliot has named a provisional squad, and training has already begun in earnest so that they can compete at Ballindenisk CIC/CCI*** in February. As the youngest member named to the squad, Camilla Speirs boosted the Irish chances last autumn with a 2nd place finish at Boekelo CCCI*** in Holland on the diminutive but wonderful Portersize Just a Jiff, and she kindly took some time out of her busy schedule of training to answer some questions.
Portersize Just a Jiff at home
Camilla: His stable name is Jif. We bought him from Richard and Deirdre Bourns as a four year old, and he’s now twelve. He is such a softy, and always up for a cuddle in the stable. His one little quirk is when I’m taking the bridle off he loves to scratch his head…on me! He’s the only horse on the yard allowed to do so!
He’s pretty easy-going, and we put our working pupil, Rosin, on him to hack, and Mum also rides him sometimes when we have a number of horses to hack or gallop. He doesn’t get nervous at a competition, but he anticipates the cross-country as he shakes and gets quite wound up.
Fitness and Training Work
Camilla: At home we do a lot of fitness work with him, and he gallops two or three times a week at the gallops with a hill that’s about ten minutes down the road, then he’ll also do a bit of fast cantering at ours at home to keep him blown out .
I train with both Ferdi Eilberg (Irish Eventing Team Dressage Trainer) and Ian Woodhead with him on the flat quite a lot, and their training techniques really complement each other tremendously and I feel that I am getting the best of both worlds as I am very lucky to have such great, professional trainers – it’s trying to fund it all that is difficult, although very worth it!
He is very good at home on the flat and is beginning to get a lot more consistent in this phase at events also; he used to try and use flower pots as an excuse to spook at the big events but thankfully I have managed to anchor the little brat so he doesn’t do do that as much anymore!
It varies on how often I compete him depending on the events coming up, but before a big event I tend not to do a big course on him, but rather a smaller but well-presented course just to get his confidence up. I feel that it’s important for him being so small (15hh) that we big up his ego!
Personally, in my spare time I try and get to the gym three times a week, and I enjoy hanging out with pals or watching tv.
Trying to manage everything!
Camilla: I’m at University in Dublin but I’ve currently put it on hold to focus on my eventing career. I really struggled juggling it last year, and compromising my horses was not an option for me. It’s all or nothing, although I can be a multi-tasker when it comes to doing things I enjoy!
Living in Ireland, traveling to England
Camilla: I usually base my travels to the UK on what events there are, for example, going before Badminton, and usually before a Championship for some training. I used to base myself there each summer at a time but that became too expensive, and also I had too many horses at home. I’m very lucky that I have a good back up structure at home for when I do go away. At the moment I have about seven horses in, and then a few young ones out in the field. We’re sometimes allowed to bring other horses with us to Team Training, but only if they are around three star level and if there’s a spare slot for them.
The Irish Team
Camilla: The Irish morale is fantastic, and we all support each other a lot. Being the youngest on the squad means I do get a lot of teasing but I take it on the chin, this lot don’t let you get too full of it! It’s great though that everybody gets on so well. At the moment we are pulling to get a team qualified by individual rankings, and I think they’ll send the people with the best form, not necessarily by who qualified; we’ll probably find out after Badminton who got selected.
Camilla and Jif at Badminton 2011. Photo by Nico Morgan
Boekolo and competing under pressure
Camilla: I think I almost compete better under pressure! Boekolo was such a great experience, even though it wasn’t on the original agenda! It was fantastic to get out there under such pressure and pull out a good result. Jif really pulled out all the stops and we had a lot of support out there which we really appreciated. I’d love to repeat that result at London!
Camilla’s Backgroud
Camilla: I’ve always ridden. Mum used to leave me on a horse in the stable for about five hours a day when I was about three years old and I never got bored! I started eventing when I was eight years old, and never really thought about doing anything else. Although I come from a very horsey family I have two brothers who don’t ride. My father was Master of our local Hunt, and my mother worked in Leicestershire in a big hunting yard. I would absolutely love to event professionally, it’s whether I can afford to keep it up that will determine it. At the moment it’s all I really have my sights set on. I am sponsored by Tipperary Crystal, Antares Sellier, and Perfect Movement Solutions, and they offer such invaluable support to my career. I am truly grateful to them. Its such an expensive sport and to recieve their support is second to none. Especially this year with the Olympics it is so important to have that financial support, and to be able to concentrate on producing my best results.
Photo supplied by Camilla
Kentucky
Camilla: I’ve been to America once and that was for the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games – what a fantastic place! I would definitely go back if had the horse and it suited, it’s such a great event and very friendly.
Dream Destination
Camilla: A place I would love to go? LONDON!!! Fingers crossed!!
Dream Horse
Camilla: My Jiffy!
Many thanks to Camilla for her time, and wishing her, and indeed the entire Irish squad the best of luck this Spring. Crossing fingers to see Camilla and Jif in London this summer – go eventing!
Photo by Nico Morgan, see more pictures like this at his website
