Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master were officially named to the Canadian Olympic Team just after Bromont two weeks ago. The Canadian Team will train in Virginia with coach David O’Connor before flying to England on July 9. We have followed Rebecca for much of the spring, and can’t wait to see her in London. Catching up with Rebecca today, she tells us about her family visit and why BC became such a hot spot for upcoming eventers. Thanks for writing, Rebecca, and thank you for reading.
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37 days…. The countdown clock on my website says. Those 39 days till opening ceremonies are going to go by really fast. I am recently back to the USA after my longest stint in Canada I have had in … I don’t know how long. Starting with Bromont, then some teaching in BC, and ending with awesome family time at my parents’ home in Salmon Arm.
Bromont was a mixed bag of experiences. While it certainly was not a perfect completion for us…we certainly came away with clear direction as to what my focus needs to be in these weeks leading up to the Games … some good stuff to “think about!” The visit home was also quite the trip down memory lane. I taught and spoke at the Kelowna Riding club, a venue that I regularly competed at as a kid. There I found Joni Lynn Peters, along with her parents (Jacque & Bob Peters)….all of whom played a key role in my riding career. It was Joni who – as my first high performance coach– opened my eyes to the pursuit of excellence in eventing.. Today she applies the same set of values to dressage…look for her at the WEG’s in 2014!
I then taught some xc lessons at Top Line stables (formally Newels Riding stables) which is across the street from my family home and the place I started and grew up. The most nostalgic of visits was a dinner gathering at Chase Creek with the Holmes-Smith Family and the week’s crop of clinic campers. I was a working student for Canadian Olympian/Pan American Gold Medalist Nick Holmes-Smith for 3 years living with the finest of forestry tents & outhouses on his farm. I learned so much from Nick and it was fun seeing him, his wife Ali and with their own three event crazy girls. I was also able to inspect and remember the jumps that I built there as a working student… such a long time ago!
I get asked a lot why the strong representation for British Columbia kids now on the Canadian Team. While I was a young rider, BC was at its height of eventing activity. Events were plentiful and coaches the like of Nick, Joni Lynn, and Robin Hahn were all returning home from “out east” and setting up shop in BC. For me it was all about these international mentors, good instruction, and the abundance of events and camps that BC provided its developing eventers. The number of horses I rode and the number of jumps I jumped under Nick’s expert eye was invaluable. BC also provided the wisdom, push, and example for venturing out to the larger eventing world. So it was in 2001 that I packed up my horse trailer and together with Hawley Bennett drove across the country in pursuit of more learning, more competition, and let’s face it… the Olympic Games!
I am feeling rather energized by the family time and hometown support; other than the fact that I cannot really walk or lift my hands over my head due to my brother-in- law and fitness guru “tweaking” my fitness program.
In the meantime, as soon as my arms once again reach the steering wheel….. and having analyzed Bromont and the season thus far -every which way in my head – I am keen to be Virginia bound. Time to get the pre party – to the training party…for the big party…started. Last, but not least, I want to give a thanks to my sponsors Arenus, Ecogold, EquineLite Mats, FITS, Five Star Tack, Haygain, Hit Air, Omega Alpha, RevitaVet, and Stack House Saddles.
