Trainers Maureen Allen and Gracie Allen are seen with Gracie’s student Katie Ken (middle) at the North Elba Show Grounds in Lake Placid. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Ever wonder what it takes to be an equestrian rider, the difference between a Hunter and a Grand Prix Ring, or how and why the jumps are laid out at the Lake Placid Horse Shows?

In comparison to attending high-caliber events in Europe and the United States, as well as elsewhere, the people who put together and participate in the events held in Lake Placid are very accessible. Thus, such questions can be easily asked, whether they are longtime riders and trainers, attending Lake Placid for the first time, or returning after a long absence.

They came to experience the upgrades made to the Horse Show grounds and stable area, which exceeded their expectations, as well as its designation as an International Equestrian Federation (FEI) event. No less exciting was hearing that Allen Rheinheimer is managing the event, Travis Gould installed and is maintaining the footing, and Alan Wade would lay out the courses; all three are considered the best in the business.

The rings

The Hunter Ring vs. the Equestrian Ring is comparable to figure skating vs. speedskating. In the equestrian ring, the winner is the horse and rider who gets around the course the fastest without errors. In the Hunter Ring, yes, having a clean run is critical, but the horse and rider are scored on their overall performance, including their appearance and how well they execute all aspects of riding and jumping.

Swiss Olympian rider and trainer Beat Mandli poses with top U.S. rider Katherine Dinan at the North Elba Show Grounds. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“When I show in the Hunter Ring, it’s more like the artistic part of figure skating,” said lead Hunter competitor and trainer Amanda Steege. “We are getting judged on how we present the horse, the horse’s form, and things like that, unlike the Grand Prix side, where it’s about getting around the fastest. Like those riders, we need a different strategy for every horse. For the Hunter Class, it’s not at all about speed, it’s about pace, rhythm, how you present the horse to the jumps and keeping the correct distances, and the judges’ impressions of how the horse looks, moves and how their form is over the jumps.”

The course

While both courses are set out to distances that measure the optimum stride, in the equestrian ring, the class of the riders matters. For the upcoming riders, the course distances are exact as they are used a teaching tool, and for the top class where final round pure speed coupled a clean ride, the course favors the horse and rider that takes a bit of risk; that makes that extra effort; thrilling nail-biting rides of the finalists is often the outcome. In the Grand Prix, there are 12 to 14 jumps.

“How I design a course depends on whether it’s a jump-off course, speed class, media jump-offs, whatever the rules call for, which also includes the ability level of the class,” said designer Alan Wade. “Then you build to the height specs of the class. Basically, you are aiming for good results by the best athlete-horse combination within the class. In a speed class, you create opportunities in the turns so they can make up time by getting over the next jump using a shorter route. A jump-off class is more like a Grand Prix; there, you develop a course that’s very straightforward with lines and distances, but in the shortened jump-off round, you create opportunities for making up time on both right and left turns, and you might add a new jump as well. When laying out the course, we measure the distances, height of the jumps, and make sure bars are level; you have to be especially careful when there are double combinations of jumps.”

Wade said that designing courses can be stressful and that accuracy is crucial for keeping the horses and riders safe. Riders generally have between twenty and thirty minutes before a race to walk the course, familiarize themselves with the layout, and plan their ride. Riders who start early have less time, as they must get on their horses and be ready to ride.

The riders

In equestrian events, not only do male and female riders compete against each other, but coaches and trainers often compete against their students. It’s not quite like Herb Brooks skating with the Russian team against the Americans, but more like Coco Gauff competing against her coach Brad Gilbert in the U.S. Open.

As an example, at the July 4 $32,000 CSI 3 Speed Challenge, first-time Lake Placid Horse Show attendee and Swiss Olympic and World Championship Beat Mandli, riding Kay Grey, has been competing against his student, top-ten American Katherine Dinan, riding Diamantina Z, one of several such matchups.

“If she beats me, I’m both disappointed and proud that she did,” said Mandli.

As Beat Mandli’s father had horses, rode, and ran a riding school, taking up ski racing or bobsledding wasn’t in the cards; he was predestined to be a rider.

“Though I like skiing, I didn’t have much choice, but I am now pleased that my father and siblings convinced me to ride because now I love the sport,” said Mandli. “I like horses; it’s incredible what they can do with their bodies. They are very adaptable animals and very pleasant to be around and ride. They don’t talk back to you like many people do, but we do know their feelings and what they think; that relationship with a horse is special.”

Competing internationally means that both the riders and horses travel internationally and often have to deal with jet lag. Mandli feels that international travel is harder on the horse than competing in the ring; thus, once they arrive, they must be very mindful of how they care for their horses and prepare them for competition.

Katherine Dinan, returning to Lake Placid after many years away, started riding when she was four.

“I was a pony-obsessed kid,” said Dinan. “A lot of kids outgrow that, but I just became more obsessed every year. Being a rider is a whole experience; it’s not a sport you do for an hour a day, it’s a way of life. We have horses in our care, and we are responsible for them; it’s an odd combination of pet, teammate, and colleague, almost. You become very close with your horses and the people you work with at the stable. Even though it’s an individual sport, it takes a village. Every successful athlete has a huge group of people and animals behind them.”

Dinan said a beauty of the sport is that horses react differently with different riders, thus making it exciting to find that horse that fits well with her personality and vice versa. She said that to be a rider, you have to give up any normal kind of life, as they are responsible for the care of their horse seven days a week, at a horse show, likely eighty percent of their weekends, and on the road a lot.

Both Dinan and Mandi came to Lake Placid because of the upgrades and FEI rating, and, for Dinan, to also support a heritage competition, as Lake Placid is known for. In the final $100,000 Richard Feldman Memorial Grand Prix, Mandi finished second and Dinan third.

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley and has been writing his column for the Lake Placid News since 2005.)