Chiara and Clemens, in grade 8 and 10 respectively, are national horse-riding champions in their own categories. With several wins under their belt – Chiara being 2023 National Jumping Champion 2023, 130cm class and Clemens bagging 2023 National Dressage Champion 2023, Medium level – both of them are aiming to achieve more in the 2023 League. We speak with them on their passion in the sport.
How long have you been participating in horse-riding and what got you started on this, out of so many other sports?
Chiara: I have been horse riding for more than 9 years. I first sat on a horse at my 3rd birthday party. When I was younger, my mum would walk me to school every day and when we passed by the stables, I told her that I wanted to horse ride someday. When I was 5, I started taking lessons and at 7, I started competing in show jumping. In 2018 at the age of 9, I got my first pony named SweetTart. She retired in July 2022 in Italy at the age of 20. I still visit her whenever I go on holiday in Italy. At the age of 11, I got my second and third horse named Chalounette and Circa Hoy – they are currently 10 and 11 respectively.
Clemens: I have always loved animals and was fascinated by horses. My “break” into horse-riding was a gift from my grandparents to do a 7-day pony camp. I have been riding for 6 years now, mostly spent on learning jumping, dressage and understanding “horse language”. I entered my first competition in 2018 with a little pony in the Singapore Polo Club. Since then I have been competing regularly in show jumping and dressage, with emphasis on the latter in the last 3 seasons. Skipper is my first ever owned horse and I have been riding him for 4 years now. During this time, he started being my schoolmaster, helping me in jump competitions up to 100cm level. We basically grew together as a team. I have started to train Skipper to achieve higher levels in dressage.
Guide us on some of the professional terms used in horse-riding.
Chiara: Some key terms – distance, course walk and positioning over the jumps. For jumping, distance is used to see how far your horse takes off before a jump. For example, you could come “close or far” to a jump. Course walking is when you go into an arena and walk the number of jumps in sequence from 1 to 11. Finally, your position over the jumps – we call it “2-point position” as the rider’s legs form 2 points of contact with your horse. Here are some picture examples of what the key terms mean:
Clemens: The term “dressage” is a discipline in horse-riding in which horse and rider are assessed for their skill to perform certain movements (for example, collected canter, halfpasses, pirouettes) in a 20×60 metre dressage arena with markers on the side – these are all demonstrations of the great precision and harmony between rider and horse. Every competition, each test takes around 4 to 5 minutes, and graded by 1 to 5 judges. The principle of dressage scoring is similar to the one in figure skating – the marks are given in percentage, and judges count down from a perfect score of 100%. Even though 70 % does not sound like very much, it actually is – because it is virtually impossible to get 100 %. An average score is 60 – 65%, In Singapore, we are following the Australian Equestrian Rules, with 6 different levels of test and movements getting more difficult with each level – Preliminary, Novice, Elementary, Medium, Advanced and Small Tour. Last year I competed on Novice Level. This year I am competing on Medium Level.
Another important term in riding and also dressage are the “aids”. Aids are the commands which the rider gives to the horse to show certain movements. These aids can be given in different ways, such as leg movements, shifting the body weight, using hands and voice (though not allowed in dressage competitions). More complex movements are achieved by flexing certain muscles to induce more tension in the horse. Horses are very sensitive, they feel every little change in the rider’s body. Horses even detect the rider being scared or nervous.
I like to ride “dressage freestyles” the most. The dressage freestyle is one of the most exciting parts of dressage. Dressage freestyles incorporate compulsory figures into a test choreographed to music, specifically chosen by the rider to present a “feeling” or “style” to spectators. For the National Championships in 2022 and 2023, Skipper and I had chance to present our freestyles.
What does horseriding mean for each of you – to keep you going this long, dedicating so much time and effort to be where you are at now? How about overcoming challenges and balancing school work?
Chiara: I believe that when I am older, riding will be my career. Whenever I have a rough day, I go riding at the stables which makes me feel calm and happy. 9 years of hard work and I am now jumping 130cm and 140cm in both training and competition. I am thankful to be able to manage so far with few challenges, but times when I feel like giving up would be when I fall off and get too scared to get back on. In the end, I always get up and continue. Balancing schoolwork and riding have been working well for me. I always go riding after school and at night I study for tests and do my homework.
Clemens: For me horse-riding nearly feels like a profession. To compete on Medium level is a lot of work, and needs dedication, good work attitude and concentration on the horse. This applies to both before and after riding. The ride doesn’t end the moment you jump off the horse. The preparation of each ride as well as caring for the horse after riding are important elements of horsemanship. Our horses are family members which we care about like everyone else cares about their family. In addition to my almost-daily visits, my family members visit at least once a day too.
Stretching before riding 
Bringing on the paddock and spend time together
I recognise and enjoy the challenge that every ride is different. Even after winning a competition, there is much more to work on. I am very grateful for how my coach is constantly pushing me to improve.
The biggest challenges in horse-riding in my opinion are “confidence and patience”. Riding is not only physically challenging (even if may look easy), riding is one of the most mentally-difficult sports. You work with a 700kg partner, which doesn’t speak your language, sometimes throws a tantrum or runs off because it is scared. With patience you learn to understand your horse, to guide it, to trust it. Riding can also be dangerous. If I fall (luckily not so often) or have a day I cannot find the harmony with my horse, I lose a bit of confidence. But one of the first things I learned in riding is, when you fall it is important to get right back on and continue. Do not give up, trust yourself and then trust the horse again! To achieve big goals, to win competitions and to enjoy riding work only if you have a trustful partnership with your horse – you are a team.
I personally have no issue with balancing riding and school. Of course my days are fully packed, but I am quite organised. If my horse needs special attention and on competition weekends, I spend more effort on time management.
What are some of the skills you’ve picked up and do you see any changes in yourself after taking on horse-riding?
Chiara: Taking care of your horse trains you to be responsible and teaches you to bond with your horse. If you spend almost every day with your horse, you will eventually begin to understand them, and vice versa. For example, when you ride, you can tell whether they are paying attention to you.
Clemens: Horse riding is a real team sport. You have to work with an unpredictable animal which can be dangerous but you learn a lot about body language of horses and humans. Interestingly, I can now “read” my horse, I can feel small tensions for movement, I feel it when he is not feeling well – and also the other way round. My horse and I have come to a stage where we trust each other (more or less blindly) and we do a lot of fun stuff like riding without saddle and bridle.
Riding also gives me lot of self-confidence. My concentration skills improve with each competition, remembering different tests, all aids, and needing to react fast if the horse gets distracted.
Lastly, I have learned to take responsibility. My horse has to be well and happy to show its best with me in riding and competitions. He has to be trained, have fun besides riding, and I give him a varied life and take care of his health. With horse-riding, I found a real passion.
How has GESS and your teachers helped or supported you in this passion?
Chiara: In grade 6 and 7, my homeroom teachers Mr Thomas Davies and Ms Siobhan O’Connor would ask how horse-riding is going or when I will have another competition. GESS is the type of school where if your teachers and classmates know what type of sport you play, they always ask you how it’s going, unlike in my former schools.
Clemens: GESS has given me time to prepare for really big competitions like the Nationals.
I would especially like to thank Mr Thomas Teichert for featuring us in the Meet the Champions section in the sports block and to our principal Mr Stefan Pauli for inviting us to his office to talk about our passion. This shows that GESS is interested in us. This pushes me even more to not only enjoy riding but to reach big goals.
Do you plan to continue pursuing this passion in the foreseeable future? What is the one thing that you tell yourself to keep going when the going gets tough?
Chiara: Yes, hopefully when I am older, it will still be my passion. My goal is to compete 160cm at the Olympics one day! Sharing a quote that inspires me and makes me continue – “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
Clemens: Yes, I do want to continue this passion and bring the maximum potential out of my horse and me. For this year, I will be in the National Equestrian League again, this time in Medium Level, with some more competitions to go after the summer break. In 13th place worldwide, I will try to represent Singapore in the international FEI World Dressage Challenge in end 2023. If everything would turn out to be perfect for an actual riding career, I would love to compete in the world’s biggest competition – the CHIO Aachen in Germany.
When it gets tough, I always motivate myself with the achievements that I have gotten so far. I know that horseriding is a really tough sport, which takes a lot of dedication. One of my role models is Ingrid Klimke, a German dressage and eventing rider. She always says (and you can see it in her riding): “Reite zu deiner Freude – Ride for your Joy”! This is also the most important for me with Skipper.
