Quality of Horses Deserves Higher Scores

“The quality of the horses is very important and I’d say that from what I see this week, if I compare the quality of the horses here to those in Europe, it’s quite similar,” Van Daele said. “I’ve seen horses with beautiful gaits. I’ve given 8s and 9s for walks. Some 8s for canter, some 8s for trot, some 8s for riding. That’s good. That’s the level we need. I was absolutely impressed with what I’ve seen.”

The warning for the North Americans, however, is that while our horses may be on par with those in Europe, our riding is not necessarily so. It’s in the riding that Van Daele sees the difference and it explains why the best competitors at the NAJRC are scoring in the low 70s while their European counterparts score in the upper 70s.

“I’m not saying that I’m disappointed with the riding,” Van Daele said. “But I would have liked to see some higher points for the leaders. What would be good is a 75 or 76, or why not 78? It’s just a matter of working at it and if you [North Americans] improve every year, you’ll get there.”

When it comes to comparing American and Canadian riders, Van Daele said “the Canadians, in general, are better riders.” Why? He’s not quite sure, but they seem more concentrated and better able to handle the pressure of competing in a major event such as the NAJRC.