an interview with Chris Hector
It was great to see James at the Frankfurt Horse Show. The last time we’d seen James was in Kentucky, where he achieved his ambition of a place in the Australian Showjumping team, but it has been a long haul since he packed his bags to leave Australia, determined to make it on the European circuit…
“It’s been ten years from when I left to make it to Kentucky. I came close for Athens, I qualified on the team for the Nations Cup in Aachen in 2003, then my horse was sold. I changed jobs not so long before Hong Kong but everything came together for Kentucky.”
Do you think you will keep the ride on Niack de l’Abbaye for the London Games? Or could it be sold tomorrow morning?
“It’s a dealing yard, everything is for sale. I think we try and keep him, but there’s no guarantees. He is now approved by the French Selle Français stud book, so maybe we can breed with him and keep him a little bit longer, but nothing is certain.
Is that going to affect his competition career if he starts a breeding career?
“I hope not. He is quite easy going at home and at the shows he is very easy going and well behaved for a stallion. I don’t know if we are going to breed with him directly, I’m not sure of the plan, but hopefully he stays normal.”
Is he the best jumper you have ridden?
“Until now, yes. He is only nine. I think there is still more improvement in the horse, he’s done a lot for only nine years old and I think he is only going to get better.”
What are his strengths?
“He is so simple and cool in the head, but he still is ‘blood’ enough – he is careful, he is scopey. It was a big test for a nine years old horse in Kentucky and he had no problems, no stress, he came through it easily. He is just really simple and easy in the head.”
Is that how you try to ride your horses – to keep it as simple as possible?
“That’s the best way, to keep it simple.”
Do you still think a lot about your own riding, your technique…
“For sure, you learn something new every day. With horses and riding you are always learning and improving, I guess when you stop improving, you end up just like Marcus Ehning and win everything.”
Do you do most of your training at competitions, or at home?
“At home I train with Ger Poels, my boss. He doesn’t ride at competitions, he rides one or two horses a day at home. He owns all my horses – he has really good training technique, and really good, basic, simple ideas. At the shows, I watch a lot of riders and get different ideas from them, just keeping an eye out…”
Do you use fancy bits on your jumpers?
“Again I try and keep it simple. I have quite a few horses that go with a gag, just simple with two reins on. A couple in a Pelham, but for most of the young horses, just a normal bit.”
Do you have other horses coming on to back up Niack?
“I still have Lanosso, who was good earlier in the season, he’ll be back showing in January. I have an eight year old who jumped very well in Lyon at the World Cup show there, his name is Vincente. I have a new horse, a nine year old who I think will be really good, and a really really good seven year old, Popcorn. But being a dealing stable, I don’t know it they get to stay and become something with me, or they become something with someone else.”
It’s freezing cold right now, do you ever think it would be nice to be back in Australia?
“Sometimes but at home, we don’t have a problem, we have a heated indoor and we stay inside the whole day. It is only at a show like this that it is sometimes cold, but at home, we ride just in a sweater…”
James Paterson-Robinson is an Australian Equestrian. He represented Australia at the 2012 summer Olympics in Equestrian jumping. And the interview with Chris Hector is very impressive. It was great to see James at the Frankfurt Horse Show. He tried to qualify for 2004 Summer Olympics but had problems during qualifications due to an injury to his horse. The Niack de I’Abbaye is only nine-year-old and he’s done a lot to James.