Certain people migrate toward certain animals. My favourite creatures possess speed, grace and elegance. I have always admired horses but it was not until I was 25 and moved to the country that I was able to be with them. So I come to horses relatively late in life and with not so much natural ability. But I do have passion, perseverence, a competitive nature and experience with training other animal species.
One misty early evening I was running down my road and coming at me over the hill was an ethereal, ghostly duo… a huge grey horse and rider emerging from the mist, and that is really how it all started. The girl riding was a natural. Judy Snider and I struck up a friendship and made a wonderful arrangement whereby she taught me how to ride and I taught her how to fly birds. So often I would watch her galloping across a field arms in the air, her long legs easily molded to her horse, singing and laughing. Judy later joined the circus performing with elephants, dogs, horses, baboons, sea lions and parrots and has lived that nomadic, unique life ever since.
Meanwhile I rode, but never very well and it was my ferrier Jean Paul Gautier who suggested that I should try driving and offered to teach me. That winter we drove at least two times a week, often having to take turns holding the lines while the other warmed up. By spring we started to compete in Pleasure Shows, then Combined Driving Shows.
A couple of years later I met Morris Kerr who taught me the finer points of horsemanship for several years. Michelle Belbeck, Martine Gautier, Jill Marvin, my son Daniel Dailley, Vilika Zafirides and Kim Jeffries helped me by navigating and grooming.
More recently I have been so fortunate to share a wonderful friendship with Chester Weber who coaches me in a way that really works for me. If a mere iota of his discipline and skill can rub off on me, I’ll consider myself fortunate. How you approach driving is a metaphor for how you approach living; Chester is a champion. He is a master at figuring out what motivates a creature or a person, and strives constantly to make them perform to the best of their ability, often utilizing unorthodox means.
Finally I enjoy so much the training and competing times I now share with my navigator and close friend, Saskia Leijten, a true horse woman.
