Interviewed by Emily Penn

Emily George is one of Canada’s up-and-coming riders. The talented equestrian made her debut on the Canadian Show Jumping Team when she was 26-years-old at the 2011 Nation’s Cup in Buenos Aires. Her teammates were Jonathan Asselin, Angela Covert-Lawrence, and Tiffany Foster. George was the only one of the four to go clear in the first round, and the team’s performance in the second round was enough to secure the Gold Medal for Canada. 

Born in London, England, in 1985, George moved to Canada when she was seven years old. The Calgary resident began competing at age eight, and has been working her way up the leader board ever since. She graduated with a degree in geology from the University of Calgary but still kept up with her riding during those academically intensive years.

In 2006, at just 21 years of age, George began competing in the Grand Prix ring. Her first Grand Prix mounts were Smart Thinking, an Irish Warmblood gelding, and Ramila, a Hanoverian mare by Ramiro’s Son II. George was an immediate success, beating out many veteran riders to win the $35,000 Kubota Cup Grand Prix at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair aboard Smart Thinking. She went on to finish in the top ten in the Kubota Cup National Finals.

In 2007 and 2010, George was named to the Canadian Show Jumping Team Short List, an accomplishment which “made me feel that my hard work was taking me in the direction of my goals.”

Now George’s main horse is her Buenos Aires Nations’ Cup partner, Quidam’s Ramiro, a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding, purchased by Julie and Rick George in 2007 from Jonathan Asselin, with whom George now trains. “He has a pretty unique jumping style that took me a while to get used to,” George says, “He is unbelievably athletic and all heart. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to ride him.”

George’s first opportunity to represent Canada in the International ring came at the 2011 Spruce Meadows Masters’ Tournament. “It was honestly a dream come true,” says George of the experience. “I grew up imagining competing in the International ring one day, and for it [to] become a reality has been a bit of a surreal experience. I remember walking around the field for the first time saying ‘Big Ben touched here… and here… and here!”

Now that George has made her name well known in the international ring with her talent, dedication, and drive, her continued success in the show jumping world seems assured. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Emily regarding her riding career, inspirations, and Nations’ Cup experience.

Horse Journals: What horse has been the most influential throughout your riding career?
This is an easy one – Ramila! She was the first horse I did the 1.60-metres on and she taught me so much along the way. She was an incredibly hot horse. We weren’t able to jump her much at home, and we could only jump two or three fences in the warm-up ring. I am pretty sure people thought I was nuts. I really learned to respect a horses’ individual character. She helped me at least become aware of the delicate balance between letting a horse go in their own particular style and letting them get away with too much. Now it will just take me a lifetime to perfect it!

HJ: Who inspires you?
I find inspiration from so many different types of people. My role models have changed throughout my career, but right now I really look up to Beezie Madden and Eric Lamaze. They are both unbelievably talented, but in totally different ways. Beezie is always so composed and professional. Eric always rides to win… day in and day out, he is always competitive.

HJ: How difficult did you find the transition to riding internationally?
Whether it is stepping from the 1.10m’s to the 1.20m’s or into the international division, every transition has been, and continues to be, a lot of work. I have been so fortunate to grow up riding at Spruce Meadows where I had the opportunity to watch and learn from the best.

HJ: What was your impression of the Nations Cup course in Buenos Aires, and what did you find the most challenging?
I thought the course for the Nations’ Cup course was very fair. It wasn’t super big, but there were obvious tests of scope and readability. Olaf [Olaf Petersen, course designer] did a great job of evaluating the field of horses and riders he had for the class and building accordingly. The footing in the ring was fantastic.

I was a bit concerned about the water and the time allowed. I have had [a touch at] the water a couple of times this year, so I was really focused on giving Quidam the best possible ride to the water. I also knew I needed to be a little faster than normal in order to make the 400metre per minute time allowed.

HJ: What was your favourite part of the Nations Cup experience?
The best part of the Nations’ Cup experience was getting to compete as a team! Jonathan, Tiffany, and Angela were all so supportive. It was such a rush to cheer each other on!

HJ: What did you take away from the experience that will help you with future goals?
Our Chef [d’equipe – Mark Laskin] was so fantastic. The atmosphere on the trip was so relaxed, yet still focused on the priorities. He helped me to realize that you don’t have to be uptight and nervous to be focused… in fact you probably get the best out of a horse and rider when they are calm and focused on a few specific points.

HJ: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
I have been so fortunate to get a lot of good advice over the years it is hard to pick just one... maybe “Believe in yourself!”

HJ: What advice could you give to up-and-coming riders hoping to enter the Grand Prix ring?
I am a true believer in hard work. Not all of us are as naturally talented as Eric Lamaze, but with hard work and determination good things will come.

Main article photo: Robin Duncan Photography - Emily George and Ferrari, a Holstein gelding, competing at the 2011 Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament. “I have been so fortunate to grow up riding at Spruce meadows where I had the opportunity to watch and learn from the best,” says George.