Feature: Doing what it takes

FEATURE

Doing what it takes

Pursuing your passion isn’t always easy. JAMIE HOCKING spoke to fellow vaulter Stephanie Dore about her sometimes bumpy road to the world stage.

I’m here in Denmark talking to Aussie Vaulter Stephanie Dore, 26, who has been shortlisted to compete for Australia at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) this month. Congratulations, Steph, and can you tell us about your preparations so far?

SD: I started saving money and training for WEG two years ago. I was planning three major European competitions as a lead up, but things didn’t go entirely to plan with my first competition in the Netherlands, so I stayed in Europe longer and added in the recent Aachen 4*.

JH: To me, Aachen is the biggest and most elite of all the international events. It was your first time there – how did you go? SD: It went better than expected. I groomed there in 2014 for the USA team and was just happy to be competing myself. I loved running in to such a huge atmosphere. I didn't think much about the big crowd. It was kind of like, oh, I’m here, we are running in and this is just so much fun. I was doing my job, and the German horse – he was so beautiful – was doing his. My Dutch lunger Maurits De Vries was great, and the owners were lovely too. So after the disappointment of the Netherlands it was a really fun, enjoyable experience.

JH: Let’s go back a bit. When did you start vaulting? SD: I was originally a gymnast when I was younger. When I was about 13, my mum heard an ad on the radio saying if you like horses and you like gymnastics, this is the perfect sport for you. Come along and break some bones.

JH: Whoa, what radio station was that? SD: It was a random, local Melbourne station. I found out later they’d asked small business owners to call up and they’d make them a funny ad. A riding business applied and that’s what they made for them. My mum heard it and signed me up. I went along and there I was, standing on the horse that first day, thinking this is amazing, this is for me.

JH: So you have pursued the passion even when it’s been difficult? SD: I think I'm physically strong enough. But it's whether my mind shows up to play the game. It’s hard when you want to do well, but you don’t believe you are in the same league as some of the top Europeans. At the last WEG I was so nervous, but this time around, I’m more confident, I know what to expect and I'm just really excited. My goal is simple, to be able to breathe through all my routines and show a performance that's clean and something I'm proud of.

JH: What tools are you using to improve mental control in your performances? SD: I do a lot of visualising and grounding exercises. And before I run in, I focus on five things I can sense, which is what keeps me focussed even under pressure.

JH: Tell me more. SD: It's just a way to make yourself really present in the moment. Say you are feeling anxious, it's like, okay, but what else do I feel? I feel my feet on the ground, I feel the breeze on my face. What do I smell? I smell the sand in the

arena, and the horse. And what can I see? So, you're naming physical things and it really works for me.

JH: I might try that too. What are your major challenges on the way to WEG? SD: COVID and not being able to leave Australia to compete was the biggest problem. Fortunately, Equestrian Australia and the FEI held a competition to qualify vaulters for WEG without them leaving the country. I’m also dealing with a wrist strain, which needed time off between qualifying and leaving for Europe.

Borrowing horses is by far the biggest stressor. From Australia I organised a Dutch horse for three European competitions and WEG. My horse developed a soundness issue, dropping us out of the first competition. So, I moved up to Denmark with you, Lasse [Jamie’s coach], and a Dutch horse, which was amazing, but as we were loading for Aachen, there was another unexpected incident and I was back to no horse at all. When I got to Aachen I was offered a German horse I had tried

before. Crazy stuff but everyone in this sport gets it. This is why it’s critical to have a Plan A, B, and also a Plan C.

There is an FEI world youth show jumping competition where everyone draws a horse, trains with it for a week and competes. If this was vaulting, Aussies would probably take the top places because we are pretty quick to adapt to new horses.

JH: Good point! Thanks Steph and all the best for WEG.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Steph Dore competing at CHIO Aachen (Image courtesy Australian Equestrian Team/Kirsty Pasto). TOP: Steph represented Australia at Aachen on the beautiful Corazon Gran (Image by Andreas Danner). BOTTOM: Corazon Gran, Benita Julia Golze, Steph, Alicen Divita and Maurits De Vries (Image courtesy Australian Equestrian Team/Kirsty Pasto).