GIVING BACK
The deceiving designer Graeme Watts has been at the forefront of Australian jumping for decades, and for good reason, writes JO MCKINNON.
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Watching Graeme at events it’s easy to see how engrossed he is in the role. He’s deeply driven and has a genuine passion for seeing horses and riders develop for the greater good of the sport.
A revered course designer, Chair of the Australian Jumping Committee and Chairman of National Selectors, he’s been at the coalface of the sport since he left school at the age of 17 to become a travelling groom for former Olympian Guy Creighton.
Graeme attends up to 40 events per year in his capacity as a course designer which assists him greatly in his role as a team selector, allowing him to watch so many horse and rider combinations compete. Once a rider himself who attended Pony Club during his childhood, he doesn’t miss a trick and knows just about everyone there is in the industry, from grassroots right through to the elitelevel nationwide. The knowledge he gathers at competitions across Australia is invaluable when it comes to earmarking up and coming riders and giving in-
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There’s also a significant amount of administrative work involved behind the scenes. On average he spends two hours per day, seven days a week answering emails and queries and doing plenty of forward planning. He also travels many miles to attend Australian Jumping Committee and National Selector meetings, but although he has a lot on his plate, he’s adamant that he loves every minute of it. “I must do to keep doing it, or, I am stupid. I haven’t worked that out yet,” he jokes.
raeme Watts is one of the most recognisable and loved characters in Australian show jumping.
“When I finish this term on the selection panel for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics it will be 28 years. You get 27 years for murder,” he laughs.
in his own time and at his own cost. “You get paid for course designing but you don’t make money out of it – you’ll never retire rich from course designing,” he says, “but it’s very rewarding and I get a lot out of watching the classes.”
“I want to see the sport progress on a level playing field to make sure that everyone is given an equal opportunity to qualify for a team,” he says. form combinations a deserved shot at representing Australia. “You need to be fair to all riders and go to events and watch them. Unfortunately it’s a job that doesn’t help you make friends because someone will always feel disadvantaged,” he says. “Every rider has a dream to represent their country and unfortunately selectors sometimes have to deny them that dream so you have to be very conscious about your decisions. Not everyone will agree with our choice but in the end it’s our role to put the best team on the jumping field.” He manages to earn a bit of money from course designing but all the work he does in helping to select teams is done
HORSEVIBES MAGAZINE - OC TOBER 2019
Each year he designs courses for the Victorian, Queensland and Tasmanian State Show Jumping Championships. He also travels to Perth twice every year to design championship courses at events hosted at Yalambi Farm, and whilst all the travel might sound glamorous and exciting the reality is that it’s a lot of hard work. “You travel everywhere but all you see is the inside of a hotel or motel and the showground. It’s not an easy life,” he says. In 2009 he earned the accolade of Equestrian Australia Official of the Year, which he treasures – as he does the friendships he’s made. “There are some terrific people in the sport and you get to meet people from
