RIDERspotlight by Esther Hahn
Tatiana
Dzavik There’s a moment in every rider’s life when horses capture the imagination. For Tatiana Dzavik, that moment was at the young age of five, when she and her family visited a western ranch in Canada. The memory stuck and a couple years later, she attended a summer riding camp near her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta before launching her formal equitation training at a local riding stable. Nothing in these early riding stages sounds out of the ordinary, save for good horse show results on the local circuit and at the annual Royal Winter Fair. But when her family moved from Edmonton to Toronto in 2000, 11-year-old Dzavik embarked on an unusual and invaluable journey as a working student, starting with Canada’s premier hunter trainer Wayne Mclellan. Under Wayne’s guidance, Dzavik’s hunter riding skills blossomed. At age 14, she made her first visit to Florida alongside Wayne for her first winter circuit.
Over the next couple years, she returned to Florida for winters to train as a working student with Christina Schlusemeyer and Bobby Braswell. She finished her last two junior years with Missy Clark, cementing her skills in the big equitation classes – aboard such famed mounts as Little Foot, Sander and Truffle – while entering the jumper ring for the first time. Dzavik proved her ability in her final junior year with High Junior Jumper Classic wins throughout the Indoors circuit and by winning the ASPCA Maclay Region 1 Qualifier. Dzavik’s transition to riding as a professional began in Europe. Her first job at Belgium’s Stephex Stables required her to ride and show dozens of horses every week. Her consistency and talent earned her an 18-month stint with Jan Tops and Jos Lansink to round-out her early European experience. Injuries and college courses beckoned Dzavik home to Canada for a couple years before she reappeared on the California circuit in 2013 with a string of horses from Ilan Ferder and Tal Milstein. By the year’s end, an invitation to compete in the Paris Gucci Masters convinced Dzavik to move back to Europe and to start her own business. This year, Dzavik remains in Europe to campaign her personal mount and horses for various clients. At only 25 years old, the young professional showcases the success that results when hard work and determination meet pure talent. She learned a work ethic and a way with horses starting from a young age and from some of the most notable equestrians in show jumping. And now is her opportunity to actualize into a top contender herself. Each year brings more experience and grand prix wins, and Dzavik is well on her way to the top of the field.
Horse & Style: Your junior career is comprised of exceptional working student opportunities. How did you land them? Tatiana Dzavik: I was a working student my entire junior career. I suppose I was able to land them with the help of each trainer I had believing in me and wanting me to have the best chance for success. I worked tirelessly both on and off the horses to earn what I was given. I consider myself very lucky to have had those opportunities and will always be grateful to every person who helped me along the way.
H&S: You’ve talked in the past about having an emotional connection with your horses. Where does this come from? TD: I think I was born with my emotional connection to horses — or even animals in general. It's a very special feeling that is difficult to explain, but my horses mean everything to me. Simply spending time with them makes me happy and I believe strengthens the bond both inside and outside competition.
H&S: How would you describe your professional experiences in Europe, specifically the stints with Jan Tops and Nick Skelton? TD: During my time with Jan Tops, I was introduced to many top riders in the sport while learning a new system and training methods. Jan is a genius and it was a privilege to get to know and
Left: Tatiana piloted Quel Cadans Z, owned by MD Equestrian Inc., to a win in the 2014 youngster final at the CSI-3* in Opglabeek, Belgium february/march ·
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