Juniper Farms

Anthem to Zen with John French
BY JACKIE MCFARLAND

  A well-known name in both the hunter and jumper circles, John French is famous for his style in the saddle. Some weeks ago spectators and exhibitors alike were surprised to hear, literally, another side of John when he sang the National Anthem in front of a World Cup Qualifier crowd. Speak softly but carry a big booming singing voice is just one of the interesting aspects to this multi-faceted equestrian.

  Certainly successful as a hunter rider, a handful of years ago John also proved he has what it takes to win at the international Grand Prix level. Over a five-year period, John went from Rookie Grand Prix Rider of the Year to qualifying for the World Cup Finals, placing in Britain’s Hickstead Grand Prix and representing the US on Nations Cup Teams in Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and Sweden.

  In this conversation we not only wanted to delve into John’s vast equestrian knowledge and experience but also learn a bit more about who he is through a series of questions from A to Z…

Anthem: So Week II of this year’s Desert Circuit you sang the National Anthem in front of hundreds of people. Many questions spring to mind - how long have you had a passion for singing? Do you have any formal training? Have you ever sung the National Anthem in public before? How did it feel? Would you do it again?

John: When I was 10 or 11 yrs old I was one of 400 kids that tried out for this folk ensemble group. We had to sing the National Anthem for the audition. Only ten kids were picked, I was one. We performed all over as a group, I really enjoyed it. My parents didn’t really get involved, so I decided to drop it and focused on riding.

  We had a singing coach when I was a part of the ensemble. I remembered learning the National Anthem for the audition, but had not sung it since age 11. I wanted to see if I could do it – so I off-handedly mentioned it to a client that I would like to. Turned out HITS needed someone, the word got out that I would do it and I thought ‘I can’t back out now…’ At least it was in front of friends and people I knew – but I was still super nervous. My mouth was getting so dry while I was standing there waiting.

  Sometimes you have to take risks like that – do something beyond your comfort zone, it makes you a stronger person in the end. Next time I’m nervous before a class I will remind myself – ‘John, remember when you sang the National Anthem? Can’t be that bad.’

Favorites: Do you have a favorite memory from the show ring? A memorable ride among the thousands you’ve ridden?

John: Probably my most memorable ride was in 1985 at the Washington International Horse Show – I was riding a horse named Ice Palace in the Regular Working Hunter Handy class at night. I had gone back to the hotel to change, it was rainy, there was traffic and I missed my place in the order. When I finally got to the ring, there were only five rounds left. It got worse, I had forgotten my hat, so I had to run up and get it. The horse’s owner was angry, it was a mess. On top of that, the course was challenging, full of twists and turns. So I ran up to the stands to watch a few horses. Jumped two jumps in the schooling area and then had to go in the ring. I didn’t have time to be nervous; I was trying to remember the course, going from jump to turn to jump to turn… It was amazing - everything fell into place. Rodney Jenkins had the leading score and he was standing at the back gate. When the crowd cheered after my last jump, he mumbled, ‘Sh--.’

  I had won! Rodney was 2nd, Katie Monahan was 3rd, Charlie Weaver was 4th. There has not been a bigger win in the hunter ring than that one for me.

Finesse in the Saddle: An avid performer, you’ve won in the hunter ring on both coasts, at all the top horse shows on a number of different horses. What advice can you give to a hunter rider on how to achieve that winning round? Tips to finesse the ride?

John: You have to go in and be confident. Pick up the pace right away – don’t doubt yourself. To have a winning ride, you can’t think ‘am I going to find the distance’ you have to let that go. When you are tentative it interrupts the flow. Let the doubts go out of your mind – that’s when you ride the best. Take risks – believe in the ride.

  In the show ring you do want to finesse the ride – try to get relaxed in your body – relaxing your muscles will carry over to your mind. If your body is relaxed your mind will follow – so if you choose to be relaxed and breathe, that will in turn finesse the ride.

Idols: Whom do you consider your idol – equestrian and non-equestrian?

John: Idol – let’s see… my equestrian idols would probably be… ones that are no longer riding. The one I have the most respect for on the ground and as a rider is Bernie Traurig. He is so insightful. Also Patricia Heuckeroth – she is such a horsewoman. And another is Kathy Kusner – not only as a horsewoman but also because of what she’s doing now with Horses in the Hood*. She’s giving back and I have a lot of respect for her. [*a non-profit organization that offers 5-day riding camps to inner-city children in Los Angeles, learn more at horsesinthehood.org]

  Non-equestrian idols – Jack Kornfield* – do you know who that is? He’s a spiritual teacher. And the Dalai Lama. [*A practitioner for over 40 years, one of the leading Buddhist teachers in America. Author of many books and CDs, he is also the founder of The Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, CA. Visit JackKornfield.org].

Nerves: Do you ever get nervous? Any advice for dealing with nerves?

John: Oh yeah – I always get nervous. When I do there are certain things I do to un-nerve myself. One is to remember to enjoy the process – have fun. Smile and think how lucky I am to do this. Mistakes are not the end of the world – it’s a horse show! Another is I remind myself that it doesn’t help to be nervous about something I can’t control - a ride happening in the future - so I let go and focus on what I can control which is being in the present during the ride. Yet another is I pretend no one is watching, that I am just schooling. I don’t go out thinking that I am going to win – or that I need to beat somebody else. Just do the best I can – ride better than the last time.

Sometimes when I’m on a really good horse, I’ll go in and pretend I’m somebody else on a different horse – depending on how the horse needs to be ridden, then I’m not nervous because I’m not John French, I’m somebody else!

I rode in the clinic with McLain – he definitely taught me a few things. So when I went in the jumper ring after that, I pretended I was McLain. It went well, first class on a horse I hadn’t really shown before I won, beat Richard. Then I only had the last jump down in the Futures.

Relaxing: Since you spend a majority of your time riding and competing – when you do have spare time what do you like to do? How do you relax?

John: I live in a really super quiet place – an old western mission town – San Juan Bautista, population about 1,700. Walking down Main Street, you would think there is going to be a shoot out in one of the saloons. I can relax, no hustle, bustle of a big city. I don’t get a lot of free time – when I do I go on retreats. I’ve been on four retreats.

Winning: What’s your approach to winning? Losing?

John: I’ve learned to get perspective – center myself - which can be difficult when you are always competing. A few years ago I was winning but not happy. I would win this big class or award but I felt nothing. I was essentially depressed. I wasn’t certain if I wanted to keep riding.

I went to a retreat. I learned that I wasn’t alone feeling this way – it’s not you alone against the whole world – but everyone is connected in feeling and wanting the same thing. To be happy. But that has to come from within. So I gained perspective.

It is so easy to get caught in that winning cycle. But the winning can’t be the only reason. You can’t be happy – achieve true happiness just from that. When I put it in perspective I let go of the winning as the reward. I remembered that I ride because it’s my passion, I love it. That is happiness.

Zen*: The path of enlightenment… Can you tell us about your interest in Buddhism and how that helps you? [*school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith]

John: That’s a hard question. In the big picture, so many other religions tell you what you can and can’t do. But Buddhism is about a state of consciousness, seeking that greater interconnectedness, it’s a way of thinking. Things happen for a reason. Buddhism helps you learn about these lessons presented to you and to seek the path of enlightenment.

In order to achieve that state of consciousness, I practice the ability to acknowledge the nerves, the stress and then let go. Sometimes I meditate before a special class, when there are too many things going on in my head. I try to do some yoga and meditation in the morning in order to clear my mind.

American Hunter Jumper Foundation’s World Champion Hunter Rider Program
  Alison Baileys of Eq Specs is in the process of developing her book Medal and Hunter Specifications, 2nd edition. Still in process, Alison has so much valuable information compiled, she has agreed to give us excerpts throughout the year.

  In 1992 the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation, Inc. developed an awards program for show hunter riders – the World Championship Hunter Rider Awards (WCHR). These awards are presented, on both a regional and national level in multiple divisions, to riders who accumulate the most points at WCHR designated horse shows throughout the year. How do you go about achieving these awards?

BE A MEMBER: In order for a rider to earn points in the WCHR program, you must be a current member of the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation (AHJF). The web site is ahjf.org.
2009 WCHR Member Event Shows: Southwest Region (CA, NV, HI) HITS Desert Circuit II        complete HITS Desert Circuit VI       complete Del Mar National                April 28-May 3 Showpark Ranch & Coast   May 5-10 Memorial Day Classic         May 21-25 Blenheim June Classic I     June 3-7 Menlo Charity                   August 4-9 (see ahjf.org for details on other regions)	WCHR POINT SYSTEM: Used at all Regional and National competitions.   Number of exhibitors   3-15 16+ Place Points Points 1st 50 70 2nd 45 65 3rd 40 60 4th 35 55 5th 34 54 6th 33 53

Division Champions: Awarded 2x the total 1st place point value of the first class in that section.
Division Reserve Champions: Awarded 1.2x the total 1st place value of the first class in that section.
Divisions at the WCHR National Finals (Capital Challenge): Earn points as above except for: 9-15 and 26+ horses.
WCHR National Awards Bonus points: Awarded in all WCHR Challenge Classes (at Capital Challenge) at double the value of the USEF AA increment chart for 26-35 horses.

WCHR REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AWARDS PRESENTED IN THE FOLLOWING DIVISIONS, MULTIPLE LEVELS:
  • Professional Divisions: Green Working and Green Conformation Hunter; Regular Working and Regular Conformation Hunter
• Junior Hunter Divisions (small and large)
  • Amateur Owner Hunter Divisions (younger and older)
  • Adult Amateur Hunter Divisions
  • Pony Division (Small, Medium and Large Pony Hunter)
  • Children’s Hunter Division (Horse and Pony; younger and older) - at the Regional Level only

Regional awards are supported and presented by area members for local year-end ceremonies. In the Southwest Region the past presentations have been at the Menlo Charity Horse Show.

REGIONAL AWARDS PROGRAM:
  • The WCHR Program is a rider award program. Horses do not earn points; riders earn points.
  • In order for AHJF members to earn Regional points, a rider must compete at WCHR shows within their designated region.
  • Points from a rider’s top four regional shows will be counted for year-end regional awards. Riders do not need to attend all WCHR shows within their region to be eligible for awards.
  • Each rider must designate one region. The WCHR region may be changed once during the year and only points from the new region will count after the date change.
  • Riders who compete on more than 1 horse, earn points only on their leading horse at each show. Model classes will not count.
  • A Rider must ride the same horse throughout the entire hunter division with the exception of the under saddle class to receive WCHR points.
  • The WCHR point system is used for all regional point calculations.

NATIONAL AWARDS PROGRAM:
  • The WCHR point system is used for all National point calculations.  
  • To earn National points, riders may compete at any WCHR show.
  • Riders must designate one WCHR division.
  • Riders who compete on more than 1 horse, earn points only on their leading horse at each show. Model classes will not count.
  • Only points from the rider’s top four WCHR shows will count toward year end National Awards
  • In order to be eligible for the WCHR National Adult Amateur Award, riders may not have participated in the A-O or any hunter section where the fences exceed 3’3” (on any horse) after June 1 of the current competition year.

At the CAPITAL CHALLENGE HORSE SHOW in October:
  • Points accumulated in the WCHR recognized divisions at Capital Challenge will be added to the riders top four shows.
  • The Capital Challenge Horse Show will host the WCHR Challenge Classes. Eligible riders may earn additional points toward National awards by competing in their respective WCHR Challenge Class.
  • Bonus points, toward WCHR National awards, will be given in all WCHR Challenge Classes according to double the value of the USEF AA increment chart for 26-35 horses.
  • The top four riders in the Professional division compete head-to-head in the WCHR Leading Pro Finals for the Professional World Championship Hunter Rider title and sponsorship.

EquestriSol resources regarding AHJF and its programs:
Zazou’s View: www.equestrisol.com/nl/012508_fullstory.html
At the Back Gate: www.equestrisol.com/nl/022908/fullstory.html

For a complete description of the WCHR rules and regulations, please visit www.ahjf.org.

For more on Alison and Eq Specs: www.equestrisol.com/nl/091608/

Thank you Alison for your contribution!