42 SIDELINES MARCH 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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On Course with Brock Clermont
By Jan Westmark-Allan
Brock Clermont owns and operates a thriving hunter,
jumper and equitation farm in Brandenton, Florida, called
Clermark Equestrian. At only 27 years of age, Brock has
already made a mark on the equestrian world as a top
trainer, teacher and competitor.
Brock grew up in Canada and has fond memories of
riding and showing ponies as a kid, but it was his many
years of working under great equestrians – his mentors
– that had the most profound effect on Brock. “My
mother and my oldest brother, Craig, trained me until
I was 12 and from there they introduced me to Hugh
Graham for another level of expertise and experience.
I learned so much from Hugh and we are still great
friends to this day. Canadian Olympians Mac Cone
and Jill Henselwood also helped me, they are terrifc!”
Brock threw himself wholeheartedly into life as a working
student and said he believes every young aspiring
professional should become a working student for a
reputable and knowledgeable trainer. “I started off with
John Pearce who had a farm for years in Stouffville,
Ontario. Through John’s tough love and lack of sympathy
for excuses I came up with, I learned the two most
important things in this sport -- discipline and diligence.
You can have all the talent in the world or some of the
best horses, but without those two D’s success will be
feeting. Learning to work hard on and off of a horse was
directly instilled upon me by John and without that I would
not be where I am right now.”
Sidelines:
What was your experience like working for
John?
BC:
After graduating from high school I took a full
time position as assistant trainer and took my job very
seriously. I never took vacation or time off and worked
six or seven days a week, sometimes working long into
the night teaching, riding, cleaning or doing maintenance.
John started giving me some terrifc horses to train and
compete on including one of his grand prix horses. I was
very grateful for that and garnered some of my best wins
and results to date at the time. I was also able to compete
for weeks on end during the HITS Indio circuit while I
worked for John, which offered terrifc experience and a
great warm winter. I had to refrain from going south for
the California winter circuit with John the last few years in
order to keep the business running and continue training
horses. The frigid Canadian winters were unpleasant; but
the experience of running the operation was educational.
Sidelines:
When prompted you to move to Florida?
BC:
John began downsizing his business to focus more
on his grand prix horses so it was time for my tenure with
John to end so I could pursue my goals of starting my
own equestrian business. I moved to Florida at the end
of 2007 and although the weather is beautiful in Florida
it really was the winter circuits and starting a business on
the east coast of the U.S. that prompted me to move here.
Although there are many amazing riders on the west coast,
as well as competitions, the sheer volume of riders and
shows on the east coast makes it much more competitive.
I felt like it was the right place to start my business and
“I believe most riders aspire to reach that elite level of the sport
but getting there is a whole other story; but thankfully there is
longevity in this sport,” says Brock Clermont
pursue my goals of teaching students, training, competing and
selling horses.
Sidelines:
What is happening at your farm, Clermark Equestrian?
BC:
We show one to three times per month at Clermark and we
bring a wide variety of horses and ponies to the shows. We do as
many local shows as possible but also compete at WEF, Atlanta,
Kentucky and other shows in the North East during the summer.
I have some adorable pony kids showing in the walk-trot up to the
large pony division and some terrifc children, juniors and adults
that ride and show with me in a wide variety of age categories and
hunter, jumper and equitation divisions.
Sidelines:
What do you like about buying and selling horses?
BC:
I love searching for a great horse and trying to discern those
qualities in a young prospect that will make a real contender in
the show ring or a lovely match for a client. It is always emotional
when selling a horse that you have had in your stable and trained
because they become part of your family. But at the end of the
day, it is a business and all you can do is train the horse to become
the best it can be for its job while keeping its health in mind and
hoping the buyer cares as much about the animal as you do.
Coaching and watching a harmonious combination of horse and
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