80 SIDELINES JUNE 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Lauren R. Giannini
Connor Husain, 18, hopes to qualify for the eventing two-star
at the North American Junior & Young Rider Championships this
July at Kentucky Horse Park. Last fall, he bought Piece of Hope,
nicknamed “Bruno” around the barn, who offered athletic talent
and valuable overseas experience in the European Young Rider
Championships and had just won the Breda CIC*** (BEL). The
new partnership launched with great success, getting acquainted
at Training and moving up through the levels. At the end of
March, Bruno and Connor won Open Intermediate in a feld of 21
at Morven Park (VA). Connor is a working student with Skyeler
Icke Voss, head trainer of Angelica Run Eventing and a three-time
NAYRC medalist.
How did you get into eventing?
I always liked unique sports and when I was seven, I was bored
with normal sports. We lived in Great Falls (VA) and I wanted to try
riding. I got my frst lesson from a family friend, Leslie Frederick,
and that’s all she wrote. With horses, there is always something
to learn, always something different.
When did you start working with Skyeler Icke Voss?
I was about 14 and in a rut in my training. My dressage had to
be the worst you’ve ever seen. I went to Skyeler and her dressage
trainer Sallie Spenard and a few months later moved into Angelic
Run Farm (Vienna, VA). The horse I had we sent back, he had
some issues, and I ended up with Folk Lore – “Story” – from Allison
Springer. I couldn’t ride well at all and I went to boot camp with
Story. He taught me the real basics of riding: I went from Novice
to one-star, from a 45 to a 26 in dressage. Skyeler put so much
effort into training me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.
Skyeler taught me how to be a good horseman, about taking care
of the horses as well as the riding.
What is it like to have parents who purchased Morningside
Training Farm, a dream facility, and installed Skyeler as the
head trainer?
I feel like I’m the luckiest kid in the world. I can’t take it for
granted. You can have all the money and horses; but if you don’t
put the time into it, you can’t be successful. My parents aren’t
horse people; but they’ve seen my passion and have been so
supportive of me over the years and especially the past three
years when I’ve ridden with Skyeler. One of the most important
Connor Husain and “Bruno” (Piece of Hope)
Photo by Lauren R. Giannini
things I learned is – listen to your trainer! When I wanted to move
up early, Skyeler said no. She was right, and we won our frst time
out at Prelim and Intermediate.
Is it true that you home schooled before George Mason?
Actually, I did my senior year of high school online because
I was a full-time working student with Skyeler and competing a
lot more, aiming at Young Riders with Folk Lore. I didn’t like it in
a standard high school situation. I did better on my own. With
online schooling, you could do it when you want to: you could
wait until the end of the quarter or pace yourself. I paced myself.
I’d be at the barn until seven o’clock some days and then go
home and study. I think that online schooling is a great option,
especially when you’re at the upper level in a sport. In one of my
classes, one girl in Colorado was an Olympic gymnast. It’s also
important to interact with a lot of people and I had the best of both
worlds – I had already gone to traditional school for 11 years and
I was interacting with the people at Angelica Run. That’s the year
that my riding really came on. Skyeler gets all her horses off the
track and trains them up through the levels. I rode all of Skyeler’s
OTTBs that year. I learned stickability and fnesse.
What about your goals and your new ride?
Once I got into horses, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’m very
one-track minded and I think about them all the time. Young
Riders is a steppingstone. I hope to get on a Pan Am team and
the Olympics would be a dream come true! Last fall we bought
Bruno from Christoffer Forsberg (GER) and I really hope he will be
my Advanced horse after Young Riders this summer. He’s 13 and
had done a three-star a few weeks before we bought him. I love
him to death. He’s easy to deal with. He lays down in the stall and
I can sit with him. He’s amazing.
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