30 SIDELINES AUGUST 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Brianne Goutal
Every equestrienne has a favorite horse. We pretend to love
them all the same, but there is always a specific horse who
captures our hearts or who we feel most connected to. Onira is
that horse for me.
I had just begun training at Beacon Hill with Max Amaya and
Frank and Stacia Madden, and we were looking for a Junior
Jumper. Onira was the first horse I tried and the last horse I needed
to try. He was seven at the time and jumping local grand prixs in
Virginia with Sulu Rose. Krista Freundlich, Beacon Hill’s assistant
trainer had ridden his mother as a junior and so our partnership
seemed meant to be. I jumped him over what I remember to be a
1.3m course, which finished with a plank that was over a 1.45m
– Frank and I still reminisce about that “blue plank towards the
ingate” – and I immediately fell in love. We bought him the next
day.
Onira can be extremely stubborn and he has his own way,
which now seems very regular to me. In the beginning I really had
to learn how to jive with him. I showed him for the first time roughly
three weeks after we bought him, competing in the low juniors
for approximately a month before moving up to the high juniors.
The first class we did in the highs was at HITS, when it was still in
Elenville, New York. Things did not go exactly as planned – I fell
off. In fact, everything started off perfectly when we went clear in
the first round. However, in the jump-off Onira, with his incredible
agility, literally turned me right off before jumping out of the ring!
One of the many things I love about Onira is that he has such
a strong personality. His quirks are sweet and endearing. For
instance, he has never met a treat he did not like. However, given
the choice between fresh grass and dry tree branches or bushes,
the choice is always the branches. He will literally rip down
branches from palm trees and drag them behind him to snack on
as he goes. If you’ve never seen a horse dragging a tree behind
him, I can assure you it is quite amusing.
Also, he has a habit of sleeping right before a big class. He
has always been a “big sleeper”. I really noticed this habit the first
e
time we competed in the grand prix at The Hampton Classic. That
morning, I thought it was going to be a disaster. I decided to ride
him in the FEI before the class and if he felt good and ready, we
would try the grand prix. When I went to get on him in FEI, he was
asleep in his stall. My groom, Fernando, and I didn’t want to wake
him because he looked so comfortable. I told Fernando to call me
when Onira got up, but by the time he woke up we only had the
chance to ride for 10 minutes, which was unsettling. I was unsure
if we should compete, but Fernando was adamant that we should
go for it. He pointed out that Onira normally sleeps for one hour
before a class, but that day he slept for three. Fernando was sure
it was a sign that Onira knew this was the biggest grand prix of his
life thus far. So I went for it, and per usual Onira jumped incredibly.
We were second and to this day he somehow knows when we
have a big class and he sleeps for hours before.
Onira is unlike any other horse I’ve ever known. It is almost as if
he’s a completely different animal. He looks at you differently; he
acts differently. He’s always watching you, like a barracuda. When
I call his name and he’s in the barn he gets this misbehaving look
in his eye and if he is sleeping, he literally leaps off the ground
to greet me. His love is unending and our connection is tangible.
I knew the first time I rode him that he was special, and he has
proved that every day. I love all my horses, but Onira is unique;
he’s my best friend. I hope every horse person out there finds a
special horse to share their life with – whether it’s a show horse, a
trail horse or a rescue horse, the love of a good horse can make
life so much better. It has for me.
About the writer: Brianne Goutal is a 2012 graduate of Brown University and
professional show jumper. She made history by becoming the only person to win all
four junior equitation finals.
My Best Friend
Brianne and Onira
Brianne Goutal
Photo by Parker/Russell – The Book LLC 2013
