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Sunday, August 07 2016 / Published in General

Canadian Rider Lizzie Gingras Chases Her Dreams

Lizzie and Zilversprings Photo by Amy Dragoo

Lizzie and Zilversprings
Photo by Amy Dragoo

By Cat Allen

First thing every morning, in a beautifully polished farm fit for Olympic equine and equestrian athletes alike, you’ll likely find 34-year-old Lizzie Gingras, sixth-ranked Canadian in the FEI Longines Jumping Rankings, administering treats to her horses. “Every morning I greet each one of them separately,” she explained. “I try to spend a lot of time with my horses. It’s hard, because I have five to ride, which is amazing, but I like to do the little extra things.”

Lizzie’s Journey

Lizzie is originally from Alberta, Canada, and still has a home there, although she’s more often on the road traveling from one horse show to the next. Before turning professional, she was tasked with overcoming a serious riding injury that set her back several years.

Florren SFN and Lizzie Photo by Amy Dragoo

Canadian show jumper Lizzie Gingras
Photo by Cealy Tetley

After turning professional at age 24, Lizzie walked into an opportunity to teach at a lovely barn full of clients eager to embrace her — in spite of the fact that she considered herself to be a novice in terms of coaching. “That’s how I got my foot in the door,” she explained. “The next thing you know, I started jumping local Grand Prix. One thing led to another, and I seized the opportunity to lease a horse from Jill [Henselwood]. I rode with her for the winter in Thermal.”

Once Lizzie began riding with Jill, she felt a turning point in her career. For a while, Lizzie commuted between the facility where she taught in Edmonton and Oxford Mills, where she trained with Jill. Lizzie had to ultimately make the decision to sell the business she’d built as a coach in order to thrive in the stirrups as a professional rider under Jill’s guidance. “Jill believed in me, and in my feel and ability. She saw that I had the work ethic, and together we pieced together a plan to get me to the top of the sport,” said Lizzie.
Now & the Future

Fast forward to the present, and the Canadian still has her eye on the ultimate prize, but is now training with Eric Lamaze. She considers herself an underdog, having purposely flown under the radar for quite some time. She’s just now breaking out into the world, seizing opportunities to travel to top shows in Europe and North America and obtaining sponsorships from established companies such as Equipe Saddles and Samshield.

“I’m in a great program and I believe in my horse, Zilversprings. Either the stars are going to align or they’re not,” she said, with a hint of a spark in her eyes. Though she’s soft spoken and very polite, Lizzie could light up a room with the amount of passion behind her dedication to her horses, her goals and the sport as a whole.

“I want to enjoy the experience — sometimes I get so hung up on trying to achieve things that I forget to enjoy the process. The task is so large and so overwhelming; you have to take it one step at a time. If I thought about the Olympics every day, I’d be so overwhelmed!” she said.

Not on Her Own

Zilversprings, a 12-year-old KWPN gelding full of personality, is Lizzie’s main squeeze. His treat of choice is bananas, with the peel on, and if he travels anywhere without his stuffed elephant in tow, you can expect to find him distressed in a post-tornado-torn stall waiting for an explanation.

Canadian show jumper Lizzie Gingras Photo by Cealy Tetley

Canadian show jumper Lizzie Gingras
Photo by Cealy Tetley

Lizzie bought Zilversprings two years ago, and recalled exactly how it was love at first sight: “I called home that night and said to my dad, ‘I love this horse. It’s going to take me at least a year to learn how to ride him, but he’s worth it.’ I knew that he was very special — the feeling in the air he gave me was like nothing I’d ever sat on before,” she said. Much to Lizzie’s surprise, it turned out that he wasn’t going to make her wait nearly as long as she’d suspected. Within two weeks of owning Zilversprings, Lizzie qualified for her first Nations Cup Team.

The daily challenges and battles that are a reality for Lizzie aren’t things she takes on alone. What is Lizzie’s secret for handling the grueling travel, the inconvenient injuries and the pressure of always riding her absolute best? “The first person I turn to for help is Jessica Dooley — my groom for the past three years. She knows my horses inside and out, and also knows me very well. She helps me figure stuff out. I don’t know if I would have survived this journey without her,” Lizzie admitted.

“My advice to anyone else trying to do this sport professionally is to keep working at it — and work hard. If there’s one thing that Jill taught me, she certainly made me a better rider. You have to go in the ring and produce something every time. ‘If you’re in a Nations Cup, I don’t care if you’re half off the horse — you have to keep going!’” Lizzie said with her own impersonation of Jill, smiling at the vibrant picture her words capture.

Dreams Coming True

When she is not bonding with one of her five equine best friends, polishing her tall boots, coordinating with sponsors, packing for the next horse show or winning a grand prix, Lizzie can be found doing Pilates or going for casual Monday runs. “Running is great for clearing my head and giving myself alone time,” she said. Lizzie is married to Geoff Nygren, who, ironically, is allergic to horses, but still makes every effort to come cheer her on at horse shows whenever their schedules allow.

Zilversprings and Lizzie winning the Veracruz Grand Prix during the CSIO 4* Coapexpan 2015 in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Photo by Anwar Esquivel

Zilversprings and Lizzie winning the Veracruz Grand Prix during the CSIO 4* Coapexpan 2015 in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
Photo by Anwar Esquivel

Even while basking in the backdrop of Grand Prix Village in Wellington, Florida, overlooking Torrey Pines, the immaculate facility nestled in the newer landscape and home of well-known Olympian Eric Lamaze, it was obvious that the Canadian Olympic hopeful was still adjusting to the idea that her dreams have become a reality. “Looking back 10 years ago, if I could give that version of myself one piece of advice, it’d be to keep reassuring myself. If you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d be training with Eric Lamaze — in Wellington — I would have said there was no way I could do that!”

About the writer: Cat Allen is a 25-year-old hunter/jumper rider living in Wellington, Florida. Originally from Chicago, and a graduate of Northern Illinois University, she found herself relocating to Wellington to advance her riding skills by working for some of the top barns in the area. She has a passion for writing about various aspects and individuals of the industry and has been published in a variety of equestrian magazines and media outlets.

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Tagged under: Canada, cat allen, eric lamaze, Lizzie Gingras

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

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Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

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