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Tuesday, March 05 2019 / Published in Weekly Feature

Gabrielle Fournier: Working Student to Student Athlete

Gabby with Himeros, owned by Ellen FritzPhoto by Kate Morrison

By Carter Anderson

Gabrielle Fournier is a sophomore on the equestrian team at Delaware State University. Her journey to the school and team, however, is a story of struggle and triumph. She’s had to work for all the opportunities she’s been given. She took her first job as a working student at Halcyon Equestrian under trainer Lindsey Knight when she was only 8 years old. She learned how to work hard and be independent from a young age, and eventually caught the attention of the Hornets’ Head Coach, Jennifer Ridgely. Gabby now competes in both equitation over fences and equitation on the flat, and has earned awards such as NCEA’s Equifit Equitation Over Fences September Rider of the Month.

How would you describe the course of your junior career?

I had an equitation horse that I competed in the big eq, and I catch rode horses in the hunters and the jumpers. I became a working student at 8 years old and continued to be throughout my junior career.

Do you think that being a working student set you up for being on an equestrian team?

Most definitely! I owe everything to that experience. From the horsemanship to the mental aspect of the sport, being a working student taught me so much. I would do it all over again if I had the chance.

When did you decide you wanted to be on a collegiate equestrian team?

I didn’t really plan on being on a team in college. The opportunity happened to fall into my lap. The coach from Delaware contacted me and thought that I would be a good fit for their team. I went to visit and fell in love with the team, the campus and the format of Division I college riding. She was right. It was a really good fit.

What’s your favorite part of being a student-athlete at Delaware State University?

I hate being bored; I love how busy I am every day. I love working out with the team, the meets, and pretty much everything else about this sport. I love my team more than anything and am so grateful to be a part of it.

Do you prefer competing in fences or flat?

I definitely prefer fences. I redshirted last year due to some injuries, so this was my first year competing for DSU. The flat was a hard adjustment for me because it’s so different than what I usually do.

What are goals this year for the team?

One of my personal goals is to improve in the flat. I feel like I understand how to be successful in fences; I need to know more of what the judge wants in flat. This year the team is super strong. I’m so happy to have such talented girls as teammates. We’re currently ranked the highest we have ever been, but I think we can improve that even more this semester.

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Tagged under: carter anderson, collegiate riding, delaware state university, Gabrielle Fournier, ncaa

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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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
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