By Jessica Grutkowski
Portraits by Melissa Fuller
An old soul in every sense, Leah Drew exudes the kind of maturity, poise and sportsmanship you don’t often see in young riders. At only 17 years old, Leah has competed at the FEI and Young Rider levels, earning top scores at National Finals, and was ranked number one in her division in 2022.
Leah was born into the sport. Her grandmother always loved horses and dreamed of owning her own farm. At 11 months old, Leah had her first pony ride, and by age 5, she was taking lessons at her grandmother’s new dressage barn in their hometown of Lincoln, Massachusetts. They trained with FEI dressage trainer Marie Louise Barrett of Berryfield Farm, who worked at the barn.
When Leah was 8 years old, she got her first pony, Silas. “He was a Dales Pony, a British breed that resembles a mini Friesian,” Leah said. “He taught me so much about riding and horsemanship, and most importantly, how to stay on! He would randomly take off bucking across the arena to test me.”
By age 13, Leah had outgrown her pony and acquired her first horse, Harmony. Leah had big goals and was ready to hit the ground running. “I knew I wanted to go to the North American Youth Championships (NAYC),” Leah recalled. Every year, the USDF sends a team from each region, and Leah wanted to qualify for Region 8.
Resiliency Through Setbacks
In 2020, Leah went to train with Lendon Gray as part of Dressage4Kids—an intensive winter training program in Wellington, Florida—to learn the ropes and understand what professional dressage life is like at the top. “There were daily working lectures, and an intense fitness program six times a week,” Leah recalled. “It was eye opening. I went two years in a row with about a dozen other Junior riders.”
Unfortunately, the global pandemic set in and her goals were briefly put on hold. With competition halted, she didn’t end up trying to qualify for NAYC. “Instead, I focused on training and polishing my craft,” Leah said.
In 2021, she returned to Florida for the winter circuit in Wellington to train and compete. Leah was able to show in the Juniors for the first time, and was on a steep upward trajectory. “I was really hoping to make NAYC that summer, but my mare got injured,” Leah explained. “Turns out it was actually a blessing in disguise.”
Later that summer, Leah got the opportunity to ride her trainer’s horse Jazz Beat—an 18-hand, dark bay Hanoverian gelding by Jazz out of a Sandro Hit mare. He was purchased for Marie Louise in January 2016 as a 5-year-old. Leah literally grew up watching her trainer ride Jazz, wondering if she would ever be able to ride such an amazing, powerful horse. “He had incredible movements, but was young and full of energy, making him a difficult ride,” Leah said. “That summer, I still didn’t have a horse to ride and was offered the opportunity to ride Jazz. I had ridden him a few times during the pandemic, but this time, we clicked.”
The pair continued lessons on Zoom. “He was such a cool horse, but he was a lot for me at the time,” Leah noted. “The following summer, Harmony was injured and we decided I should try competing on Jazz while Harmony was rehabbing.”
A Brand New Team
When Marie Louise retired, Leah began working with dressage trainers Jane Karol and her daughter, Hope Cooper, of Bear Spot Farm in Concord, Massachusetts. After a successful show season in Florida, competing in CDIs with other top FEI Junior riders, Leah felt like she could actually compete. “It was intimidating at first, and then really exciting,” she recalled.
Leah arrived home and continued on her path toward qualifying for NAYC. Under Hope’s guidance, Leah had achieved the high score for both FEI Junior Tests in the 2022 season for the U.S. with Jazz, 74+ in the team test and 74.6+ in the individual test. She was also the number-one-ranked FEI Junior rider. Her horse Harmony was back in work, but she needed a step-down job, and is currently living a happy life in Maine with an amateur rider.
Finally, Leah and Jazz were going to NAYC and nationals, but things didn’t go as planned. “Jazz was full of energy and just exploded in the arena,” she explained. “It was a big bruise to my pride, but it fueled me to go back to the Juniors in 2023 for redemption.”
Together with Hope and Jane, Christoph Koschel and Hof Kasselman, they imported an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding named Damons Davian, aka Dezi, a chestnut Westphalian gelding from Germany. “Dezi was an awesome schoolmaster and I was excited for him to show me the ropes,” Leah said. “I competed Dezi in the PSG/Young Riders in Florida, and at the Juniors level in New England to qualify for NAYC and nationals. I was fourth in the Juniors on Dezi and fifth on Jazz in the national rankings at the end of the qualifying season.”
Learning to Handle Pressure
Admittedly, Leah suffers from show nerves, but has learned to better manage her anxiety with the help of her coaches and a psychologist. She uses the technique of box breathing to help her get in the right mindset. “In fall 2022, I was struggling a lot mentally,” Leah said. “The idea of going through the year-long process of qualifying again was daunting.”
Hope trained three of the six riders qualified to compete at the Continental Championships that year, which take place at Traverse City, Michigan. The barn hosted a mock show to prepare. “I broke down crying after my ride on Dezi, I was so stressed and overwhelmed,” Leah said. “Being on the only three-man team meant we didn’t have a drop score. I didn’t want to let anyone down.” She certainly didn’t disappoint when the Region 8 team won bronze at NAYC.
“I was really nervous, but gave myself a great pep talk,” Leah laughed. “I told myself that I’ve done this test 25 times on four different horses, so just stop overthinking it and ride!”
Leah and Dezi made it to the freestyle competition, one of her favorite portions of the competition because she was able to pick her own music. “It’s super cool,” Leah said. “Dezi’s playlist is very quirky, like Austin Powers and James Bond tracks, while Jazz is all Led Zeppelin. Whenever I’m on Jazz, I get this entirely massive grin on my face; he knows it’s time to perform and the energy swells within him.”
Leah and her team had a week break in between Continentals and nationals—also known as the Festival of Champions—at Lamplight in Illinois. They placed third and fifth on both days, ending the championships with bronze and fifth, despite the extreme heat.
Future is Bright
This year, Leah will be competing at the Prix St. Georges and Young Riders, while finishing her senior year in high school, after aging out of the Junior division. “Leah is a remarkable, unique person who is laser-focused on becoming the best horse person she can be,” Jane said. “Her dedication and determination have not wavered from a very young age despite the serious physical and emotional challenges the sport always demands.”
Hope continues to be impressed by her student. “From the moment I met her, her hard work has never wavered,” Hope said. “Leah is incredibly talented, but most of all, her love for her horses shines through every day. I am so excited to see all the incredible things Leah accomplishes in her life and in her dressage career. I know her drive, talent and passion will get her wherever she wants to go!”
For more information, visit Leah at leahdrewdressage.com and follow on Instagram @leahdrewdresage
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
