Teen Equestrian Riders Talk Balancing School and the Hermés Under 25 Series Competition at WEF
Most 17-year-olds are figuring out what to wear to their homecoming dance, or how to support their shopping habit with a well-paying weekend job. Caitlyn Connors is busy training for the Winter Equestrian Festival [WEF], a four-month riding competition in Wellington, Florida. "I've been riding for fourteen years," she tells Teen Vogue while sitting atop her horse, Blue, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. "I started riding at a local place where my mom is really good friends with the trainer. I had a pony that bucked me off three times a day. I think that really taught me how to become a better rider and become stronger." Caitlyn is one of the many rising stars competing in the Under 25 Grand Prix Series, aged for riders 25 and under and sponsored by Hermés. The competition lasts from January to March, and culminates with the $50,000 Hermés Under 25 Grand Prix Final, where winners can walk away with a $10,000 Hermés mini saddle and a $10,000 credit to the brand store, among other prizes. But alongside the designer finds, an Under 25 Grand Prix win can be transformative for a young rider's career.
Chloe Reid, who won the Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series in 2013, credits her success as a rider and a student to time management. When it comes to school, she says, "most of us try to plan classes. I take Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday primary classes so I can come back here Wednesday night, do the WEF Thursday, go back to school Friday, and come back for the Grand Prix on Saturday." Riding since she was merely 4-years-old, Chloe is one of the top 10 Under 25 show jumpers in the competition. “Being able to jump the U25 Nations’ Cup gave me a lot of experience to then jump the senior Nations’ Cup here for the U.S. team," she explained at the opening press conference for the 2018 season. "It gives riders all of this experience to then hopefully go to Europe and represent your country. It is another stepping stone that I think has done a great job of producing our young riders. It’s amazing to have Hermés as the title sponsor, and the riders definitely feel important and honored to be so well represented.” Scroll down for more festivities from the kick-off weekend for the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival.
SportFot / Thierry Billet1/6While touring the PBIEC grounds, Caitlyn shared that she once trained with legendary show jumper Anne Kursinski. "She's an Hermés-sponsored rider and she taught me so much about my horses. I follow my trainers around just so I can learn what they do. I sit at the arena and watch the [older] riders so I can be better and I can learn from them."
SportFot / Thierry Billet2/6Hermès announced that the brand would be the title sponsor of the Under 25 Grand Prix series with a press conference on PBIEC Grounds and a glowing statement from President and CEO of Hermés US, Robert B. Chavez. “We are delighted to be the official title sponsor of the Winter Equestrian Festival Under 25 Grand Prix Series," it read. "Our partnership represents our continued commitment to promoting young, aspiring talent as the future of the equestrian sport, remaining true to the House's equestrian heritage and sporting roots. Our on-going partnerships and collaborations with young riders allow us to continue to develop our professional equestrian collections, ensure that our products meet the demands of modern competition at the highest levels.”
SportFot / Thierry Billet3/6Under-25 talents, veteran riders, and press gathered at Rushy Farm for a lunch celebrating the partnership, including Chloe Reid (pictured, far left), Hermés Partner Rider Nick Dello Joio, and Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Sponsorship for the Winter Equestrian Festival, Katherine Bellissimo. “We feel very honored to introduce Hermès as title sponsor to the Under 25 this season, as we feel that this is a perfect complimentary brand for this type of competition and for this group of competitors,” Katherine said in a statement. “There is such emphasis placed on the importance of the Under 25 for emerging talent and we could not thank Hermès enough for their commitment to ensuring their success this season.”
SportFot / Thierry Billet4/6Hermés was actually founded in 1837 as a maker of harnesses and saddles. Saddles, like that of Caitlyn's horse Blue (pictured here), can take 6 months to make. A current trend among riders? Nameplates on saddles to give your horse's gear a personalized touch.
SportFot / Thierry Billet5/6At the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, riders can unwind at the Hermés lounge or visit the brand's luxury pop-up store, which houses saddles and ponchos alongside their famous scarves and gold stackable bangles.
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