Rowan Willis (AUS) and Ashton Dakota were second in the $75,000 Yellow Pony Pub & Garden Grand Prix.
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Australian Showjumping rider, Rowan Willis has been a consistent performer on the international jumping scene over the past 365 days, with winnings of €53,000, placing 30.8% of the times he competes. That puts Rowan second highest ranked Australian on the hippomundo rankings, behind Edwina Tops-Alexander, who has the enormous advantage of competing on the mega-rich European circuit where the prize money is much much higher. Edwina has earned €140,092, placing 19.8% of the time.
Rowan has been in good recent form, at Ocala in June he was 3rd in one 1.50 ($75.000) Grand Prix with Wellington Grey Goose, and 2nd in another on Ashton Dakota. With his front-liner, Blue Movie (the horse that led the Aussie team to an Olympic qualification at the WEG) Rowan was third in the $200,000 Grand Prix at Ocala in March and second in the $150,000 Ocala Grand Prix in May.
At the WEG in Tryon – remember back when there were horse shows and you were free to travel to them – I caught up with Rowan…
His star, Blue Movie is interestingly bred, she is by Chacco Blue, and out of Showtime, by Pilot. Showtime was an international star, ridden by Cayetano Martinez de Irujo and Nick Skelton. So Blue Movie is brilliantly bred, just a trifle tricky to ride… although she didn’t look it at Tryon.
Where did you come from, I see my dear friend Ilse Schwarz is claiming that she must have taught you dressage at some stage in Armidale…
“Well she didn’t do a very good job of it, from the look of that mare I rode today, did she! Gail Powell and Johnny Fahey, they were my showjumping coaches from when I was younger.”
That’s a pair with a lot of grit and determination…
“They taught me how to win! They taught me how to jump clear rounds. I think all the top riders have a bit of a style of their own, we’re all different, and you’ve got to let the horse work in the way that best suits it. You can’t conform them to one model… I think looking at our four, we just all get the best out of our horses because we don’t try and make them into something they are not, we just try to give them a lot of confidence, and it really paid off today.”
You started on the Australian scene, how old were you when you went to Europe to try your luck?
“I had just turned 19 and I was lucky to land a job with Fred Welch, he’s had a lot of good riders through his stables… Peter Charles when he was young, Tina Fletcher… Nick Skelton rode for his wife, Sue. He’s produced a lot of good riders, and a lot of good horses. I ended up being with Fred and Sue for fourteen years, and Sue bred Blue Movie.”
What did the Welch’s add to your riding?
“I think Fred taught me a lot of horsemanship, to get the best out of a horse. He was a real dealer, and we made the most of the different horses we had. He was an incredible horseman, he had a lot of patience and that’s something I’ve had to have with this mare. I’ve trusted her from day one that she’s going to be a star for me, and it’s only in the last couple of years that it has come together. We didn’t do any age classes, I’ve just let her develop at her own speed.”
The mare’s mother must have been quite a jumper…
“She was 24th at the Atlanta Olympics with Nick Skelton. She was an incredible mare, she won a lot, she was ultra careful. So I think that Blue Movie, with Chacco Blue as her sire, it’s a good mix, there have been a lot of good Chacco Blues – she’s been fantastic for me.”
“I knew her from the beginning. She was so strong, we couldn’t catch her for a couple of years. When she was two, I had to lasso her in the barn. She always had a lot of character about her. It took me a long time to break her in. We couldn’t put front boots on her for a long time. She’s always been extremely wary and sensitive, and she still is, that’s what makes her special.”
So you broke her in?
“Yeah, I’m the one to blame if she is not very rideable.”
Do you live in England or America these days?
“To be honest Chris, I really don’t know where I live. I’m a bit of a gypsy. I brought three horses over to America at the beginning of the year. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and finally I thought I had three horses good enough to bring over. I’ve still got a few young horses back in England.”
“Chris Keppler has been helping me while I’ve been over here. He’s been a fantastic influence, he’s been there, done that. He keeps everything calm, for my first championship experience, he’s been a great asset.”
He’s a real stylist, he’s not trying to put you in the George Morris mould?
“He’s obviously a real stylist but he’s also a real horseman. He hasn’t tried to change the way of going for my horse, he’s just tried to help me out by making the best of her, that’s worked really well.”
Blue Movie at Tryon