Each week I interview the people behind some of the most interesting and popular equestrian accounts on instagram. This week I’m chatting with the international dressage rider Jane Randall. Owner of the excellent jrdressage1 instagram account.
Tell us a little about you and your horses
Meet Jane Randall. International Grand Prix dressage rider as well as being a British Dressage accredited coach and BD youth coach and assessor
I am an International Dressage Rider; I have competed at home and abroad. I have been lucky enough to have trained several of my horses to Grand Prix. I am a British Dressage Accredited Coach and BD Youth Coach and Assessor. I am currently studying for a master’s in professional Practice in Sports Coaching and BEF Level 4 Coaching qualification. I am also a Coach Mentor to up and coming sports coaches.
Currently I have one competition horse – Saturday Boy who is competing at Small Tour and hopefully next year at Grand Prix. He probably thinks he has retired as we have been in New Zealand during the Covid Pandemic!
I also have a yearling – Rufio who is out of my advanced mare Galanthus. Sadly, we lost the mare shortly after giving birth so Rufio is an orphan and was hand reared. He is named after Rufio the leader of the lost boys (orphans) in Peter Pan. He is going to be huge and has the biggest ears!
I have recently been given the ride on a gorgeous warmblood mare who is working at elementary and is a fantastic project for me. One of the goals is to get her owner out and about on her too after a few years off after injury.
I also occasionally ride and compete another mare who is working towards Grand Prix at home.
How did your horses come into your life?
This lovely yearling is Rufio who sadly is an orphan that Jane has hand-reared
I always wanted to ride even though my family were not horsey. I managed to persuade them to buy me a pony when I was 12.
How long have you been riding?
Since I was 4 and that is a long time ago!
When and where do you ride?
Usually my horse is kept at livery in Hampshire and I school and hack Saturday every day except his days off.
How did you start riding?
At a local riding school run by a very stern but accomplished army officer in the Midlands
What you and your horses currently working on?
Saturday and I are working on the Grand Prix movements which is extremely exciting and rewarding. He learns very quickly but I need to take time for him to build up his strength.
Rufio is just enjoying being a horse in his field with his best friend Jack a two-year-old he is getting used to things like the farrier, travelling in the lorry to his next field and generally just growing.
Jane and Saturday and are currently competing at Small Tour and are hoping to be competing at Grand Prix next year
What do you love about riding?
I love the relationship that you can build with a horse. They are all so different in personalities and talents I love the challenge of each training journey.
What you would you like to be doing in the future and do you have any goals?
I hope to continue to train and compete and hope to get down the centre line in a Grand Prix with Saturday and then maybe an International in the UK? I hope that Rufio will be able to follow in Saturday’s footsteps and I look forward to his training journey.
I will continue with coaching and my work as a coach mentor helping young coaches at the start their coaching careers.
Have you ever had to deal with nerves in riding?
Oh yes. Particularly at my first International which was in Spain. I travelled all the way there feeling so sick. I completely blanked during my first test I had no idea of where to go. Luckily for me it was just down the centre line to finish.
How do you deal with them?
I remember that this is all about the journey my horse and me what is important on competition day is that we work towards our goals! I now know what works for me on the day, I have a routine – slightly different with each horse. I control the controllable, I make sure I know the test inside out! I gain as much information about the venue as I can, I take my horses out in competition venues and similar events, so we are used to working with others and spend a lot of time making sure that the warm-up is planned with back-ups! I never look at the scores until I have finished competing and always write down what I was happy with before I look at the judges score.
Saturday is currently working on Grand Prix moves which Jane says is very exciting. Definitely worth keeping an eye on this pair.
Your Top Tip
Decide what you are aiming for, dig in deep and go for it. Surround yourself with people that support you, be honest and open with them about your goals and only take those with you that support that journey
The Final Furlong
Who would be your dream horse to ride?
I have been lucky to have some amazing horses but Saturday Boy has the most talent. He is actually my dream and always has been! I don’t need anything else. He has given me the feeling of anything being possible and that is what I think dream horses do. Talent however is not everything, the opportunity to compete at the right time, the money, the support and everything that goes around it means that a lot of dreamy horses don’t quite get there. However, we still have time!
Who is your equestrian hero?
Reiner Klimke I used to watch his training videos while I did the ironing. His daughter Ingrid carries on his training philosophy and is talented in all phases of equestrianism
If you could have 5 people to dinner who would they be?
The Queen, Nelson Mandela, Joan of Arc, Michael Macintyre , Florence Nightingale
Favourite colour horse?
Definitely no favourite I like the brain not the colour
