Hope Beerling, a NorCordia rider, is a remarkable rider, and has been competing in the dressage arena for 8 years. She began her career in Australia, and about 2 years ago made the move to the USA to continue her dressage career.
The first horse that she owned was a Shetland pony when she was only 1 year old, meaning she didn’t have much of a say in that decision. Many years later, she purchased her first competitive horse – Warmblood. She was on the search for a horse with a good walk and canter, as well as rideability, and he was the perfect fit.
When looking for a horse, Hope knows it’s the right match when she gets the feeling that she can make something out of it, and she can see the horse’s future. Generally speaking, after the first ride she can see where they’re at and what a horse is like. By the second ride, she has a good sense of the horse and where she needs to go from there.
Since her Shetland pony many years ago, there have been multitudes of horses that have influenced her career. However, one that has a special place in her heart was Totilas, who was the horse that truly made her fall in love with dressage. Hope believes that what makes her and her horse stand out together is “good training and riding;” a quote she picked up from her trainer, Catherine Haddad Staller. For those looking to find their first competition horse, she recommends not to rush into it, especially if you’re on a low budget. Wait for the right one to come along, and always make sure they have a good walk, a soft and kind eye, and a good back.
Hope certainly has a bright future ahead of her, and has dreams of one day riding for Australia at the Olympics and/or the World Equestrian Games. In order to stay fit for competing, she goes to the gym 3-5 times a week. Every session begins with 20 minutes of cardio, followed by strength training of a different muscle group each day.
Hope has had quite an exciting career so far, and some of the key highlights include competing for Australia at the Nations Cup held at the Global Dressage Festival, making the move from Australia to the US to train with Catherine Haddad Staller, and winning the 6 year old championship at the Brisbane CDI. She also recently competed in Chicago at the US Dressage Festival of Champions in the 5 Year Old Division with her horse, Vianne.
She says she loved watching the Olympics recently, and will definitely be tuning in to watch the upcoming World Young Horse Championships and Aachen. Hope Beerling will certainly be a rider to watch over the coming years.
