NEWS

Heavenly Hunters
John French's victory in the AHJF Show Circuit Finals is about more than ribbons
by Diana De Rosa for Show Circuit Magazine, Spring 2007 Issue

John French takes a few moments before a recent show day begins to reflect on his victory in the Monarch International Show Circuit Magazine WCHR Finals last October.

He had won this event in 2000 and this time barely made the deadline for the Capital Challenge Horse Show, where the class is showcased annually as one of the many American Hunter-Jumper Foundation supported events. His fifth place ribbon on a borrowed horse in the WCHR Professional Challenge meant he would be one of the final four. French would face off against past winners Louise Serio, Peter Pletcher and Scott Stewart.
        
“That night I was excited just to win and because my family was there. Now I realize it’s not about the ribbon but the recognition,” he muses. “Not only does it acknowledge me and the other riders, but also the hunters. For the first time, people could see this class on the Internet, and I was told it had more viewers than the grand prix.”
        
“It’s time that the hunters get a little credit. I feel I represented the West Coast in a symbolic way, because if it is the dream of someone they can achieve it no matter where they reside. After I returned home, people came up to me that I didn’t even know; many had watched my victory on the Internet, and they were really happy for me.”
        
French does not just ride hunters. He was second alternate for the Athens Olympics. Yet, when asked why he prefers hunters, he responded: “I guess it is because I am a very quiet person, and I do everything slow. I don’t like to rush or overreact. Even when I get nervous, once [I’m] on the horse a calmness comes over me, and that’s very important in the hunter ring. For me, the jumpers always feel a little hyper.
        
“In the hunters we don’t have an Olympics or World Games, so this is probably the highest honor we can achieve. Hunters in general tend to be more focused on the horse, and this class is about the rider.”
        
“They are both equally as hard – just two different styles. For the hunters you have to be so precise. You go and ask some jumper riders and they would say I could never do that. They don’t see their distances on a loose soft rein.”
        
On the night French won the finals, he displayed his usual gentleness as he negotiated each round, and he believes that his ability to ride well under pressure helped. Afterward, an uncharacteristic smile lit up his face for the entire night.
        
“I just can’t believe that I did it,” he maintains. “Everyday I pinch myself to make sure this is really happening!”

Reprinted with permission of Show Circuit Magazine.

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