Reed Kessler discusses show jumping, competing in the Olympics

Reed Kessler, who at 18 qualified for the 2012 London Olympics, becoming the youngest rider in show jumping history to compete at the Games, was in town over the weekend to compete at the first Longines Los Angeles Masters, an elite show jumping event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Kessler sat down with beginning equestrian competitor Hannah Mitchell, the 13-year-old daughter of Sports Now editor Houston Mitchell, to discuss how she got started and her Olympic goals.

Do you remember your first horse when you were a kid?

I do. Her name was Sha Sha. I named her that because I was really, really little. I bought her in Texas. She was pulling a fruit cart, actually, and my parents bought her for me for $100. She was my first pony that learned to ride on.

When did you know that show jumping is something you wanted to compete in?

My parents rode for over 30 years. That is how they met each other. So, it’s really in my family. I always rode, since I was little, and it’s always something I wanted to do. I would come home from school and go straight to the barn. I’ve known I wanted to ride forever, but I guess during the Olympic trials is when I knew I wanted to do it professionally.

Can any young horse be taught to become a show jumping horse?

Definitely. Some are more apt to do it than other, just based on how they are bred and how they are built, but I think someone who takes the time and wants to work with the horses can come a long way. For some it will take longer than others, but it’s all about enjoying teaching the horses and spending some time with them.

What advice would you give to young girls who want to become show jumpers?

I would say that this is a difficult sport. You have to love horses, that is the most important thing. You have to really enjoy working around them every day and when it goes great, loving them, and when it goes bad, still loving them. Second of all, it takes a lot of determination and patience because even the best riders in the world have their bad days. No one is great every single class. You have to be able to handle being on the top of the world, where everyone loves, and being at the bottom, when no one loves you. You have to really want to keep working and push yourself to improve.

What advice would you give to young girls looking to buy their first horse of any kind?

It depends, because in Europe we have jumpers mainly, while in the U.S. we also have hunters and equitation. You have to fit your horse for what you want to do. Makes sure he isn’t too big, or too small. Second of all, make sure the horse isn’t going to have too many physical problems so when you train you won’t be held up by a horse that has a physical weakness. Third, the feeling that you get from that horse. Sometimes you sit on a horse for the first time and you really connect with them. So make sure you really connect with the horse.

Is it hard to have friends when you are traveling the world and competing all the time?

It can be a little bit. I grew up in New York, so a lot of the school friends I grew up with are there. But I have met friends where I never thought I would. I have great friends who live near me in Germany and all around the world. So I feel really lucky. It takes time to be able to go somewhere like Germany and really feel comfortable there, but I’m really happy there and have a great group of friends there.

Do you ever dream of winning an Olympic gold medal?

Absolutely. Since I could talk almost. Even when I was little and hardly knew what it meant, I wanted to go to the Olympics and win a medal. And after going to the Games, I really want to win a medal and also win championship, World Cup finals. I have a lot of dreams like that.