Eventer Ben Leathers lives and works in Sussex with his wife Jo and young son Joshua. As we follow the coming year in the life of this future top-level eventing hopeful, we learn of the ups and downs, the determination and ambition needed to get there.
Ben has worked in the equestrian industry for over 25 years. Over the years he’s trained many Pony Club teams, taking them to the PC championships year after year. He’s been fortunate to have trained and worked with some of the world’s leading trainers such as Jane Bartle – Wilson, Yogi Breisner & Judy Harvey. He is now a BHSI and BE accredited coach.
His latest ride Kauto Cryeo who Ben owns; cousin to the famous Kauto Star joined his team last year. Extremely green at the time, Kauto started his basic jumping training on arriving with Ben and throughout last year concentrated on his technique under 90cm. His first cross country session was in April at LMEC followed by a Hunter Trial at Coombelands and finally an unaffiliated event at the South of England show in May. Ben was soon to discover Kauto’s potential so from June 2013 they began their journey with British Eventing. What follows with this year could possible capture some of the early highlights for this duos future success.
The start of 2014 and on their first outing of the pre season Ben riding Kauto Cyreo picked up a well-deserved first place in a BE100 combined training competition. Pulling off an impressive 26.5% in dressage alone; a solid and promising start to the new season ahead.
This week we look at Ben’s uncompromising commitment to their weekly training routine, and learn about the making of an eventing partnership from its core foundation.
With the recent record rainfall and the wettest January on recorded. Watching a partnership like this carry on despite the elements inspires and motivates even the most fair weather riders amongst us. To keep fitness levels up and training fresh, Ben knows that weather extremities form no reasonable excuse to restrict an essential training programme. It’s a basic fact that clearly separates the leisure riders to the competitor. Success is borne from the foundations of a solid training regime. Regardless of rain hailstones or gale force winds….
Ben works with Kauto Cyreo, his 9 year old, 16.3hh French thoroughbred gelding on a two-day roster before changing the training for the next two days and so on. This enables Kauto to be trained one day and practice that training the next. Ben believes three days consecutively training the same moves overloads the horse’s capabilities in maintaining its concentration and learning ability. By restricting sessions to two days then change, allows them to learn as much as possible from each of the training session. He then mixes in specific training to whatever discipline is coming up that week, be it dressage, combined training or a cross-country training days. He does this with a combination of home and away on gallops or unfamiliar courses to keep Kauto stimulated and adequately prepared for the season ahead.
Kauto and Ben work hard as a team to build ability week on week and more essentially build that trust between them. Like all horses however, Kauto occasionally has his moments and this is where Ben’s experience comes into its own. Ben has been riding for all but a couple of years of his life; he has competed to high levels in Show jumping, Showing and Dressage and has a string of successes under his belt. With his calming, rather laid back nature in the saddle he has the enviable ability to remain in control in all situations. Even working with the most problematic rides, he manages to end each session on a positive note.
So, whatever the outside elements may be Ben and Kauto continue the start to the seasons training in weather extremes that would see the rest of us slipping into the tack room just to flick on the kettle.
It’s all too easy to make excuses for not riding, especially in weather conditions but that in reality only separates those who can and those who wonder why they can’t. Weather should be used to an advantage, adding to the obstacles for your horse to get accustomed to and adding to rider stamina. Whatever discipline you want to compete in and regardless if you can train in an indoor school, the weather is never a guarantee on the day and better to be used to performing in it prior than not!
The next catch up with Ben will cover his time management from coaching to judging to fitting in the competing. Whilst working at the yard and serving his local community and beyond as an active fireman!
Ben Leathers ends a training session with Kauto Cyreo © Julie Badrick
