WITH the Dublin Horse Show celebrating the centenary of lady riders competing on horseback at the RDS, a thought-provoking panel discussion on Women in Show Jumping aired a myriad of factors contributing to many talented female riders not make a professional career out of equestrianism.

Chaired by RTÉ sports journalist Marie Crowe, the panellists included Irish rider Susan Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2018 Millstreet Grand Prix CSI2*, well known British rider and chef d’equipe Di Lampard and RDS equestrian manager Fiona Sherian, while Kildare show jumping rider and young horse producer Nicola FitzGibbon, who rode on Ireland’s 2011 Aga Khan Team, contributed from the floor as did Sport Ireland’s Nora Stapleton.

Lampard pointed to equestrian greats such as Iris Kellett, Caroline Bradley and Liz Edgar as important rolemodels for her growing up.

“To get success, you had to perform and warrant being selected on teams. You had to play for your position. There is a lot more male riders competing. There is lots of opportunities for girls in the lower ranks but up the ladder, there is far less girls. Get on with it. Very rarely does a competitor open a door for you,” said Lampard.

Pointing out that show jumping was a very “gender neutral sport”, Kilkenny’s Fitzpatrick paid tribute to the women riders who blazed a trail before her adding some issues still need to be worked out in order to make professional sport a good career to pursue for women riders with talent.

Interesting chart data was presented by Fiona Sheridan which showed that in the 128cms pony ranks for 10 to 12-year-olds, there is roughly a 50-50 male to female divide.

When it came to the 148cms ranks, for riders between the ages of 12 and 16, there was roughly 47% females to 54% of males involved. When it came to the Young Rider ranks (16 to 21-year-olds), female participation began to drop off at 43%.

Looking at the six-year-old production class for young horses qualified for Dublin Horse Show, Sheridan pointed out that just 18% are ridden by female riders.

Meanwhile, the RDS Young Rider Bursary is open to male and female riders and involves training bursary support for emerging talents.

Fitzpatrick fingered the “massive change’’ moving from riding ponies to horses as one significant factor adding that it was “mentally, a very difficult sport to keep going with all the lows.” She pointed out that she came from the “highs of European (pony) wins and then you came back down to the bottom of the loop” with investment in a top horse requiring a lot of money.

Lampard agreed that there is a crossroads when riders move from ponies to horses. “It does get more challenging. Females doubt themselves as do a lot of males. Boyfriends can come into play and they (women) may carry their education on and the horses take a step back.”

Sheridan agreed saying, “Education and children come into play. Then there is the dealing aspect of it, top riders often have to sell their horses.”

Equality issues

Lampard continued: “It’s a tough one, we are talking about equality here. We go out on a level playing field. It depends on how badly you want. If you want it badly enough, you will jump through fire to get it.

"Female riders need a lot of encouragement and backing and need people around them to make it work – owners, etc, we need to be far more commercial. Get out there and get backing. It is difficult in a different way now.

"The whole sport has changed tremendously in the last five years – lot of new owners coming into it; new fantastic competitions out there with big money on offer. They like to be behind the winners. It is a matter of getting support behind you, just like the men do.”

Asked by Crowe why she has not chosen to base her overseas like so many Irish riders, Fitzpatrick said:

“It has crossed my mind – it’s a bit daunting and I’m young. Men in a way are mentally more prepared to do this. I might take that leap in a few years. In Ireland we don’t have the best facilities or the competitions. We only have four internationals here and you need the ranking points. Going away for a few weeks is great to get the experience and be with the top guys.”

Lampard advocated that “Ireland should get behind Susan and show it can be done”. Pointing out the need to do it commercially, Lampard identified the need for a strong business and support system in place behind any rider, male or female.

“It is a tough sport, you get some knocks. Ted Edgar said to me one day, “dust off, get over it, you have to have a huge heart and a very broad back in this game.”

Career highlights for Lampard include winning the Aga Khan, her supportive owners over the years and the wonderful horses and people she met over the years.

“I would not change anything. You have to get on with it and do the best you can,” summed up Lampard.

Imposter syndrome

Kildare’s Nicola FitzGibbon said: “In my opinion, it is an extremely difficult sport mentally. Women doubt themselves a lot more than men and suffer from the imposter syndrome. I personally think that the imposter syndrome is a bit factor. My results with my horse, my belief in him, his partnership with me, it trumped everything else. Susan is well on the way to getting to the top, brush off the bad days and keep at it.”

Rugby player Nora Stapleton, who has taken up a new Women in Sport post with Sport Ireland, pointed out that life as a athlete can be lonely with intensive training while friends are off enjoying themselves.

RDS president Bernie Brennan concluded saying it was “a very interesting conversation and appropriate to start off our Dublin Horse Show. This year we have a centenary anniversary. As a gender equal sport, show jumping was decades ahead of other sports and that does not mean we could not do more. Equality of opportunity is needed.”