Professional athletes from around the world are attracted to the challenging courses and significant prize money at Spruce Meadows. The competitions are broadcast live three times a year on CBC television. Deanna Phelan of Geary, NB, analyzes the rides and explains the technical aspects of the sport during these national broadcasts, and tweets updates and photos of the events. Phelan, 51, is also a show jumper who trains and competes in Ontario, Quebec, and Wellington, FL. She is a certified level 3 jumping coach and the owner of Geary Hill Stables, where she trains horses and coaches students.
Is there a lot of research involved in preparing for these broadcasts?
Yes, there is. The CBC has researchers who go online to find information about the riders. With social media, information is a lot more available to us, so we can find interviews and articles on pretty much every rider. Most of the riders also have a Facebook page, most of them are on Twitter, and many more interviews are done in magazines and for television, which is useful for background as well. We have media passes, so we have access to the riders and grooms at Spruce – you can get a lot of information by speaking to the grooms. We also do interviews before the event, and I log into competitions online so that I can see past performances. Spruce really encourages the riders and jump people to be approachable, so the ring crew, the jump crew, and the course designers will also give you information, which is great.
How do you research the horses?
If you get to the barns, you can talk with the managers and the grooms about what the horses eat and drink, how friendly they are, what their barn names are, their likes and dislikes, and their quirks. It also helps to talk with owners; they are very approachable and appreciative that you are including them in the research.
Are there similarities between your role as a coach and as a television analyst?
I think being the showjumping analyst is a lot like what we do when we’re coaching. But with coaching, you have to figure out how to fix the problem; with commentary, you just have to analyze it and try to figure out why the mistakes happen. Most of my time is spent teaching beginners and amateurs, not professionals, but we all make the same mistakes. It’s true that you have to look a little closer for the errors with professionals of this calibre. Ian Millar doesn’t make the same mistakes as the amateurs that I teach, but some aspects are still the same – he was a little under-paced, he was a little over-paced, the horse bulged, it drifted – we all have the same problems, just of a different magnitude. I think that from pony hunter to open jumper we’re still looking for that straight, balanced, even horse.
Is it tricky or daunting commenting on the world’s best riders?
That’s one of the questions they asked me when I interviewed for the job. I said I wouldn’t have a problem with that, because I’m basically analyzing the performance that’s put in front of me. I have great respect for these athletes – I never in any way downgrade them – but I will point out when it’s pilot error. And you know, when you interview the riders, good horsemen will admit their mistakes. With these broadcasts there are two kinds of people who watch showjumping – the people who know showjumping, and those that are new to it. So when you are doing this job you have to give people information, and explain the sport to them, but at the same time I’m very respectful and in awe of what those athletes are doing, so it’s never done in a derogatory manner.
How do the riders react when you and the other analysts talk about their mistakes?
No one likes to be criticized, but we are also analyzing their performance as well, and I find that if you ask your questions in the right way, there’s no problem. We’re not always just picking up on the bad stuff and the jumps that come down. We also talk about things like the rider’s hands, and how the horse perhaps tucks its knees to its chest, or is very straight to the jumps. In the replays we try to go to that, but at the same time we’re analyzing their performance. The riders know where they’ve struggled, and where they’ve done well. too.
Did you have any stage fright about the live broadcast the first time you were on air?
The only time you really see us on camera is at the very opening, and the rest of the two-hour show you’re just listening to my voice. During the bulk of the program I’m looking at a monitor and seeing the same thing you’re watching on TV, and just commenting on what I’m seeing, so that’s a pretty relaxed, calming time. But I have to give a lot of credit to the team I work with, especially Scott Russell. We’ll chat beforehand, and he’ll know that I really like a rider, or I’ve seen some problems on the course, and he will lead me into it, and he can keep the story going and move it into a new direction when sees a lull in the action. It’s a real tag-team approach and it puts you at ease. My first broadcast was at the Royal in 2008, and I was nervous, but once it got going I was okay. At first I found it really hard to look at the camera, because I wanted to look at Scott when I was talking to him, but I’ve learned to talk to the camera, although it was a bit foreign at first. It’s just like going in the show ring; you’re anxious, but once you pick up the canter, you’re okay.
You trained this past winter in Wellington with Mac Cone. Why did you decide to start working with him?
I chose Mac because he could coach me in Canada and in Florida during the winter, and because he’s an Olympian. I like his professionalism and knowledge. Working with Mac helps me in my riding, and it also helps me in my broadcast work. We talk quite a bit while we’re setting up jumps, or just chatting after riding, and I’m able to bounce ideas and questions off an Olympic rider who is also a coach. I get a lot of insight into horse-and-rider combinations that way. I’m continually educating myself on and off the horse; this helps me as a professional rider, but it also helps me explain why things rode the way they did to the TV audience.
What’s the best part of the job for you?
The great thing about this job is that I get to see the absolute best, and I get a free clinic, a free lesson, every time I’m there, so I just love this job. When I go to Spruce Meadows, it’s excellence, and when I work with the CBC, it’s excellence. I really enjoy being in the company of people who want to do their best; it’s really a thrill to be surrounded by that calibre of performance. It’s also a great injection of enthusiasm, because I live in eastern Canada where there aren’t any higher-level competitions, so it rejuvenates me to bring that enthusiasm home.
