She is a Level III certified coach in the two disciplines, and is the only Canadian to have been long- and short-listed for each. With Travolta, her 12-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding, Joni has to her credit numerous national titles, including being named the 2011 Western Regional and Pacific Regional Grand Prix champions. Currently long-listed for the Canadian Dressage Team, Joni’s push for an Olympic berth began in earnest 15 years ago when she made the decision to switch from three-day eventing to focus solely on dressage.
Joni lives and trains in the relatively isolated town of Armstrong, BC, where the biggest challenge in training for the upper levels of dressage is “being able to find help and have educated eyes on the ground, other than the deer and coyotes who are watching,” she laughs. She grew up on a cattle ranch in northern BC, where animals and ranching were a large part of her childhood; both parents are animal lovers, ranchers, horsemen, and educators. In the saddle before she could walk, her early riding consisted of a mix of english and western training: eventing, pony club, jumper, hacking, gymkhana, reining, and wilderness camping. Eventing as a focus early on made sense to Joni. “It was a natural sport for me, since all my riding growing up included jumping fallen trees, ditches, crossing water, and riding all terrain.”
Her eventing achievements included being listed to the Canadian three-day team on three occasions. She has competed at Rolex Kentucky, was the Ontario Horse Trials Association Leading Female Rider six times, and was Canada’s prelim threeday champion, among other national titles.
In 1996, Joni decided to leave the start box behind and focus on the dressage ring, an area that has always been the foundation of her accomplishments in the saddle. “My event horses proved to me all I needed to know about eventing and myself. I still wanted to learn more about dressage and two of my top event horses made the switch with me, Snap Decision and The Equalizer.”
With her career change Joni went to great lengths to improve her dressage. In addition to training in Australia and England, she spent time in Germany with Udo Lange and Christilot Boylen, and was invited to spend one month in France training with Colonel Christian Carde, director and “ecuyer-en-chef” of the French National School of Equitation. During what would prove to be the learning experience of a lifetime, Joni was referred to by the legendary French trainer as “the smiling rider from Canada.” Joni was aware that it was a rare opportunity to be invited, although it wasn’t until a few days into her stay that it hit home just how special. “At dinner in the auberge, a gentleman approached me and asked who I was,” recounts Joni. “I apologized, offered my hand, and introduced myself. He said “no, who are you? No one gets a private lesson with the Colonel, and you’ve had one each day you’ve been here!”
Joni’s pursuit of a spot on the team began to take shape at the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Fall Classic Sale in Olds, AB, in 2003 with the acquisition of the three-year-old Travolta (Ferro x Landwind II). “The Olympic dream seriously began to form when I laid eyes on Travolta in a stall at the sale,” she says of the lovely dark bay bred by John van den Bosch of Red Deer, AB.
While being named to the team is certainly an exciting prospect, Joni is emphatic that her horses are not a vehicle to a medal. “I love the day-to-day experience of being with my horses,” she says. “I take great pride in watching them, caring for them, getting to know each one, and developing them as athletes.”
No matter in which ring she chooses to compete, Joni’s belief is that a horseman is a horseman, whatever the discipline. “I ride and train with a classical understanding; but with over three generations of horsemen in my family, I also ride with respect and ingrained knowledge. I was once told not to forget my eventing roots as I develop my dressage horses,” she recalls.
“I believe I shocked someone once when they introduced me as a dressage rider.” I said, “please don’t limit me to that. I am a horseman; dressage is simply my current focus.”
