The Winning Position

With the cross-country phase firmly back in the spotlight and determining results at the biggest events, Catherine Austen charts the evolution of the rider’s jumping position across country

RIDER position across country is receiving greater attention than it has done for many years. As well as the obvious advances in technology that make detailed analysis easier, perhaps some of this is due to the resurgence of cross-country as the most significant phase. For some time after “long format” eventing, with its steeplechase and roads and tracks, was consigned to the history books, training was largely concentrated on the dressage and show jumping, and cross-country training was perhaps neglected.

But as the cross-country — certainly at the major British events, and at others such as the Rio Olympics — has reclaimed its status as the most influential part of an event, and as safety comes ever more to the forefront, how a rider tackles it has come under more examination and discussion.

Since Italian cavalry officer Federico Caprilli revolutionised riding over fences by developing the forward seat at the end of the 19th century, shortening riders’ stirrups and encouraging their bodies and hands to follow the movement of the horse, further changes have been subtle and gradual.

Ireland-based coach William Micklem says: “Caprilli was the first to create a balanced position and it remains the fundamental basis of what we do today.”

He traces Caprilli’s influence through the American army officer Harry Chamberlin, who trained under Caprilli’s direct students at the Italian cavalry school at Tor de Quinto and was the first coach of American eventers, through his pupil Jack Le Goff to the dominant US team of Bruce Davidson, Mike Plumb and Jim Wofford.

“And how they rode wasn’t that different to Frank Weldon and Bertie Hill in Britain, with their background in racing,” he says.