d 5Q Tate

DRESSAGE
Five Questions for JJ Tate

JJ Tate and clinic attendee Karyn Spertzel on her horse Dundee
Photo by Betty Thorpe

By Betty Thorpe

Rising star in the international dressage world, Jessica Jo Tate was one of Robert Dover’s Star Search candidates, and has never looked back. Her riding career started in Wisconsin where she grew up, then in 1996 she went to Budapest on the advice of Charles DeKunffy to train with Gyula Dallos. She came home and ran her own training operation in Wisconsin and spent winters in Wellington. In 2007, J.J. will be moving to GoodNess Ridge Farm in Mt. Airy, MD, newly purchased and remodeled by Shari Glickman.

Sidelines: How did you decide to come to Maryland and when will you be there?

JJT: Shari Glickman was very persistent! I kept saying no it wasn’t the right time for me to come. I needed to go home to take care of my clients there. She just kept making the deal sweeter and sweeter until it became a deal I could not pass up. She flew me to Maryland to see the barn and introduced me to everyone, farrier, vet, barn manager, etc. It seemed like a great group of people, so I thought I would give it a try. She also made it so possible for me to fly back a lot to the Midwest so I could coach all my riders there. It will be the best of both worlds.

I have 10 horses in Wellington, some of my own and some for clients.`A0 I plan to bring five horses, some for sale, and come by mid April.

Sidelines: What was it like to ride in Hungary with Gyula Dallos?

JJT: I felt totally welcome. The Hungarian people are amazing, quietly strong, and friendly. Gyula has a daughter my age who is now my best friend. They are like my second family. My Mom came with me for the first two weeks, and I stayed for 7 months over winter. The stable was right across the street from the international train station. It was 10 acres with 150 horses, so obviously not much turn out! I had two lessons a day and learned to ride tons of transitions. On Saturday there were group lessons with 7 to 14 riders. It was like a giant drill team. I learned to speak Hungarian and German.

When I came home I didn’t make the Young Rider team. My horse was a great school master but not competitive. I realized that I had the recipe for the training of the horse, but I didn’t really understand the reason for all the movements. So I went back a second time to ride with Gyula for a year and a half. This time I took a 6 year old and a Grand Prix horse in training. That way I saw both ends of training.

Sidelines: What horses have been important in your career?

JJT: I love all the horses in my life so much it’s really hard to pick just a few who have been most important.

My Swedish gelding Cambay has done everything we hoped he would do. I got to rode him at Devon, my favorite show!, and we were third in the World Cup qualifier competition. He is barely 16.1 and I’m 5’11" but he lights up the ring. At the end of the day, it’s all about attitude. I have to look at selling him at some point and that’s very sad.

I am preparing Donnermuth (Petri) for the 6 year old tests. He was 6th in the country last year in the 5 year old tests and I feel we are better prepared this year. I don’t want to push him, I want a terrific 10 year old, so we’ll see.

I have a promising 4 year old Oldenberg stallion, a Rosario son named Rosall. He was in the 30 day test in Germany and I will have him this summer.

My first horse was a Saddlebred, Solo, who was my best friend.` He really got this all started, lit the fire inside me for the love of all horses. He became my lesson horse, and helped me start my career as an instructor, because I knew him so well.

Sidelines: How was the experience with the Dressage Stars competition with Robert Dover?

JJT: It was absolutely life changing. I believe everything happens for a reason, but I think we all went home and made different decisions about our career. I knew then I wasn’t going back to Wisconsin. It was a very important validation that I can do this, I can be an international rider. We’re all still talking about it!

Sidelines: Who have been the influences in your life?

JJT: My mentor is Charles DeKunffy. He came twice a year to Wisconsin and I rode all sorts of horses with him over the years. When I wanted to go to Europe to train, he helped arrange for me to ride in Hungary with Dallos.

I’m a very visual learner, and when I saw Oded Shimoni ride at Paxton Farm I wanted to ride like him! I went up to him and introduced myself and arranged to work with him. He took my riding to another level. My first instructor was Gail Kelln who gave me super basics. Gerhard Politz and Scott Hassler also had an impact on my riding.