Emily Moffitt has made a habit of producing performances that belie her years.
Just 20 years old, Moffitt is one of the most lauded rising stars in showjumping and she has helped her team, the London Knights, to first place in this year’s Global Champions League.
But behind every successful rider is a close relationship with their steed and that is certainly the case for Moffitt, who has enjoyed all her success jumping on Hilfiger van de Olmenhoeve.
“My horse of a lifetime is definitely Hilfiger – we call him ‘Tommy,’” Moffitt tells CNN EQ. “I love him, I love everything about him. I love that he spins, I love that he tries to throw me off all the time.
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“I just have a soft sport for him and he has done everything for me. We’ve done everything together, from our first five-star grand prix to first water and it was even more special because he never really did any of it either.
“We really did everything together.”
Just like that successful five-star debut – in which the pair jumped a double clear – Moffitt says she is always able to rely on Tommy to come up big in the pressure moments, but only if he gets his favorite reward.
“Every time you ask him to step up he says: ‘Okay, as long as I get treats,’” she says.
“And we do this thing where if he goes clear or if he helps me out, which he always has, I tap his shoulder and he bends over and I give him a bunch of treats.
“He gets really mad if I don’t do that and he’s jumped clear – and we have to do it right as he crosses the timers. When he walk, he’s like: ‘Excuse me, mom, where’s my treat?’”
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But if you think Moffitt and Tommy were match made in heaven from the get to … then think again. The Brit says the pair didn’t see eye-to-eye when they first met.
“When we first got Tommy, we did not like each other. He was a little rascal that is for sure!” she laughs.
“He wouldn’t jump clear for me, he just didn’t care at all. I would go to pet him and he’d turn his back to me. So I sat down one day and said: ‘I don’t know what to do.’
“So I started taking my book in his stall every night and I’d sit my chair in there and I’d force him to look at me. I’d give him treats whenever he wanted and I’d pet him and just sit in there.
“One day he just started jumping clear so I think I just forced him to love me really.”
