‘It’s not just about the riding’: Lewis Carrier on what it takes to become a professional

Lewis Carrier is a rising star in British dressage and has produced his top ride Diego V all the way through the junior, young rider and under-25 ranks to, most recently, being longlisted for the Paris Olympics.

On the latest episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, he shared his insight on how he got where he is now, and what his top tips for other aspiring riders would be.

“I got into dressage a bit randomly, my family aren’t horsey but there was a local riding school back in Norfolk where I grew up and a girl from school went there so I also began riding there,” Lewis admits.

“Then suddenly one day my mum said ‘Why don’t we get a pony?’ and it all started from there.”

Lewis describes that first pony – Bella – as “a real firecracker”.

“In hindsight, she probably wasn’t the right pony for me to have,” he laughs. “We’d hack and she’d bomb off at a million miles an hour across stubble fields. She very much taught me how to stay on and how to be an all-round rider.”

Lewis adds that he “did a little bit of everything growing up” and didn’t decide on a career in dressage until later in his childhood – which he thinks stood him in good stead.

“Back then doing lower-level dressage wasn’t the most fun thing in the world, I wanted to do the fun things like going around cross-country and jumping.

“It was only when I was a little older that I realised the skill that goes into dressage, and that’s why I wanted to do it.”

How to become a professional dressage rider

What advice would Lewis give to younger riders who want to become a professional dressage rider?

“I think you need to gain a lot of experience before you jump into doing it yourself,” he says.

“A lot of people – certainly myself – want to branch off on their own and you don’t realise that you need all of that experience you gain from working at professional yards, being in the environment and watching and learning.

“Because as soon as you step out into the big wide world, it’s pretty scary and if you don’t have that experience behind you it’s really, really difficult.”

Lewis started his professional career working for the Eilbergs, starting as an apprentice before transitioning into more of a riding role.

“I think that’s important for younger people, when you move to these big yards it takes time to move up the ladder – you don’t start by riding top, top horses.

“But being an all-around horse person is extremely important, it’s not just about the riding, it’s about the care, the mucking out, and knowing your horse inside out to get the best out of them.”

But as Lewis also stressed in his interview, making it as a professional rider also takes a bit of luck.

“You can be the most amazing rider in the world, but if you don’t have the horsepower it’s really difficult to get yourself out there,” he said. “I’ve been extremely lucky with Diego, he has propelled me to where I am now.

“I have massive aspirations but if I look back on where we started, I’d never have thought we would have achieved what we have together.”

To hear more from Lewis Carrier on his career, how to train a horse to grand prix and his upcoming string of horses, listen to episode 151 of The Horse & Hound Podcast here, or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

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