By Aubrey Simpson

Southern States caught up with professional hunter/jumper trainer, Liza Towell-Boyd, riding her jumper mare, Lady, back to the barn in Wellington, Florida. With the rhythmic sounds of horse hooves ringing in the background, Liza shared insights on a fantastic year, the family business, what makes a successful rider, and choosing the best feed for hunters and jumpers.

Championship Season
“2007 was an exciting year,” Liza says. It’s an understatement to say the least. Last year, Liza rode Caroline Clark Morrison's chestnut gelding, Brunello, to the championship title in the Regular Working Hunters at all three major indoor shows — Capital Challenge, Washington International and Pennsylvania National. “It’s kind of interesting, because 10 years earlier, we showed our horse Monday Morning, and I was champion in the Junior Hunters at all three indoor shows.” Winning this triple crown twice garnered Liza the title, Trifecta Queen, trifecta meaning tri + (per) fecta. When asked what was the key factor to her success, Liza responded, “The key to success is having good horses, that helps for sure. But even more importantly, it's team work, a good vet, a good blacksmith, good grooms, a good team in general, it’s all a team effort.” For Liza Towell-Boyd the major part of that team is her family.

Family Heritage
When they are not wintering in Wellington, Florida, the family business is based out of Camden, South Carolina. And, every member of the family plays a specific role. “My mom stays involved in the buying and selling of all of our horses. She has an eye for spotting a great horse. My brother, Hardin Towell is a trainer and a hunter jumper. He’s taller than I am. So, if I’m having difficulty showing a larger horse, he shows it; if the horse is smaller, then I show it. There’s no sibling rivalry; we work together and help each other. My father, Jack Towell is our main trainer. He taught me as a child and brought in other trainers. I’ve been fortunate to train and ride with a lot of people. You take what you learn and make it your own. During the week, I do the training, and my dad does the groundwork. He watches, changes the jumps, puts up the poles, and gives me advice. I have a lot of confidence in him and his abilities. It works out really well; it all adds up to having a really good team.”

Secrets To Success
Commenting on her success, Liza laughs, “It probably helps that I’ve been riding all my life. Right after I was born, my parents brought me home from the hospital and put me on a horse.” Now 28, Liza continues, “I think the most important element in being successful is that as a rider you have to perform under pressure; you have to make the shot when it counts. And, obviously the love of the animal is very important. When you are training you learn something new every single day. A friend of my dad once told him that ‘It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.’ There’s a lot of truth in that. You can’t train and ride without learning about horses and yourself. Often what seems to be the problem with a horse is really a problem with the rider. If you have personal problems, if you’re frustrated, angry, or impatient, the horse feeds off that; they mirror your behavior.”

“My father and I have a good technique.” Liza continues, “He trains the horses and gets on them the morning before the show. Then I get on and ride them in the show. If he rides in the morning, I won’t know about any of the problems the horse is having. For example, if the horse is afraid on a certain jump, I won’t know, and I will not project my fears onto the horse. That really helps, and everyday you have to be willing to learn something new about the horse; try a new technique or try a different feeding technique. The willingness to learn is vitally important if you want to be successful.”

Champion Feed
Liza has experimented with different feeds. “I studied up on nutrition and what feeds work best. With hunters you don’t want high energy, but you want them to get the nutrition and fat. I use Triple Crown® Low Starch feed. If hunters get jittery or high strung in competition, the judges take points off. So, you want your horses to have enough protein and fat to keep good muscle tone and a shiny coat, but you don’t want them high strung. The Triple Crown® Low Starch we buy from Grand Prix Shavings and East Carolina Hay really does the job for me.”

As of press time, Liza’s latest accomplishment was winning the 2008 $40,000 AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular at the CN Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. Liza scored an impressive 178.750 on Fiyero to take home the top prize. Way to go, Liza!