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“When I was 18, I dropped out of college because I knew horses were what I wanted to do and I've just worked and worked and worked,” Cathleen Driscoll tells WoSJ. 

Currently 60th on the Longines Ranking, the 31-year-old American is the 9th highest ranked female rider in the world – a remarkable achievement for anyone, let alone Driscoll who did her first FEI classes in July 2021. “Since I've been little, I've known I want to ride at the top, be on teams, go to the Olympics. However, it was hard for me to find a path as I didn't have the money to buy the horses myself, and it's difficult in the US to find owners and programmes that will bring along a young rider who can't pay. It’s easy to feel discouraged seeing others rise to the top quicker.”

Originally from Maryland, Cathleen grew up competing at small regional horse shows – doing hunters and equitation. “My family didn't have a lot of money, so I couldn't really ride with good trainers or go to the big shows,” she explains. “I stayed at local level until I was 18 and then I started working in the industry as a groom and groomed at eventing and dressage farms. Throughout my time grooming and working, I went to clinics, I would get help here or there, but I didn't really have a trainer. I had only shown in national classes up to 1.40m, when in 2018, I took part in the USHJA Emerging Athlete Programme – which is aimed at finding and developing local riders who show talent for higher level sport – and won. Through Colleen Reed – a FEI steward I met in the programme – I got an interview with Katie Monahan-Prudent. I told Katie all my goals and ambitions; I wanted to be a rider. However, she told me that she doesn’t take working students, but if I wanted to work for her as a groom, she could bring me on.” 

It's difficult in the US to find owners and programmes that will bring along a young rider who can't pay

“I didn't see it so much as a step back, but more as a step sideways,” Cathleen continues. “I felt like coming into a programme like Katie’s, I would be able to learn so much that even if the opportunities didn't come – like they did in the end – I would have so much knowledge to take away and expertise to add to my resume going forward. I thought there was so much value in working for Katie and Henry, even if it meant coming on as a groom and working from the bottom up. I didn't know at the time that I would get all of the opportunities that they've given me now, but still, I just knew in my heart that this was the place I needed to be at and these were the people I needed to learn from. Katie and Henry have been absolutely amazing; they're fantastic mentors and coaches, and they've given me so many opportunities.” 

“When I started, I was a full-time groom,” Cathleen tells about the beginning of her time at the Prudents’ Plain Bay Farm in Wellington. “I had three to four horses that I was taking care of, horses for clients and for other riders in the barn. I would just flat ride one or two a day to fill in when the clients weren't around, and there wasn't much opportunity for showing. My first opportunity to get in the show ring was with one of the sales horses; a home bred of Katie and Henry's. It was one that they owned; they didn't want to put me on a client’s horse. I was able to jump the horse in the 1.30m-1.40m classes and develop myself as a rider in the ring. The first year here was mostly grooming and flat riding, during the second year I had a sales horse and another seven-year-old that I jumped in the young horse classes, and it was not until my third year here that I got the opportunity to get into FEI classes. I did some two- and three-star shows with a sales horse before he was sold and after that, I got the privilege to start getting some really nice horses.”

When I started, I was a full-time groom

Today, five years after Cathleen first started working for the Prudents, she has a string of four to five FEI horses in addition to sales horses and she does a bit of training as well. “I never wanted to give up,” Cathleen says when asked how she felt throughout her journey from grooming to jumping on a Nations Cup team for the US. “I've always known I was going to be in this industry in some way.”

“It's been hard, especially seeing many young riders who could afford themselves good horses – who at 17 were jumping in the U25 divisions and getting into those Grand Prix classes. I was 27 when I jumped my first Grand Prix, so I definitely got a later start. There were many frustrating days when I would be doubting if I was ever going to get there. However, I always believed that if I just kept working at it, trying hard, I would earn my way into this sport.” 

Currently, Cathleen is ranked 60th on the Longines Ranking, and ahead of her, there are only eight other female riders, while the top ten has been dominated by men for years. “When you go and watch the national shows here in the US, it's all girls,” she says. “There's maybe three or four boys but once you get to the top of the sport, the women disappear. I find that the owners in the US prefer to back men. I don't know why, but I think it's much easier for male riders to get owners and if you have a great owner behind you and you can have a string of horses, you can move up on the ranking list, get into bigger shows and get better opportunities. I think we're lacking good owners, especially for the female riders and that's for women globally and not only here in the US. I think it's harder for us to get owners and it really shouldn't be.”

I think a good rider, despite their gender, can ride any horse

“I hear people say all the time ‘oh, this horse, it's too strong for a girl’, it’s this and that – but I don't agree with any of it,” Cathleen continues. “I think a good rider, despite their gender, can ride any horse. From that standpoint, there's no reason women can't be just as competitive at the top level as men are.”

“I'm fortunate right now to have a nice string of horses and I've been able to steadily work my way up the ranking list, so in the US I can get into any of the shows and I can get into many of the European shows as well,” Cathleen says about the fact that the Longines Ranking and the FEI invitation system go hand in hand. “The majority of points are at the biggest shows, but you can only get into those shows when you're up on the ranking list. You need one or two good horses for that and it becomes a little bit of a monopoly system where the riders at the top stay at the top and those at the bottom are fighting to get some opportunity to move up. I think we're actually quite lucky in the United States, as it's easier to move up on the ranking list here than it is in Europe. Our shows offer more ranking classes, often times with less riders.” 

“Our really strong US riders are getting older and there's a definite gap in the riders coming up,” Cathleen points out about a challenge the US jumping team is slowly facing. “We have a lot of talented kids in the U25 division, but bridging that gap from U25 up to five-star is difficult because that's when it becomes less about the horse you're sitting on and more about your ability as a rider. For sure we have talented riders, but whether or not they can push themselves to become team riders and those who can go to the Olympics, we'll have to see.”

I think we're missing out on a lot of talent that just needs an opportunity

“I think we're missing out on a lot of talent that just needs an opportunity,” she continues. “To be at top level, jumping these big classes, you need to have a certain level of dedication and respect for the sport. However, it's so hard to get noticed and to get into a programme like Katie’s and she will say this herself; if I hadn't come with a reference, if someone hadn't recommended me to her, she never would have looked twice in my direction. I'd love to see a way to create more opportunities for young riders.”

“The best riders in the world – I'm thinking the likes of Steve Guerdat, Laura Kraut and Marcus Ehning – can sit on any horse and make it go well. That comes from a lifetime of riding – not just the good horses,” Cathleen says. “At the end of the day, I think riders who had to ride the inexperienced horses and work with the problem cases are the riders that ultimately end up staying in the sport for the long run and who become the most successful, because they have that background of wide diversity. I think it's almost the mid-tier; even if you're sitting on an Olympic horse, you’re not going to do well if you’re not a good rider. That's where the experience comes in, where the riders with really good, strong foundations, who are great horse-people and have a passion for the sport will excel.” 

During her time with the Prudents, Cathleen has learned a lot, but if there is something she swears by, it is hard work – and always putting the horse first. “At the end of the day, you have to be a good horseperson, bring your horses up slowly and correctly and take the time to develop them. Everyone is in such a hurry these days, to get to the top and to the next show, and you can show 52 weeks of the year if you want."

Everyone is in such a hurry these days, to get to the top and to the next show

"In my own riding, I try to be a good horseperson first and foremost, to put the horses first and give them time off when they need it. Normally, we are at home for December and April as we don't compete during those months and it's really fun to get some of the new and younger horses going, just work with them at home and see how much they change and develop. I like that process of bringing the horses along and getting them to their full potential. It's fun being on the road and going to shows – and I’m a competitive person – but I actually really enjoy flat work, gymnastics and just getting the horses to feel their best. Often, we have horses that we think are maybe junior horses for 1.40m but once you get them feeling and riding great, they might turn into a three-star Grand Prix horse – which is always rewarding to see.”  

For this coming summer, Cathleen would like to be a part of the US team on five-star level. “I did a couple of three-star Nations Cups at the end of 2022 in Spain and Portugal and that was a whole new experience for me. This year, I've got two nice horses for five-star level and I would like to aim for some five-star teams. It’s a bit hard working for a sales barn because the horses come and go, but we're looking to try and find a horse to keep for the next World Championships and then ultimately for the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.” 

14.2.2024 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.