Hillary Dobbs has become a force in the show jumping world in a very short time, at a very young age, and her achievements are all the more remarkable because she is also a full-time student at one of the country’s leading universities. Dobbs became the youngest rider on record to win the $250,000 FTI Hampton Classic Grand Prix, Sweden’s prestigious Falsterboro Swedbank Derby, as well as the title of Leading Open Rider at both the Washington International and Devon Horse Shows. Since the age of 18, Dobbs has had more than 20 international show jumping victories, and her ambitions are as high as her grade point average!

Photo: Kenneth Kraus

This year Dobbs was the youngest competitor in a field of accomplished riders from all around the globe and finished 20th at the FEI World Cup Finals held in Las Vegas, Nevada. And when she’s not making her mark in the show ring, Dobbs is equally impressive in the classroom. The daughter of CNN anchor Lou Dobbs will graduate from Harvard with a degree in government in June of 2010. Dobbs spends endless hours studying, doing homework, and taking exams, and then traveling to both national and international competitions.

Selection trials for the WEG begin at the Winter Equestrian Festival, and Dobbs is already training hard to be chosen among the elite riders invited to compete at the international show jumping event next summer in Kentucky. She rides her longtime partners Corlett, Quincy B, Marengo, Marlo, and her youngest prospect, Udento VDL and now represents Cavalor’s “Young Champion,” the world’s premiere feed and supplement company. She is also the spokesperson for the leading international equestrian apparel company, Parlanti.

The question most often asked of the 21-year-old Harvard senior from New Jersey is, “How in the world do you balance all of the demands of college, competition at the highest level of your sport, and your new role as spokeswoman for your sponsors, Cavalor and Parlanti?”

In response, here are a few tips from Hillary Dobbs on balancing college and competitions:

“My life isn't typical, and I certainly don't mean that as a complaint. Far from it! I fully realize how fortunate, how privileged I am to have the challenges and opportunities of both a world-class education and professional competitive career.

“Because I compete almost every weekend of the year, I don’t have the typical school class schedule. In picking out classes, Thursday classes are to be avoided, and Friday classes are simply not an option. At the end of the day, I know I have the opportunity of the best of both worlds, show jumping and an education, and my competitive nature kicks in for both.

“If you are in school and show a majority of weekends, try to schedule school classes Monday through Wednesday. This leaves the weekend open for show competitions. In order to do both, there is a great deal of discipline involved. Time management in finishing homework and papers, and disciplined study are crucial to school life, let alone in addition to showing on a competitive schedule. However, is this not similar discipline you exercise in order to get to the show ring? Riding and lessoning your horse(s) at the barn, training for the competition, studying the basics, other riders, and the course are imperative. This is something that I have learned over many years in the program at North Run: preparation is key.

“For me, it spills over into my collegiate life: it is all one big learning exercise. My trainers and I review the basics the same way I might study from the beginning before an important exam. I would watch and learn from McLain and Beezie and other great riders, the same way I would review the best examples from lectures. This is the ultimate way to solve a problem.

“I cannot stress focus enough, both in and out of the ring. If you have a goal, long term or short, focus on that, and [you] must be determined. When I am at school, I have to concentrate on the task at hand and get down to business. Knowing you have a competition coming up means you have to take care of business at school before you can leave to compete. Plus, the goal of an upcoming competition forces you to work harder, and do it better, while having another goal to look forward to at the next show!

“I have my ‘game face’ on for an exam – the same way I am ‘in the zone’ for a class at a horse show. I review the course right until the whistle blows and the 45-second clock begins the countdown for jump #1. When that whistle blows, I focus on nothing else, not an exam on Monday or a paper due Tuesday, nothing but the course and job at hand.

Photo: Courtesy of the Hampton Classic

“When I get on that plane to go home, I review my notes and gear for the school exam. The cycle repeats, and it becomes a reliable pattern that becomes more and more second nature. I have found it is helpful to get into this rhythm of focus and concentration.

“I do not suggest that I have all the answers! I still have an unimaginable amount to learn inside and outside the ring, and that is humbling. However, in my hopes that other young riders will continue to strive for excellence in the show ring and in the classroom, I wish that a few tips from one student/rider might prove helpful to others. Good luck!”