Jenny selected for YRA 2024

Every year a selection of young riders is made to form the Young Riders Academy – an opportunity for young show jumpers to get supervision and training programs from the most merited trainers and riders in the sport. The riders selected range between the age of 18 and 23 years old, and they pick between 5 to 10 riders to be part of either the full program or the educational program. This year, a total of 19 riders from 12 different countries applied for the YRA. Seven of these made it to the final full program team, including our very own ECTE Team Rider Jenny Krogsæter. A big achievement and a huge opportunity to take further steps in the sport.

To all our readers and followers that aren’t familiar with the concept of the Young Riders Academy, could you please explain a little about YRA?

“It is a selection of riders picked out to get the opportunity to ride on a bigger and higher level. You get to enter more of the bigger shows, and you get the chance to train for some of the best trainers and riders. We will go to clinics, meet lots of new horse people, and build a bigger network with many new contacts. I was very lucky to get selected to the full program, but at the same time very fortunate that they allowed for me to take the program over a longer period of time. This allows me to keep my job at Philippaerts. Unlike many of the other YRA riders, I will not be assigned a new regular trainer for a period of time, but rather keep working with my home trainer André and get input from the other trainers in addition. I’m lucky to live very close to many of these trainers already, with only 15 minutes by car to Jos Lansink for example. This makes it very easy for me to travel for training sessions if I have a weekend without competitions. I wouldn’t have made it to the YRA team without my job, and therefore I can’t give up my job for the YRA either.”

How was the selection process – and what did it feel like?

“I need to say, in the end of the day it was a really great experience. The selection panel didn’t put any pressure on us at all. They merely wanted to see us ride and were curious about who we are. Being a competitive person, and knowing it’s a selection process, one does of course want to show oneself from the best side possible. It’s therefore easy to start thinking “what are my weak sides?” and compare oneself to the other candidates. We had to be very concentrated and present-minded, because we were going to perform as close to a competition setting as possible and do our best. The panel judges didn’t mind too much if we did a mistake. However, they were very interested in seeing how we solved those mistakes and how reflected we were. I think the interview was what I dreaded the most; should you say what they want to hear or say what you’re actually thinking? Luckily it went very well and there was no reason to be nervous about it at all. You just have to trust that you have a great reason to be there, equal to all of the other candidates. The judges were very positive, encouraging and supportive, and they were very much like “if you don’t get in this year, just apply again next year“. You really felt like they wanted us to try again if we didn’t make it into this year’s cut, and that was very encouraging.”

“I wouldn’t have made it to the YRA team without my job, and therefore I can’t give up my job for the YRA either.”

Jenny Krogsæter

How are you going to combine the YRA with your everyday life at your job?

“Well, my weeks consist of shows almost every weekend, and now that YRA will open more show possibilities for me, I guess some of those shows will be bigger shows that YRA either wants for me to ride or makes it possible for me to enter. The YRA trainers will be present at these shows, so it will be a good opportunity for me to have them supervise me while still doing my job as a competition rider. I will try to make the most out of the beginning of the week, and take some horses to the other trainers to get some new input and inspiration. I was very clear in the interview about the fact that I need to keep my job and that there was no reason for me to be selected if I cannot combine the two. I think the main difference from my everyday life before YRA will be that I now get invitations to bigger shows, because YRA will make that possible, and to get the chance to attend very exciting clinics and events. My training system will get more varied and I’ll get more new input, but I’m extremely fond of my own trainer and I’m happy that he can be part of the process.”

And your goals, which we talked about in our last interview with you, do they remain the same or do you get new goals now that you get more possibilities?

“The goals stay the same, I think. These goals are maybe even easier to reach now, being part of the YRA. I already reached one, too – I made it into the YRA this year! I look very much forward to compete alongside the other YRA riders in the upcoming new ECTE competitions clothes, too!”