Real Rider Spotlight
Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride
Eventing rewards preparation, not shortcuts.
The partnership between horse and rider is built over years,
tested under pressure, and revealed on cross-country day.
Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride has spent her life in that space.
From early Pony Club roots to international-level competition,
her career reflects what happens when discipline,
horsemanship, and system thinking intersect.
“Cross-country defines you as an eventer.
You can’t force a horse to want it.
The partnership is everything.”
A Program Built on Consistency
Valerie’s competition schedule spans most of the year,
splitting time between Maryland and Aiken.
On a typical day, she rides and trains a dozen or more horses,
ranging from developing youngsters to seasoned FEI competitors.
That workload doesn’t allow for guesswork.
Systems matter.
Preparation matters.
And small decisions compound quickly over a long season.
Partnership Over Force
Eventing asks horses to compress, extend, and rebalance repeatedly
across three very different phases.
According to Valerie, success comes from respecting those demands,
not overriding them.
Horses that feel prepared mentally and physically
stay braver, more confident, and more willing
when the questions get harder.
Care as Part of the Training System
Valerie integrates horse care into her daily program
the same way she approaches training:
deliberately and without theatrics.
Draw It Out® products are used as part of her routine
to support comfort and recovery during heavy work weeks.
The focus is not sensation or spectacle,
but repeatability and calm responses from sensitive event horses.
“Our horses have to expand and compress their toplines constantly.
Anything we use has to support that work,
not distract from it.”
Why Professionals Choose Simple Tools
In high-level programs, products are judged quickly.
They either fit into the system, or they don’t last.
Valerie values products that are easy to apply,
consistent in feel, and compatible with long competition days.
The same philosophy extends to barn management,
trailer hygiene, and recovery routines on the road.
At the top levels of the sport,
nothing flashy survives for long.
What remains are the systems that keep horses willing,
sound, and confident year after year.
