In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by 5* event rider and FEI level 3 judge Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride.

Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride is top event rider and judge who has competed at the top of the sport and judged at some of the biggest events in the country. With her horse Favian, Valerie placed 1st at the Bromont CCI4*-S in 2022 and placed in the top 25 at the Maryland 5 Star CCI5*-L in 2021. Valerie was the President of the Ground Jury at the American Eventing Championships and Judged at the final Fair Hill International in 2019. Valerie trained with some of the top riders in the sport, including Jimmy Wofford, Holly and Marilyn Payne, Linda Zang, and Karen O’Connor. Valerie’s training business, Blue Clover Eventing, is based at Sudley Farm in West River, MD.

In this episode, Valerie discusses topics related to her career as an event rider and judge, including:

• Her progression from participating in pony club to becoming a professional event rider.

• How her experience as a rider helped her become a good judge.

• Teaching dressage and jumping in a way that is not contradictory for the rider.

• The pros and cons of running a business in a rural area vs. a highly saturated area.

• Navigating disagreements between the ground jury and scoring differences between dressage judges.

Join Valerie and Sinead in this exciting conversation about combining riding and judging.