‘Like every kid, I just want to make my dad proud’: Jack Whitaker discusses family, UK shows and opportunities for young riders

At the age of 22, British showjumper Jack Whitaker has long impressed as a rising star of the sport and now regularly competes at five-star level with great success.

Jack is the son of Olympic showjumping medallist Michael Whitaker but, as he reveals on episode 150 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, in partnership with Scoot Boots, there are advantages and pressures of growing up in the famous Whitaker family.

“I was never forced into showjumping but I was always going to sit on a horse – it was just whether I was going to keep going with it or not and I’m happy I did,” says Jack, a former pony European gold medallist.

“But with everything my dad’s done for me, of course I want to make him proud. I want to give that back. I think every kid feels that way about their parents though – I’m just very lucky to have that kind of support behind me. But I want to do well for the whole team at home as well.”

Jack Whitaker: “Put yourself in those high pressure situations”

Jack’s advice for other young riders hoping to make the step up through the senior ranks is to “get as much experience as you can”.

“Do as many pony, junior and young rider Nations Cup type competitions as you can,” he says. “Put yourself in those high pressure situations – I know I put a lot of pressure on myself when I was jumping them, so the more experience you can get from those situations, the better it is for your future.

“It’s hard for me to say because I’m in a very privileged position and got to go to a lot of shows with my father and jump the two-star classes at five-star shows which gave me a massive step up over a lot of other young riders. But there do need to be more opportunities for young riders, a bit more of a system, for those who aren’t necessary able to go and spend time at the big stables for a few months, for example.”

Great showjumping shows on home soil

Jack Whitaker has enjoyed a recent spell at home, enjoying some of the best shows in Great Britain with top horses including Equine America Valmy De La Lande and Equine America Q Paravatti N, and some very exciting youngsters.

“We’re very lucky at home to have such good county shows, plus some really good two- and three-star shows, so it’s been really helpful for me producing some younger horses in recent weeks,” says Jack.

With an exciting summer ahead of him and big goals to dream about, Jack sums up: “Never underestimate this sport – nothing is impossible.”

To hear more about Jack Whitaker’s insight on his top horses, his big moments in the ring and what he looks for in a horse, listen here to episode 150 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – or search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

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