In The Hot Seat: Canadian YR Andrina Calder by Catherine Roberts (Published on www.useventhorse.com February, 2002) February isn't quite over yet, but for Andrina Calder it has already been a month she won't soon forget. A month full of firsts including first place in her Preliminary debut (JYOP) at Rocking Horse Winter I Horse Trials Feb. 1-3, 2002. Once she returned home to Independence South in Ocala, Fla., she experienced her first, and probably not her last, media interview with the help of her trainer, Darren Chiacchia. The rest of the month has seen her rack up a number of ribbons in the jumper divisions at HITS Ocala including 9th in the YJC Five Year Olds Qualifying Class -- her first trip around a Grand Prix ring -- and a 10th in her return to Rocking Horse Feb. 22-24, 2002. And there are still a few days for her to win even more at HITS. Your first Preliminary event and not only did you and your horse Herz Prinz come away with the win at Rocking Horse, but you made the cross country look like just another day in the park. You even beat your trainer. How did you prepare and was Preliminary what you expected? I prepared for competing at the Preliminary Level by doing a lot of Training Level events and cross-country schooling Preliminary jumps for about one year. Therefore I got the result I work for and expected. Eight Training Level events on "Hank" and never placing below fifth. That's an amazing success rate. Why so many Training events when most riders would have moved up after just one or two? I have competed in many Training Level competitions to properly prepare for the next level. All of the Training Level practice gave me the confidence to compete at my first Preliminary. Some might say that anybody could win Prelim on a horse that Darren has trained and placed fifth on at Radnor CCI**. How much of a role did his experience play in your win and to what do you attribute your success? I don't worry about what other people think about what I am doing. There is a benefit in having Darren ride my horse. Darren riding my horse helps keep Hank's confidence up. I am a young rider just learning and Darren is right to be sure that I have an experienced horse that knows his job while I am learning mine. This way we will both be safe. (Photo: Andrina and Herz Prinz during their successful Training level events last year.) Your Training Level performance wasn't quite as crisp on your new horse, Heraclea, but then you've only had her since Christmas. What are your plans with her for the future? I was happy with her performance because she is only 5 years old and Darren has not been riding her because he wants her to be my project. This was Heraclea's first Training Level competition and she "over-jumped" me out of the saddle and we missed the B part of a combination. She is an amazing jumper. My plans are to keep her going in Training Level until she foals. She is having a Windfall baby and she is related to Hank. I expect it to be a super foal. Next season I am hoping we can do Preliminary together. What is living with your trainer like? Does being there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week make it easier or tougher to maintain your focus and your motivation? Living with Darren is hard work, but we have a lot of fun, too. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. Being in this environment makes it a lot easier to stay focused and motivated. You turn 14 in May. Don't you miss home, friends and normal teenage activities? I don't miss home because my mother is here often and also the Ocala farm and Darren's farm in New York have become my home, too. As for my friends, I have made many good friends with all the people at the barn and the other kids at the horse shows and events. It is fun having friends that like horses, too. When I'm here I get to do fun things like go on canoe trips for four hours seeing alligators up close. We have had many great adventures. Oh yes, shopping and movies, of course, we do that, too. You've been training with Darren for three years and have had the opportunity to ride some top-notch International horses. You've also had the opportunity to clean a lot of stalls and give a lot of baths. What is a typical day like for you at Independence Farm? The typical non-competition day at the farm starts at 6:30 a.m., feed the horses, in for breakfast, then back to the barn and get Darren on his horses, which means tacking them up and warming them up, then we prepare the sale horses, I get my lessons, we fit lunch in some time, then we do afternoon feed and turnout and clean up, then it is time for my tutor, then a homemade gourmet dinner by Darren, then my homework, squeeze in my laundry and finally a good night's sleep. Just imagine on competition days, together with all the people at the barn we understand the meaning of "teamwork". Also, I have been lucky to be one of Darren's grooms at the International competitions, Rolex, Foxhall, Burghley, Blenheim. All this has helped me learn all that I can about horses and being a competitor. In the fall, you are going back to school in Canada, right? That's going to be a big change. Will the horses stay with Darren and you will just ride on the weekends? How will school and horses work for you? My new school is Trafalgar Castle in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. They offer laptop computers, and they are supportive of my sport and are willing to have me do my work online when I need to be away competing. Both my horses will remain in full-time training with Darren. I feel comfortable with this arrangement as I have learned to be an independent student, and I know that my horses will be in the best care and training with Darren. I heard you bought two yearling Thoroughbreds at auction. Do you plan to compete them and is buying them a sign that horses are your intended career choice? At the auction I bought one Thoroughbred colt and one Dutch Warmblood filly. It is my hope to train them, maybe sell one and maybe breed the Dutch Warmblood as she has some top bloodlines (Oxford/Voltair). Darren has helped me get started to make sure that I have some quality horses for my future, and yes, I want to make horses my career, my life. All riders dream of the Olympics and I suppose you are no different. What are your goals for the future? I always tell my mom, 'While I am still young and have lots of courage, I want to make it to the Olympics in Eventing. When I am middle aged, I want to make it to the Olympics in Show Jumping. When I am old, I will go to the Olympics in Dressage.' Eventing is the training ground for all my Olympic dreams. What advice can you give young riders who strive for the success in eventing that you've had? The advice I can give is, you have to work hard and ride many different horses. Most of all you have to do it for the love of it. Be smart, too, look for the right coach/trainer, find a horse that knows his job and know what your goals are. And don't let people distract you. To view a video of Andrina's Prelim win, click www.nowpac.com/andrinacalder/movie.