Tiffany Foster did not get to be the no. 1 ranked female rider in the world by resting on her laurels. But even by equestrian standards, her work ethic borders on super human. The three-time Canadian Olympian arrived in Langley on Wednesday evening, straight from the Paris Games where she represented Canada with Figor. Less than 48 hours later, she was leading the victory gallop in the CSI3* Heavy Metal Equipment & Rentals 1.50m Qualifier with Northern Light.
“I’m a little jet lagged,” confessed Foster. “I asked Chris [Pack], why do all these classes have to be at night?!”
While most Olympic athletes are taking a beat to recuperate from the intense demands of qualifying for and then competing in the Paris Games, Foster’s homecoming plan was always an immediate return to the ring at tbird.
“Thunderbird means a lot to me. My good friend and client, Wendy Valdes, [and I] are building a farm here and really trying to relocate here. Thunderbird is a huge part of why that’s possible, so I’ve kind of pledged to be here for any international show that they do—even if it means landing off the plane and coming straight here.”
As of Friday evening, the Canadian team veteran has already made the trip worthwhile. Riding Northern Light and Electrique, Foster bookended the podium in the Grand Prix qualifier. USA’s Kyle King and SIG Chirai took second.
Twenty-nine starters came forward for Peter Holmes’ 1.50m track, with seven finding a clear path to advance to the jump off. Foster set the time to beat with Electrique in 42.04 seconds only to have King and SIG Chiari knock more than a second off in 40.86.
“Electrique is a super fast horse. I didn’t go full throttle knowing that she has the Grand Prix coming up on Sunday, but Kyle shaved like two seconds off [my time], which I didn’t totally appreciate!” smiled Foster.
She had a second shot with Northern Light and despite not having ridden the mare in two months—stable rider Megan Southam kept “Nora” fit while Foster was competing at Spruce Meadows and in Paris this summer—the pair wasted no time finding their rhythm to reclaim the lead in a time of 40.7.
“The cool thing about Nora is she’s experienced. She’s 13 years old. I’ve had her for five years now, so we know each other really well, and I know that you can come on a really blind angle with her. So I was pretty sharp [to fence] two, sharp into the double. I made a good turn to the green [oxer]…And then I could take a pretty good shot to the last.”
In 2023, Northern Light helped Foster capture her first 5* Grand Prix win, a milestone victory achieved at tbird. She’s shown the mare lightly this season and dropped her down a division with the intention that the mare will fill the shoes of recently retired speed specialist Brighton.
“She’s been an incredible horse for me. She’s jumped a lot of clear rounds and five star Grand Prix. She kind of tells me sometimes that she would rather jump a little smaller,” said Foster.
“We have some younger horses moving up, so we’ve made a decision with her owners, Andy and Carlene Ziegler, to slot her more in this 1.50m role because it’s very easy for her. She’s a super fast horse, she’s super competitive.
“When you bring Nora into a class like this, you’re bringing a gun to a knife fight.”
Foster will aim to make it a double winning weekend in Sunday’s CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors 1.50m Grand Prix. Just don’t expect her to take a vacation anytime soon.
CSI3* Heavy Metal & Equipment Qualifier 1.50m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Northern Light / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 0/0 40.7
2. SIG Chiari / Kyle King / USA / The Chi Group / 0/0 40.86
3. Electrique / Tiffany Foster / CAN / 5 Roosters / 0/0 42.04