Since the World Championships in Caen, September 2014 British rider Joe Clee collected the one after the other good result. Based in Belgium, the British show jumper always dreamt of becoming like John Whitaker. "I was fascinated by the extraordinary pairings of John and Milton and of Michael and Midnight Madness. I was dazed looking at them and I imagined myself already grown up and successful like them" says Joe Clee talking about his debut in the riding world.
Indeed he was right to believe in it because life had already put him on the right track, given that he had been born in Yorkshire, the home of the equestrian family par excellence, the Whitakers. Yet to realise this dream would involve a long journey for him.
Joe Clee had to work his way until last year, he became a member of Great-Britain's first team. For a long time he was one of the National top riders in his country. "In Britain I was strong nationally but I wanted to try and make a quantum leap by moving to central Europe. I went to Holland to work with Eric Berkhof where I remained for a year. Then I moved to Belgium to Stephex Stables and there, at the end of 2003, I met my wife Julie Wauters. Undoubtedly going to Belgium proved to be the right choice. After a year I moved to the Starhorses stables of Albert Peffer, in Morkhoven, where I remained for three years."
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Joe Clee - Utamaro d'Ecaussines[/caption]
"It was Albert Peffer that in 2007 introduced me to Ludwig Criel and his wife Jasmine who asked me to ride their horses and I decided to build a private stable in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, near Brussels. We've been inseparable since that day; for eight years now they have been my current sponsors and owners. We bought young horses and for two years I dedicated myself to their growth until Diablesse de Muze arrived, princess of the stable, the mare that has a special place in my heart."
With Diablesse de Muze Joe Clee entered the circuit of major international competitions. 2014 was a year of great wins and prestigious rankings including the coveted and awaited CSIO Rome, where, unfortunately, however, things did not go according to plan. Diablesse committed four errors in the first round of the Nations Cup: "Something was wrong, Diablesse would never have made so many mistakes, in fact she hurt herself - says Joe - She is such a generous mare that she completed the competition without showing the problem until right at the end. We stopped her, we gave her all the time she needed to get back on track and now she has resumed the work at home at a relaxed pace".
Joe and Julie have three beautiful children, Katie, Liam and Emilee, and they live in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, near Brussels.
