Natalie Dean: Building Success One Round at a Time

Against the elegant backdrop of Piazza di Siena in Rome las month , we caught up with American show jumper Natalie Dean to reflect on the journey that has taken her from a young rider with big dreams to one of the rising stars of Team USA. Fresh from another successful season at the top level of the sport, Dean spoke about her unconventional path into equestrian sport, the horses that have defined her career, and the ambitions that continue to drive her.

Unlike many elite riders who grow up in equestrian families, Dean’s story began later than most.

“I actually started probably a bit later than everybody else,” she says. “I started riding when I was 11. I had ridden horses at summer camp a few years before that, and then I kind of begged my parents for a few years to let me take lessons.”

Eventually, her parents agreed to one riding lesson each week, a decision that would change the course of her life.

“They let me take one-a-week lessons, and it all kind of went from there.”

Although she did not come from a horse family, Dean is quick to acknowledge the role her parents played in helping her pursue the sport.

“I’m not from a horse family, but I’m so lucky. My parents have been so supportive of me, and I couldn’t do it without them.”

Starting later inevitably meant playing catch-up, but Dean never viewed it as a reason to lower her ambitions.

“For sure, I think it definitely took me a little bit longer to find my feet,” she explains. “But I’m still young, and in this sport we’re very lucky that you can do it for a very long time. I’m fortunate that it didn’t cost me my career because I started a bit later than everyone else.”

As her career progressed, several exceptional horses helped shape her development into an international Grand Prix rider.

“There have definitely been a few special horses,” Dean says. “I’m very, very privileged. I have a great string of horses.”

Among them is Chance Ste Hermelle, the mare who introduced her to the biggest stages in the sport.

“She was the horse I rode in my first Nations Cup, and she was amazing. She was so scopey, had a lot of blood, and I jumped all the big Grands Prix around the world on her. I really kind of found my feet in the big classes with her.”

Another horse holds an equally special place in her heart.

“Another heart horse of mine would be Acota M. I’ve had her since she was eight years old, and she’s a little pony, but we really grew up together, and she’s such a fighter.”

Dean’s partnership with her horses has translated into consistent success on some of the world’s biggest stages. Over the past two seasons, she has been a key member of the Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames in the Global Champions League.

“I was lucky enough to be on the Global Champions League team the last two years with the Cannes Stars powered by the Iron Dames,” she says. “Our team was very successful. We were first the first season and second the second season.”

Alongside those achievements have come memorable performances representing the United States.

“I have some great memories with Team USA, and obviously individual memories as well.”

Dean is equally quick to credit the people behind her success.

“I’m very fortunate with my team around me, my boyfriend Gavin, and my trainer, Jos Lansink. We all kind of have a great team, and I’m really looking forward to the future.”

Today, Dean and her boyfriend, fellow international rider Gavin Moylan, are building their business together while continuing to develop horses and compete at the highest level. Their ambitions remain firmly fixed on the sport’s biggest championships.

“My boyfriend and I have a business together now, and that’s definitely our aim,” she says. “We have a lot to prove. We’re still young and inexperienced compared to a lot of people, but we have a great horse, Mr. Bombastic, and we’ll see. Hopefully we can prove ourselves.”

There is a quiet confidence in the way Natalie Dean speaks about her career. Rather than focusing on how quickly success arrived, she speaks about the steady process of learning, trusting her horses, and surrounding herself with the right people. It is an approach that has already earned her victories on the international stage, and one that continues to shape an exciting future for both her and the team around her.

© Rights Reserved.