Being John French

The name John French and the phrase “Hunter champion” are synonymous. With a calm, cool, and collected riding style, and buoyed by his uncanny ability to create precise and rhythmic rounds, French has captured the title of World Champion Hunter Rider four times in his career, and was the winner of the inaugural United States Hunter Jumper Association International Hunter Derby Finals in 2009, riding the flashy gray gelding Rumba.

As much as French holds court in the Hunter ring, he also has extensive experience in international show jumping. In the years 2003 and 2004, French competed on multiple FEI Nations Cup teams across Europe for the United States and at the FEI World Cup Jumping Final, before being named as a second alternate for the 2004 Athens Olympics…

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By Esther Hahn for the Sept/Oct issue of The Competitive Equestrian

Photos by Alden Corrigan Media.