Discover or rediscover our ambassador riders through their stories. Today, we introduce Ilona Mezzadri, a 17-year-old rider who is doing everything she can to combine her studies with her passion.
Ilona Mezzadri: “Helping my horse progress by progressing myself is exactly what interests me.”
This is the story of a prodigious rider who is also an excellent student. The story of a 17-year-old girl who doesn't let victory go to her head and wants to keep her feet on the ground. Ilona Mezzadri does not come from a horse-riding background: her father is an entrepreneur and her mother worked in communications before becoming an art teacher.
"My parents are calm and thoughtful, they taught me to question myself. When there's a problem, it's never the horse's fault. They're not the type to say it's not right and we're going to change it! Helping my horse progress by progressing myself is exactly what interests me. "
From the age of 6, Ilona enjoyed her first podium finishes in Shetland competitions. She then became a pillar of the French pony team, her fondest memory being the two bronze medals she won at the 2019 European Show Jumping Championships in Poland. With her fantastic Callas Rezidal Z, Ilona racked up Grand Prix victories for four years. But she almost prefers the Nations Cups, where she rides fourth and last for France, with all the pressure of the team's final score weighing on her shoulders.
“It's essential for me not to shut myself away in one environment, not to think only about horses.”
Passionate about competition, which takes up all her free time, Ilona is keen to continue her education as normally as possible. A student at a high school with flexible hours in Paris, she has around 20 other high-level athletes in her science class, all competing in very different disciplines:
"Tennis, swimming, golf, fencing, dance, ice hockey... lots of sports are represented and we can share our experiences. We talk about our deadlines, our preparation, and how each of us deals with pressure. It's very enriching. I never wanted to opt for distance learning, because it's essential for me not to shut myself away in one environment, not to think only about horses. For my psychological balance, I need to keep a window open to the world.“ A touch of normality in her life as a champion.
”It's important to be close to your horses and to manage them yourself."
This “face-to-face” schooling, combined with the daily training of five horses, requires iron discipline from Ilona. Up at 7 a.m., she has an hour-long train ride from the Paris suburbs to her high school in the 14th arrondissement. Classes start at 9 a.m. and are very intensive.
"I have five 50-minute sessions in a row, without a break, until 1:30 p.m. Then Ambre, my mom, picks me up by car and an hour later we arrive at the Clémenterie stables in Yvelines, where I train. "
On the road, Ilona Mezzadri enjoys the salads and other small dishes prepared by Ambre, and from 2:30 or 3 p.m. she is on horseback until the end of the afternoon. By the time she has groomed her horse Arcy Fou and the others, she never gets home before 8 or 8:30 p.m.
"I have six horses in my stable and I don't have a groom, except during major sporting events. I think that at my age it's important to be close to your horses and manage them yourself, because it's a way of learning about the animal. “
Her parents and her coach: unparalleled support for Ilona
Ilona's mother gave up her job to support her daughter's riding career. ”She handles all the administrative aspects of competitions and helps me care for the horses. She has fallen in love with them, even though she doesn't ride. My parents and I are a real team. Eric Denarnaud, Ilona's coach for nine years, is the other pillar of this “dream team”:
"We have a very close relationship. Sometimes, I just have to look at him to understand the information he wants to give me. Eric accompanies me to all the show jumping competitions and encourages me to observe the great riders and analyze my performance. “
He is also the architect of Ilona's success on horseback, as the transition from pony competition can sometimes be very tricky. Ӄric had me riding horses from the age of eleven, so I wasn't confused when it came time to make the switch. "With the delicate Arcy Fou, whose large forehead gives him the false appearance of an Indian pony, she won the CSIO Young Riders Grand Prix in Fontainebleau in 2020.
The baccalaureate: a Grand Prix like any other
Ilona has some serious challenges ahead of her for the 2022 season. In terms of sport, her path will once again take her to the CSIO in Fontainebleau, leading her, if all goes well, to the European Championships in Oliva, Spain. On the academic front, this is her final year of high school. Ilona Mezzadri hopes to graduate with honors before embarking on her studies in economics. The young rider is approaching this milestone with calm and serenity, as if it were a show jumping course. After all, the baccalaureate is just another Grand Prix!
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Interview by Céline Gualde
Photo credits: Christophe Tanière
