Five Minutes With... Joann Formosa

Competing on Worldwide PB in London (Photo: Claire Seidl)

Sharing a quiet moment with Worldwide in London (Photo: Liz Gregg/FEI)

Having fun with team mates

Joann's Welsh Pony, Milton Park Spectrum

Out and about moving horses - a truck would make life much easier for Joann

Presenting a prize to Morgan Webb Liddle at the RDA National Championships - Joann is a great supporter of RDA and is always happy to help out

Joann closest to camera with team mates Hannah Dodd, Grace Bowan and Elizabeth Sobecki

With Julia Battams after her winning test in London

There are three words that aptly describe 51 year old horsewoman Joann Formosa - determined, dedicated and driven. That said, she's also friendly, fun and downright fabulous - we caught up with Joann to find out more!

Joann, a Grade 1B Para Equestrian Rider from Broadford, Victoria, showed the world just how determined she is when, with her best mate - Warmblood stallion Worldwide PB - she won the Individual Championship Test Grade 1B, at the London Paralympics in September.

An inspiration to all who meet her, Joann achieved her lifelong dream in London, after years of suffering medical problems that would have most of us pulling up the covers and refusing to get out of bed!

So next time you are feeling less than motivated about saddling up to ride – too tired, too hot, too cold, too windy, too wet etc - think of Joann who has overcome incredible adversity and still does every day, just to be able to ride. Then think of the fact that she not only rides, but competes and wins - at the highest level possible. Now what's your excuse?

Chatting to Joann certainly gave me a wake-up call about 'just doing it!'

We are very proud that Joann found the wonderful Worldwide PB through Horsezone and is now the Horsezone Ambassador. We can't wait to work with her at EQUITANA. Please come and say hi to Joann at the Horsezone EQUITANA Stand #216 in the Grand Hall. See timetable and read about the great daily prize draws we are doing at EQUITANA.

Read on to learn more about the story behind this amazing athlete, her journey to London and how she really felt about winning that gold medal.

Once again, huge congratulations to you on winning gold in London!  Tell us how you first became involved with horses.
I think I came out of the womb being horse crazy. From about five years old I was horse crazy - the people up the road had a horse and I was in love with it. I got my first horse when I was 15 and have never looked back and have always got to have horses around me. I was told I’d grow out of it but I grew into it more! I used to breed Australian Studbook Ponies and Welsh Ponies and was a 'showie' who also loved showjumping and cross country – I adored the speed and adrenalin. I didn’t do dressage back then.  I’ve still got Welsh ponies and have a very special one, Milton Park Spectrum, who I’d love to see shown. He’s four years old and as quiet as a lamb. He still needs further education but should be a great little show pony (he’s only 11.1hh) and I’m looking for a competent little rider to take him on for me!

 

How were you injured and what made you want to keep riding?
28 years ago I was riding on the property and I had to open a gate, it was a really windy day, I was in a hurry and was too lazy to get off. I leaned over and opened the gate and tried to wedge it back on a rock where it usually went, but it swung back with the wind and I was wedged between gate and post, while still in the saddle. I was twisted in two directions. There was incredible pain, which strangely shot straight through my head and then I woke up underneath the horse. I don’t remember anything else. To this day I am paranoid about riding through gates and will not ride through one. I couldn’t be a western rider! Following this accident, due to such severe injuries to my legs, I couldn’t ride with a stirrup on the most badly injured leg, so I found it easier to ride with no stirrups at all. I still wanted to compete as an able bodied rider after this accident, then in 2000 I had another serious accident. The horse I was riding was out of control bolting towards an electric fence and I went to dismount by rolling off, however, the bottom part of me didn’t function properly, so I just flopped to the ground and dislocated my jaw, suffered head injuries and great damage to my legs and back. I spent a lot of time in hospital and had heaps of surgery following this accident, which was really worse than the first one due to a lot of other complications. I was in and out of hospitals for years and it’s been a long hard medical struggle, but every setback made me determined to keep riding. Months and months in hospital made me stronger in my passion and more scheming in what I was going to do to achieve my riding goals. I never lost sight.

 

What first led you to competing in paraequestrian events?
After all the surgeries, doctors and physios decided to try to get me back into something I loved, so they sent me to RDA. I didn’t want to go, I wanted to be an able bodied rider. However, I got dragged there so I thought I’d give it a go. Then they led me around and I thought I’m not coming back if I have to be led around, so they took the lead off and I loved it after that. I then started riding at RDA regularly and competing in their competitions, which was great. I also started teaching, to give something back, and got my coach's certificate. Then I was chosen for the Victorian squad and went on to compete in paraequestrian events, in between still being in and out of hospital. I rode whenever I could. Then I was selected on the Australia para squad and the rest his history. It was a very long road but I had to prove that I could do it. To get others to believe in what you believe in, you constantly have to prove yourself and I was very determined.

 

What steps did you follow to be successful in the sport?
In 2006 I competed in Hartbury, UK. This was my first experience of going away and seeing what I had to aim for. That was the step that set me off on my goal. That was always the standard of competition I aimed at, the benchmark of what I had to do to win. It was the first time I met Lee Pearson and told him, “Next time I come back to England I’m going to beat you! “ After this event I ended up in hospital again for a couple of months and my leg was not good, so it was more surgery but it never stopped me focusing on my goal. During my convalescence I constantly watched videos of Lee to find out more about him and what he was up to and to remind myself what I had to beat. I never lost sight of my passion for the sport or my goal and I knew what I had to do.

 

Physically what is a challenge for you when riding now?
My hands and arms are really weak now, which is very challenging. My left hand is really bad.  I don’t have grip and I lose the contact. I have to really keep myself fit and my health issues under control. It’s a maintenance thing now.  I have my shoulders and back taped when I compete but am allergic to the tape, so it has to be done prior to competition and then pulled off as soon as I finish. I also have my fingers taped and Tubigrip compression bandages when training. I have to wear really tight Lymphedema compression stockings on both legs when I ride, for fluid in the legs.

 

We were thrilled that you found your gorgeous horse, Worldwide PB, on Horsezone. Tell us about him?

Oh I’ll start crying if I talk about him! He’s just amazing and I miss him so much. He’s still in quarantine in England and won’t be back in Australia until 10 November. He is such a caring protector. He gives me life. He’s been in quarantine at Jim Partridge’s property in England. Australian vet, Janine Dwyer, is going to travel home on the plane with him so I feel much better knowing that. She's great. They send me lots of photos and he looks fantastic. He’s happy and plays with their two little girls and their gelding Charlie. He gets lunged and has his own turnout paddock. When he arrives home he will go to Eastern Creek Quarantine Station and then I’ll pick him up at the end of November. That will be a very emotional time!

When I first met Worldwide I knew he was the one. Initially I didn’t want a stallion. How am I going to hang off the end of a stallion, I thought? Then,when I met him and saw him and watched Claire (Seidl) ride him, I was impressed. When I got on him he just kept looking at me and then I rode him and thought ‘WOW’. That’s the main word I use to describe him ‘WOW’! As soon as I rode him I thought this is it. I loved it! It didn’t take long for him to get used to not having legs on him, he’s such a gentleman and he just figured it out. We were soon doing passage, piaffe and extensions. He was beautiful.

 I had to try about six horses that weekend. I tried them and videoed them as well, then had another ride on Worldwide on the way back. I sent the videos off to various colleagues and they all picked him too. He was the one. He’s my best mate. He just knows what I want.  I can pick up if something’s not right with him so easily.  He’s a very powerful horse with big movement. He doesn’t give others an easy ride, but he takes care of me!

 

How did you feel and what did you do leading up to your winning test in London?
I didn’t feel nervous or anxious, I never do as long as I’ve got confident people with me. I like being around positive people who talk about normal things. I never watch anyone else’s dressage prior to riding because it might get me confused about what I need to be focusing on. Before the competition I had physio first, then had my shoulders taped, I got dressed and did a bit more to loosen up of my shoulders with physio. Then I went out to Worldwide, gave him a cuddle and kiss, got on and off we went. I wasn’t tense at all. I was talking all the time as we rode out. Then I rode around the arena and made sure I was in the right pace and he was listening to me and said “Let’s go mate!” I didn’t even notice the crowd. I became part of him and we were the only two there.

 

What happened after your test and how did you feel standing on the podium with your gold medal?
When I finished the test, my scores were going up and up on the electric scorer and the crowd went berserk! There was a massive roar from all the people and everyone, not only Australians, was waving flags and cheering madly. It was amazing.

As I rode out of the arena I was asking, ‘was it all right?’ and everyone was saying that it was “beautiful”… “perfect”. It felt like a good test.  I just wanted to ride a safe test. Then when the scores came through and everyone started cheering and crying I was whipped off my horse and handed around like a puppet! It was surreal. I had just achieved my lifelong goal and it hadn’t sunk in, so I felt pretty calm. I practised curtseying and bending down to accept my medal before I went out, as I didn’t want to fall off the podium. Once I was on the podium, I was fairly collected through it all… until the flag started to go up and they played the national anthem. Then I lost it. I couldn’t worry about the words to the anthem or anything because I was too busy crying! I was so emotional and proud to have achieved my dream with my best mate. People will believe me now when I say I can do it!

 

Lee Pearson ended up getting the silver medal – what did you say to him on the podium?

I told him that it was an honour and pleasure to be able ride against him, someone who had set the bar so high and made people see us as athletes. About winning the gold, I said “sorry mate, but someone had to beat you and it might as well be me. I said I’d do it and I did!”

 

Aside from receiving a gold medal of course, is there anything else about the Paralympics that stands out?
The great Aussie team! We all got on really well. It was like being with family. I didn’t get homesick, usually I only go away for the weekend and I get homesick. I really enjoyed my time over there, it was amazing. The Londoners need credit. They put on a fantastic show. All the countries got on well and helped each other out. It was a very friendly Games. It was the best experience I’ve ever had. At competitions like that it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, the experience alone is something you will always have.

 

What has been the most surprising outcome for you after coming home?
I have been booked out and asked to do so many inspirational talks at schools, clubs, Rotary and heaps of other places. I am so surprised how many people want to hear about my experience, even non- horsey people. I thought I would just go back to normal life but everyone wants to hear about it and it’s really nice. I haven’t changed at all, I’m the same person and am happy to help anybody out and do anything for anyone. I just did what I loved doing and am passionate about. I really love the championship test, and it was a bonus to be doing it in front of so many people at the Paralympics and to win!

 

What's next for you on the competition front?
I’m off to Hong Kong later this month with Julia Battams and two other riders to compete. Then, once Worldwide comes back, we’ll go back into training. I would really like to do Prix St George as an able bodied competitor on him. Long term, I’m going to Normandy (2014 World Equestrian Games) with Worldwide.  For Rio we’ll look at getting overseas horses. Even though Worldwide is still overseas I went back into training as soon as I returned home from London, exercising, riding other horses and staying fit.

 

Any tips you can offer others on staying motivated and reaching goals?
Believe in yourself! Stick to what you really want, if you’re humming and haaing then that’s not your goal. Set your goal up and you’ve got to really, really want it. Be 100% focused, get over the stuff life throws at you and if you want it really badly you’ll get it. All these bad things have happened to me and I’ve stuck to my goal and achieved it. You’ve got to put the time into it and be passionate. I have a burning flame in my heart that burns so strongly helping me to achieve.

Something people might not know about you?
I’m very passionate about all animals not just horses - I have chickens, dogs, cats, ponies, a goat - my animals are like family members, they all get treated like I’d treat a human. Oh and I love Cadbury’s chocolate and Smith’s plain potato chips!

 

What do you enjoy doing when you're not spending time with horses?
I used to love shopping but I now have a lot of allergies and have trouble with that. I love being in the country and I love country things -  pottering around, spending time with family and friends and meeting new people.

 

We're looking forward to having you on the Horsezone team for EQUITANA – Have you been before and what are you most looking forward to this year?
Yes I’ve been to EQUITANA before and helped out with the RDA stand. At the last Melbourne EQUITANA, I had to wear the smiley horse costume on the last day as the usual guy was on crutches . It was extremely hot and uncomfortable! I love seeing anything horsey and enjoy watching other horse people. I’m excited about being at the Horsezone stand and meeting everyone who visits us! My medal is wearing smooth after so many people touching it so it might end up really worn out after EQUITANA!

 

Any other news you’d like to share?

I really need a new truck so I can cart around the wheelchair etc as well as my horse. If there is anyone out there who’d like to help out by sponsoring me with a truck I’d be more than happy to promote them!

Thank you so much for your time, Joann. We hope someone can help you out with a truck and we look forward to catching up at EQUITANA… we won’t even make you wear a costume!

COME ALONG TO THE HORSEZONE STAND AT EQUITANA – SITE #216 AND MEET JOANN ON 15-18 NOVEMBER. VIEW TIMETABLE FOR AUTOGRAPH SIGNING AND PHOTOS

By: Jo Johnson/Horsezone

Quick Links

• See time table for meeting Joann at EQUITANA and find out more about Horsezone daily prize draws
• Read more about when Joann met Worldwide - a match made at Horsezone
• View dressage horses for sale on Horsezone