Independent, sunny, hard worker, ambitious, funny, kind, passionate. The adjectives used by Caroline, Tiffany Foster’s faithful groom, to describe the 40-year-old Canadian are numerous! Affordable and warm are two adjectives that we would happily add to the list. We start our interview in English, but the Vancouver native quickly interrupts me: “I can also speak a few words in French if that’s easier for you. Even if my French is really not perfect! (sic)” We agree: the questions in the language of Molière, his answers in that of Shakespeare. British Columbia, where she was born, and Quebec are more than 5,000 km away, but her mother insisted on enrolling her daughters in French classes. One more string to put on your bow.
Coming from a rather modest background – her father was a firefighter, her mother worked at Canadian Airlines – Tiffany Foster lived many lives before arriving here today. “I was able to take lessons at the local riding school, but I soon had to work alongside my studies to allow me to continue my passion.” The young woman does not give up, she will work with horses. “I would definitely have been an interior designer if I hadn’t been an equestrian. I buy a lot (too much) furniture, and Caroline sighs at each competition because there is new furniture to load into the truck (laughs). I take advantage of traveling the world to find beautiful pieces to bring home.”
After a first experience in the stables of Brent and Laura Balisky in Langley, Eric Lamaze offered to work for him. At that time, Tiffany Foster, at the age of 21, had never climbed higher than 1m20 events. The adage says that patience is the mother of all virtues. It took several years, the recovery of a broken back as well as the confidence of her now loyal owners Artisian Farm, before the Canadian finally reached the high level. Today, she has built a small empire, with stables in Langley (about an hour from her hometown), Wellington, Florida, as well as Vrasene, Belgium!
Moreover, she has just spent a few days in her European stables. His accomplices Figor and Électrique landed on Tuesday night. “I try to plan a schedule for the entire year early enough, so that they don’t fly too often,” explains Tiffany. We spend a few months in each stable with my horses and my students, because it allows us to see different circuits. Because yes, in addition to managing her business Little Creek Equestrian and her around thirty horses, the Canadian also coaches a 100% female team! “It wasn’t a basic goal, but we have a great atmosphere. They are twice mothers and their daughters. A lot of kilometers logged each year, between three countries on two continents. This certainly does not prevent him from trying to be there for all the events of the Rolex Grand Slam, and in particular the Canadian stage of Spruce Meadows in Calgary, of course. “But coming back to Geneva was also one of my goals. Besides, the almost ultimate goal would be to one day be one of the ten best riders in the world and be able to participate in the Top 10 Rolex IJRC…” Until then, she is necessarily counting on “Figgy” to offer her, perhaps, a great victory in the Rolex Grand Prix. “Especially after having the trophy so narrowly ‘stolen’ (laughs) at Spruce Meadows in 2023 by Martin Fuchs in the jump-off… Since that day, I have dreamed of revenge!”
Aurore Favre
