Written by Kiera Bodnarchuk – 2025 OHJA Junior Ambassador
During the 2025 new year, Emily Wulff officially launched Wulffden Equestrian in Pickering, Ontario, located on Paddock Road. This new addition to Ontario’s equestrian community is steadily gaining recognition, thanks to Emily’s vision and dedication to producing skilled, confident riders. Emily, a seasoned trainer with years of experience and currently the youngest NCCP High Performance 1 (Competition Development) Coach in Canada, has built Wulffden with a unique approach that goes beyond technical refinement. Her focus is on building consistency, teamwork and developing horsemanship in and out of the ring, ensuring that riders are not only successful in competition but also grow as well rounded athletes and individuals.
As the 2025 show season approaches, Wulffden’s riders are preparing for an exciting year. The barn is home to three OHJA Junior Ambassadors: Amelia Gatti, Kiera Bodnarchuk, (returning ambassadors), and Isabella Moyels (First year). These dedicated riders represent Wulffden and aim to set an example of leadership and sportsmanship in the equestrian community.
We caught up with four of Wulffden’s riders to learn about their individual goals, how they prepare mentally and physically, and what makes this season special for them.
Building Horsemanship: Wulffden’s Approach
At Wulffden, each rider is treated as an individual. While technical skills are crucial, coach Emily Wulff emphasizes the importance of consistency and building horsemanship throughout the season. This philosophy shapes the way the barn trains, both in and out of the ring. At Wulffden, riders also take part in a mentoring program with a focus on building teamwork and strengthening the connections between riders, encouraging collaboration and mutual growth. Additionally, Emily encourages her riders to work through their rider levels, helping them gain a better understanding of their responsibilities and abilities, ensuring they are well-rounded and prepared for both competition and everyday riding.
“The culture at Wulfden is really collaborative, it has a big community sense” Emily notes “we are really big on horsemanship, on the riders doing a lot of things on the ground themselves. I believe that that translates to a better bond with their horses when they’re on their back”
This approach ensures that riders don’t just learn how to compete, they learn how to be leaders, good sports, and supportive teammates. Whether it’s they’re competing in the walk trot division or the Grand Prix, everyone at Wulffden is working toward becoming the best version of themselves, both inside and outside the arena.
Emily’s Prep: Tailoring Training for Each Rider
Preparing for show season requires more than just practice, it’s about setting a tailored approach for each rider. Emily dedicated significant time to evaluating where each rider is and then adjusting their training accordingly. “We find any gaps and then find the solutions on how we can fill those gaps” she says. “Training is tailored towards each rider and horse combination based on their yearly training plans and then everything we do in training up to competition season through competition season is based on filling the gaps and achieving goals”
Before show season kicks off, Emily takes extra steps to ensure everything is in place for her riders’ success. During the winter gymnastics and flatwork was the focus helping riders maintain balance, rhythm, and control. Now, the team is shifting its attention to more ring-specific work, preparing for the jumps and courses they’ll see in competition. Emily also places a strong emphasis on mental preparation, helping each rider build the confidence and focus needed to perform their best when it matters most.
“Winter training looks like a bit of a tapering season. After the show season finishes in November, the horse has some time to rest. When we start them back up again into full training our focus is mostly on gymnastics. We start right back to basics going after our straightness and our rhythm and all the things that are important to our jumping components” Emily states. “As competition season approaches we start to get more into course work for training and then specific prep whether it’s pony versus an equitation rider versus a jumper or hunter and that way when we get to those May Palgraves were ready to go.”
Rider Interviews: Goals and Excitement for the 2025 Show Season
We spoke with several of Wulffden’s riders to get a sense of how they’re preparing for the upcoming season:
Poppy Seon
Poppy is showing in the Children’s Pony division this year with her pony, Canterbrook Trimmed in Gold, though around the barn, he’s affectionately known as Willy. Last year was Poppy’s first time competing on the Gold Circuit in the Short Stirrup division, so she’s super excited for another season to keep learning, growing, and moving up! Here’s what she had to say about her goals for 2025:
“For the 2025 season, one of my biggest goals is to really grow as a rider and make progress throughout the show season. I want to focus on getting a stronger connection and partnership with my pony Willy, both in and out of the ring. I think it’s super important to understand how everything works at shows so I can feel more confident and ready for bigger goals in the future. I also want to keep making friends at the shows, because having people to cheer you on and laugh with makes everything way more fun. Eventually, I hope all this hard work helps me reach my goal of qualifying for the Royal in the Mediums”
Maddie Moyles
This year, Maddie will be making the move up to the Larges with her pony, Spicy Meatball. something she’s super excited about. She’s also planning to step into the 0.75m jumpers to gain some experience, with hopes of moving up later in the season with her other horse, Touchwood. We caught up with Maddie to hear what she’s most looking forward to this year:
“What I’m most excited for this season, would be to start my journey for the first time as a jumper. I’ve done the hunters for around 5 years and I can’t wait to see what happens for my first year as a jumper. On another note, I’m excited to move up to the Larges this year. OHJA and Angelstone Events also offer so many fun classes for us to compete in, like the Great Pony Challenge, GP Pony Medals, Pony Power, and Classics, and it’s a great way to make memories and new friends all season long”
Olivia Gowan
This year marks Olivia’s first season competing as an amateur, an exciting new chapter in her riding career. She’ll be moving up through the big jumper divisions and testing the waters in the Modified Grand Prix with her two horses, Avatar and HHS Fairy Fort. Olivia has also been a proud member of the GRIT team for the past two years, who have played a huge part in her growth and development as a rider.
As show season approaches, we caught up with Olivia to hear how she gets ready for the ring, with support from her teammates, coaches, and the GRIT program helping her every step of the way. Here’s what she had to say:
“GRIT has been an amazing way for me to prepare for show season by building my strength, fitness, and focus as an athlete. Since joining in 2024, I’ve learned so much through strength and conditioning training, nutrition education, mental performance training, and regular welfare check-ins. The spring and fall camps are a huge part of the program, offering high-level coaching from experts like Ian Millar, Amy Millar, Christilot Boylen. GRIT has also given me the chance to make new connections and friendships with other riders across the province, creating a strong support network for my future in the sport. it helped me with my confidence and support that I need to feel ready for the ring and perform at my best.”
Lala Liu
Lala is making the exciting move from ponies to the beginner children’s hunter division this year with her horse Calfino, lovingly known as Cali. With show season just around the corner, we were curious how she handles show nerves, because tips like these can really help other riders feel more confident, too. Here’s what she shared:
“I handle pre show nerves by talking to my coaches and my friends, and spending time with my horse. It always encourages me before my rounds. I tell myself I’m nervous because I care. I try and stay in the present moment and not think too hard about the future and I always visualize how I think my trips are going to go”
Looking Toward the Show Season: Connection and Competition
As show season draws near, Wulffden is excited not just for their riders but for the entire Ontario equestrian community. Emily and her team are eager to see their fellow competitors from other barns, knowing that show season is as much about connection as it is about competition.
“I think everything we do as equestrians is about connections, everything that we’re seeking with our horses is about connections. The ones who have a better connection with our horses are the ones with better results in the ring. Not only with horses but with other people, with like minded individuals I think we have so many beautiful connections”
Wulffden’s team is ready to represent their barn and the sport at large, with the entire Ontario equestrian community looking forward to the exciting events that await in 2025.