JESSE Lee COOPER
La Vida, Carrousel, Bungees cavaliers, Trick Riding

Originally from Atlanta, Jesse grew up with horses. He quickly became interested in “natural horsemanship” training methods and applies this philosophy to the dressage horses with which he works.

Jesse, who joined Cavalia in 2007, considers his work like a long holiday. “I am doing what I enjoy, in a stimulating environment and it gives me the opportunity to travel the world. It is also a good way of broadening my knowledge of training methods. I have learned that horses have the power to choose. I approach training from a psychological point of view. I set up a situation and let the horse provide the answer. You have to think like a horse. My role is to guide them towards making the right decision. You work with what they want to give you and you adapt to them. You learn a lot from that and it is most rewarding.”

He says his greatest challenge in Cavalia is the Carrousel. “It’s an act which requires great skill and excellent co-ordination between the rider and his horse, but also between each of us. We perform and accomplish complex manoeuvres with eight large stallions on stage. We must be synchronised at all times, whilst perfectly mastering the technique.