A versatile rider, Schmidt kept her options open when she started riding a 2002 Hanoverian gelding named Walkin’ Shoes, a horse who would shape her career for years to come.
By Dr. Graham Thompson, PhD, Mad Barn Scientific Liaison and Author
As Canada's leader in equine nutrition science, Mad Barn thanks the Rider for featuring this story. To read the full version of this article, visit https://madbarn.ca/allie-schmidt-athlete-profile/
With her family ties to equestrian sport, it’s unsurprising that Allie Schmidt developed a strong connection with horses at a young age. By her mid-teens, she was already running her own training program from her family’s barn in Campbellville, Ontario, and by the end of high school, she was competing at the FEI Junior level in dressage.
Today, Allie is an Equestrian Canada High-Performance Coach, athlete and trainer who shows at the national and FEI level – but her ascent to the upper ranks of dressage has been a hard-earned personal journey.
Discovering Dressage
A versatile rider, Schmidt kept her options open when she started riding a 2002 Hanoverian gelding named Walkin’ Shoes, a horse who would shape her career for years to come.
Allie Schmidt and Walkin’ Shoes
Under the guidance of Canadian Olympic and international Grand Prix rider David Marcus, Schmidt’s dressage skills blossomed. Within a year of training under Marcus, she was competing at First Level in Gold-rated shows in Ontario and, by age 18, had advanced to the FEI Juniors.
An Unexpected Challenge
Allie struggled with some of the changes her newfound success brought to her training regimen. “I differed from a lot of my show peers growing up because I often didn’t have a coach with me. I couldn’t always afford to bring one… Getting coached became really anxiety-provoking for me... I suddenly felt like I would make my coach look bad if I did poorly, which, paradoxically, made me do poorly.”
Recognizing the need for mental training, an 18-year-old Schmidt looked to a sports psychologist for help. She gradually discovered − through a combination of professional training, psychological support, and incremental competitive achievements − that the mental burdens of showing can be overcome.
As her confidence and joy of riding returned, so did her first-rate scores.
Allie is now a champion helping the next generation of young riders gain the confidence they need to thrive in and out of the ring.
Education & Equestrian Entrepreneurship
Between classes and exams at Wilfred Laurier University, Schmidt forged the beginnings of her future business, Allie Schmidt Dressage, driving to meet her clients on a lesson-by-lesson basis.
As a victor in her own mental game, Schmidt is paying it forward by incorporating confidence building and goal setting into the curriculum. Her mission is to teach a new generation of riders how to master the game for themselves. Allie’s openness about overcoming ringside anxiety is welcome relief for young riders who are quietly grappling with the demanding world of horse sport.
In 2016, Allie got the opportunity to run her school out of Winterwood Farms, an equestrian facility near the university in Waterloo, ON.
Back on the Ontario Gold circuit, Allie Schmidt steadily built a reputation as a coach and rider. In 2018, she rode four different horses to 42 podium finishes, half of which were winners. Schmidt currently manages more than 60 clients and their horses throughout the North American show season.
Breaking Down Barriers
As Allie looks to the future, her primary focus is on the long-term athletic development of her horses and riders, and Schmidt’s reputation as a coach has allowed her to focus on performance.
To maintain a high level of training and competition for herself and her students, Allie relies on a network of fellow professionals, including Canadian Olympic dressage riders Megan Lane and Belinda Trussell, who work regularly with Schmidt and her horses.
Schmidt is also a pioneer of virtual coaching technologies, allowing her to work with top-level international trainers, even when they are based overseas.
Finally, Allie makes the best possible use of the seasonal competition schedule, focusing on the robust summer circuit in Ontario and selectively travelling to major shows like Devon PA and Bromont QC when timing and resources align.
With her sights set on campaigning for the 2027 Pan Am and the 2028 Olympic teams, Allie is poised to make her mark on the international stage. Allie’s ability to overcome adversity and rise to the top sets an example for every young equestrian who wonders if they have what it takes.
Photo: Allie Schmidt and Walkin’ Shoes
Source: MadBarn