Newbury Park horse rider wins gold medal, qualifies for Olympics
By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

UP AND OVER--Mark Watring has qualified for the upcoming Summer Olympics. He's shown here aboard his favorite animal doing what he does best, equestrian jumping.

Newbury Park will be sending a representative to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece this summer. Mark Watring, 40, just won a gold medal in equestrian show jumping at the 14th Pan American games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and, as a result, qualified for next year’s Olympics.

Watring competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and said he’s just as excited to be in next year’s competition.

"This is huge," Watring said. "It’s like a 20-year reunion."

Watring has been riding horses for 29 years. His regular practice routine runs Tuesday through Sunday. And when he’s not practicing, he’s teaching the sport to others at the Blackiston Ranch horse-training school in Hidden Valley.

"Mark is an excellent rider, as this gold medal and his previous Olympic riding shows," said Randi Harris, whose daughter trains under Watring.

"However, (Watring) is an even better trainer and has done great things for my daughter," Harris said.

"He is patient, caring and firm and I love the fact that he both teaches and competes," she said.

Watring said he trains both children and adults. He’s been teaching at Blackiston Ranch for the past decade.

Watring is now competing at an equestrian event in Calgary, Canada.

"Before the Pan Am games, I did the Grand Prix in Pebble Beach and we won," Watring said. "It was nice to head off to the Pan Am games after a win."

With a positive head on his shoulders, Watring’s horse had a strong rider on his shoulders.

"I knew at the Pan American games that I needed to finish in the top four in the individuals (category) to qualify for the Olympics," Watring said. "So my main goal was just to make it into that top four and I ended up, after the second day, being in the lead. And I just maintained it... Winning the gold medal was like the icing on the cake."

Asked if he had any children who’ve been influenced by their father’s success, Watring said he has a 3-year-old and a 10-year-old who are both learning to ride.

"My 3-year-old has a pony, but he rides probably once every two weeks," Watring said. "Hopefully, he’ll take it up."

Horse riding, Watring said, has been a joy of his own since he was 10 years old.

"It was one of those things that your parents think was a phase when you were growing up," he said. "But I stuck with it. It’s a great sport and I have a love for the animals."

In April, Watring will travel across the globe to Milan, Italy to compete in the equestrian World Cup finals. Then he’ll jump back on a plane to Greece.

The Athens games will hold special importance, he said, because that’s where the Olympics began.

"The horse is going to get some frequent flier miles," Watring joked.

The traveling will be worth it if Watring can bring a gold medal home to Newbury Park.