This week’s Rider Spotlight is Canadian native, Camille Carier Bergeron! Camille has had a lot of success this season at AGDF and she has many to thank in addition to all of her talent and hard work! Most recently, Camille represented Team Canada and helped them secure the win the in the CDIO-U25 Nation’s Cup last week at AGDF.  Read more below to hear Camille’s favorite memories at AGDF and even her favorite to-go binge-series to watch.

Aboard Sound of Silence, you topped the 2021 Florida International Youth Dressage Championship and earned the overall High Point combination with a score of 73.629%. How did you feel after that victory, and what helped lead to your success?

I was very excited and emotional after winning the Florida Youth Championship this year with Sound of Silence, especially because we also earned a personal best of 78.145% in our Freestyle. It is the first time in my seventh participation that I won, and winning in both Young Rider and U25 just felt unreal. Sound of Silence always was a very talented horse, but not always the most motivated. However, since last year, he seems to really enjoy his work. That makes me so happy. He really gives his all for me now and I feel very lucky to have such a fun dance partner. We couldn’t have done it without my whole team behind me: my parents, my amazing coach Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu, my groom Florence, my sponsors, my veterinarians, my therapists, my friends, my boyfriend, and everyone who believed in us, especially Pia Fortmüller. A special thanks to the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival for letting us compete in such a safe environment despite the virus, as well as Diamante Farm for sponsoring the Youth classes over and over again. I am so thankful to all of them!

Most recently, you and your mount, Acouer, sealed the deal for Team Canada in the CDIO-U25 Nation’s Cup, presented by Diamante Farms last week! How does it feel to be a part of a national team and representing your country? How did your mindset change going into the ring while riding for a team rather than for your individual status?

It makes me very proud to be able to represent Canada in the CDIO-U25, especially with such amazing teammates as Béatrice Boucher and Vanessa Creech-Terauds. What an exciting thing to be the first Canadian U25 team to win gold in the history of the Nations Cup! Competing all together on the same team brought so many souvenirs from our NAYC years. The spirit between us all was fantastic, and Denielle [Gallagher-Legriffon], our chef d’équipe, was such a gathering leader. She was so supportive, caring, and dedicated. Of course, as a team member, you always want what’s best for the team and you hope your partners are going to have great rides, but my mindset doesn’t change much whether I’m competing individually or on a team.  I always come in the ring to do the best my horse and I can that day. I feel lucky to have a horse like Acoeur who’s so consistent and gives his all. I can really rely on him. 

This year was my second year participating in this competition and beating our personal best score from last year in the Freestyle with a 74.485% for a gold medal was just like the cherry on the sundae. What a perfect way to wrap up a great season. 

After such a successful season here at AGDF, what horse are you most excited about and what are your plans for the remainder of the 2021 season?

That’s a very hard question! I am really excited about both as I have projects for each of them. With Sound of Silence, I have been working on the U25 a lot before coming down to Florida, but started to focus again on the Young Rider stuff when we arrived here. After the Youth Championship, I started working the one tempis again and he did it as if he had never stopped. I’m hoping to show him soon in the Intermediaire II and slowly prepare for the next winter season. As it is my last year competing in the FEI Young Rider, so my goal for next year with him would be to compete in the FEI U25 division. I will be working on that for the rest of the season. With Acoeur, I want to keep on perfecting the U25, but I’m hoping to do my FEI Grand Prix debut with him and compete in Grand Prix next winter. 

How long have you been traveling to and competing at AGDF, and what is one of your favorite memories here?

I first competed at the AGDF in 2015 in FEI Pony with Monte Carlo and FEI Junior with Lowelas. I have so many souvenirs here, but I think my favorite memory is when I saw the scoreboard with a 78% at the FIYDC with 2 judges in the 80%!  Those are scores I never thought possible to achieve at such a young age. This last Nations Cup, and its wonderful team spirit, definitely marked another great memory.

What is one of your favorite, go-to series to binge on after a long show day or week?

I’m a fan of cheesy love story series. I’m watching Vampire Diaries right now and I have a hard time convincing myself not to watch an extra episode.

Thank you, Camille, for being a part of our Rider Spotlights this series, and we wish you the best of luck!