Elevate: Meet Cali Chaix

Welcome to Elevate, our spotlight series to honor, lift up, and highlight riders just like you from all disciplines and walks of life. If you’re like us, supporting and growing our equestrian community is an important mission, and a mission we are proud to hold at the heart of Sterling Essentials.

This month, we’d love you to meet Cali Chaix, a young show jumping rider from France with two cute horses that help her dabble in all disciplines.

SE: Who are the horses in your life, and when did you begin working with each of them?

CC: I have 2 horses in my life: Espoir and Katia. Katia is a Fjord of 23 years, and I’ve worked with her since 2014. Espoir is a Haflinger of 8 years. I’ve know him since 2015, but we’ve worked together only since 2019.

SE: What are their personalities? Do they have any fun habits, quirks, likes or dislikes?

CC: Katia is a little tetchy; she hates cuddles, but she is very nice. Espoir is a "pot of glue", kind, attentive, and curious. The perfect pony.

SE: Oh fun, it’s nice you have both Katia and Espoir so that you have a balance of snuggles versus grumpies. :) What are their favorite treats?

CC: For Katia it is the apples, and for Espoir the carrots. I don’t know if you have this brand [in the USA] but both are fan of sweets “HDCP”.

SE: So have you always loved horses? When did you start riding, who introduced you, how did you get started?

CC: I have loved horses since I was a child. I don't remember who and how someone introduced me to horses, but I started at the age of 4 in a equestrian center, and I haven't stopped since.

SE: What discipline do you ride, and what do you love the most about it?

CC: I do a little bit of everything, including show jumping. I love to be versatile, but I love walks, especially at sunset.

SE: Sunset walks sound heavenly, especially since it looks like you live in such a beautiful area! Where do you ride and train? Do you have a trainer, and if so, what do you love the most about working with them?

CC: I ride and train at my neighbor's family stables. I had a coach, but with the COVID 19 epidemic we had to stop the lessons.

SE: What is one of the main skills or challenges you are working on in your riding at the moment?

CC: It is not something incredible [or anything in particular] but at the moment we are working to improve and continue to progress.

SE: Do you have a favorite horse show or off-property place you love to go ride in your area?

CC: We are lucky to have beautiful mountains, and I love to go for a walk there or in the forest. It's really calm and rejuvenating.

SE: What are your riding plans for the year? Any competitions or other special riding goals you’d like to accomplish?

CC: For the moment no competitions planned for us this year, but I have plans for a photo shoot in progress. If we can organize it I would love to go to the beach with my horse.

SE: Oh lovely, a beach ride! I look forward to seeing your photo posts. :) You live in such a beautiful area of France. Do you also like to ski and hike? Any other favorite hobbies other than horses?

CC: Of course, I am a big fan of both every winter. I have other favorite hobbies like photography or running.

SE: What is your dream vacation that you would love to take if you had the chance?

CC: I had the chance to travel a lot in Europe. I discovered beautiful countries like Iceland. But a dream vacation would be in the United States. In addition to wonderful landscapes I could also work on my English.

SE: Fabulous! Well if you come to the USA near me, let me know and we can get together! What is your favorite place to visit in France for relaxation, fun, and to recharge your batteries?

CC: Everywhere in France you can find these places. To relax I could advise to get away from the cities. But I am a fan of the south east of France between Montpellier and Marseille.

SE: What famous rider would you most love to meet and why?

CC: There are many of them, but one that I particularly admire is Steve Guerdat, a Swiss rider. I saw him riding several times and it is always so impressive. He is really a great rider.

SE: What is your favorite Sterling Essentials fragrance?

CC: I love the Eucalyptus fragance, but I'm sure the others are just as good.

Thank you so much to Cali for taking the time to chat with me! It was fun to hear more about her, Espoir, and Katia. After seeing the photos of Cali’s local area, I’d vote for a trip to southeast France, wouldn’t you? :) I wish Cali the best with her upcoming photo shoot and hope she has lots of adventures with the ponies this summer! I hope you’ll join me in following Cali on social media to cheer her on, @espoir.ck.