World-class horse vaulting athlete Daniel Klotz-Dedora is preparing to depart for Austria ahead of his third appearance as a member of Team Canada at the FEI Junior Vaulting World Championship.
The 18-year-old received official word of his selection late last week from Equestrian Canada.
“We are excited to have you representing Canada again on the world stage and look forward to supporting you through the final preparations,” reads a letter from the organization.
While pleased to be selected, Klotz-Dedora admits it didn’t come as a huge surprise.
“I felt very confident in what I was doing this year, and I was very proud of my performances,” he says. “I had new personal bests this season, and it’s nice to celebrate that all of the hard work is paying off. I’m making a lot of progress.”
Klotz-Dedora has competed extensively in both North America and Europe, including the 2021 junior world championship in Le Mans, France, and the 2023 edition in Flyinge, Sweden. In Sweden, he competed as both an individual and as part of Canada’s first-ever junior equestrian vaulting team.
In the January 2024 World Cup in Basel, Switzerland, he moved up an age category to compete in the senior division.
"I thought the experience could be useful, and I learned a lot from it," he says.
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Equestrian vaulting — a sport combining gymnastics and dance performed on horseback — requires a unique blend of athleticism, artistry, and precision. Training, however, doesn’t start in the saddle.
“You practice on the floor to develop the skills before trying them with a horse,” he explains. “I aim to work out with a horse at least once or twice a week. When I arrive overseas, it will be more often.”
He’ll spend about a month training in Europe before the championship runs from July 30 to Aug. 3.
“One of the key things I want to take away from this championship is the ability to rest afterward, knowing that I did the training, gave it my all, showed up, put in the effort, and connected with my horse,” says Klotz-Dedora.
Regardless of how the judges score him, he says he’s committed to self-reflection and honest evaluation.
“I’ll be performing a routine I’ve fine-tuned throughout this season during my freestyle performance, which allows for personal expression,” he says. “Often, vaulters will change their routines a lot during the season, but I made a point of sticking with one and making it very solid and consistent for the championship.”
He leaves off with advice for others chasing big dreams.
“If you have a dream for yourself, visualize it — but also put it into action. Enjoy the journey of getting to your destination.”
