Published: September 03, 2010

(IN PHOTO) Lynne Larsen and her horse Frosch clear a fence during the show jumping phase of the Campbell Valley Three-Day Horse Trials on the August 14 weekend.Photos by Totem Photographics

When it comes to Jens and Lynne Larsen, from the Dot Ranch just outside Merritt, it is hard to adequately describe in words their lifelong connection to horses, and their love for the sport of three-day eventing. It is a passion, a calling, an obsession – all of these things and more rolled into one.

Between them, the husband and wife combination have close to 100 years of involvement and experience in the equestrian world, from training and competing at some of the highest levels to the buying and selling of horses as an out-and-out business.

Raised in Denmark, Jens was virtually born into a saddle and spent a good part of his youth competing in English dressage. Such was his commitment to the horse world that when his compulsory two years of military service came along, he did the only logical thing – he joined the Danish cavalry.

When Jens immigrated to Canada in 1971, he found his way to British Columbia, and ultimately a 16-year job as manager of the local Nicola Ranch.

Despite the more-Western environment, Jens never strayed far from his English riding roots, as he continued to compete in dressage, show jumping and three-day events whenever time allowed.

Lynne, for her part, was born and raised in Sidney, on Vancouver Island. Her mother ran a riding stable and gave lessons, so Lynne became immersed in the world of horses almost from day one. She was in the saddle by the age of three, and has been competing and working seriously in the world of English riding for close on 40 years.

When the couple bought the Dot Ranch, located 30 minutes west of Merritt on Hwy 8, in 1995, they ran it as a fully-functioning cattle and hay operation for the next 11 years. Despite the many challenges and hours of work that go hand in hand with running a viable cattle ranch, the Larsens never strayed far from their first love.

Three-day eventing could appropriately be called the triathlon of horsemanship. It calls on horse and rider to display skill and expertise in three separate disciplines: dressage, show jumping and cross-country. Each of the three phases has its own unique challenges and set of demands.

Dressage, which means ‘training’ in French, requires the combination of horse and rider to perform a specific test of movements and gaits in order to demonstrate obedience, control and skill while at the same time remaining calm, supple, loose and flexible

Show jumping sees horse and rider competing in an arena over a set of obstacles, on a specified course and in an optimal amount of time. The competition is intended to display the horse’s freedom, energy, skill, speed and athleticism