English
![Sean Jobin : un compétiteur au sommet du saut d’obstacles canadien – [Profil d’athlète]](/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sean-jobin-athlete-profile.jpg)
Photo: Sam Doswell, Doswell Creative 2024
Sean Jobin’s efficiency in the saddle is immediately apparent. His signals are subtle yet effective, his gaze is high and forward-looking, and he clears obstacles with confidence and fluidity. On the course, as in life, Sean knows where he’s going and how to get there.
Sean is a FEI 5* show jumping rider who is gaining recognition on the national and international stage. He and his horses regularly place on the podium at major events in North America. In addition, Sean enjoys his role as a dedicated competitor with Team Northern Lights , which competes in the popular Major League show jumping circuit .
Currently ranked among the top show jumpers in Canada and among the top 250 in the world, Sean has built a reputation as a winner. When he’s not competing, Sean is president of Double Clear LLC , his sales company based in Florida and Ohio.
From young rider to experienced professional
Originally from Toronto, Canada , Sean discovered horses thanks to his mother, a passionate equestrian and accomplished eventing rider .
Sean’s talent for training champion horses was evident early in his career. From the start, he demonstrated a natural ability to quickly bond with horses, even if they were young or unfamiliar to him. This ability made him a highly sought-after rider for owners looking for a rider for their horse, often at the last minute (a concept known as a ” catch rider “).
He made the most of these opportunities, riding other people’s horses whenever he could. Given the demographics of competitions at the time, Sean’s development as a rider often took place in hunting or riding arenas. It was this experience in the saddle that made him the versatile rider he is today.
After these initial experiences, Sean turned his attention and competitive spirit towards the high demands of show jumping .
At 18, Sean had already gained valuable experience competing at the Silver and Gold levels in Ontario, Canada. When he moved from the junior to the adult division, it became clear that his future lay in riding, training, and competing with show horses. And so, he became a professional rider.
Becoming a professional wasn’t initially a long-term career plan, but rather a quest for happiness . As he himself says, “I don’t think I really had a plan, to be honest. I was just riding the horses that were in front of me.”
Today, we can definitely say that he has a plan.
Looking forward
For the past ten years, Sean Jobin has established himself as a Canadian rider and coach based in the United States. Like other Canadian athletes , he finds more opportunities south of the border, especially in winter.
For Sean, these opportunities initially took the form of young horses for sale that needed training. This work quickly evolved into 3-foot hunter and 1-1.10m show jumping competitions, experiences that laid the foundation for his current success as a 1.50m show jumper.
By positioning himself near major equestrian activity centers such as the World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Ocala, Florida and the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Sean has developed his competitive advantage by riding top-level horses, participating in demanding competitions and immersing himself in a community of equestrian professionals.
As Sean’s abilities reached new heights, so did the jumps he was tackling. To make this transition from a mixed hunter/show jumping background to a specialization in elite-level show jumping, Sean had to make adjustments as a rider.
First, Sean adjusted his mental approach to fully embrace the speed required in show jumping. “When you start jumping higher and higher, speed and momentum become essential. It can be difficult for a rider to get used to these speeds without it feeling frantic,” Sean recalls.
Secondly, Sean modified his body mechanics to help his horse better anticipate optimal impulsion distances, which, at Grand Prix heights, are much less forgiving.
“The other thing for me was body position,” Sean explains. “When you’re a taller rider, you just can’t lean forward when the jump is 1.50 or 1.60 meters high. You have to be comfortable standing up straight and using your body differently.”
Sean’s transition was made easier by a solid foundation. As he says, he already had “a good ability to read a canter, make decisions, and guide a horse with minimal interference… Being precise with your aids and developing a good connection with your horse is what makes you a better rider.”
Efficiency and a champion’s mentality
As a world-class rider, Sean Jobin focuses not only on the courses themselves, but also on the overall vision of the sport. He believes that efficiency is an increasingly important skill for navigating today’s technical courses.
“This is an important aspect that everyone is looking for these days in show jumping, whether it’s the efficiency of the jump, the efficiency of the movements, or the efficiency of the course.”
Being an effective rider himself, Sean knows how to guide his horse through tight turns. If he needs to slow down slightly, he keeps the reins loose to avoid hindering the horse’s momentum.
Having proven himself among the top-performing riders in North America, Sean is on the move.
During an exceptional 2023 season, Sean competed in over 50 classes at 1.50m or higher and achieved more than a dozen podium finishes, including two Grand Prix. A highlight of Sean’s career that year was his victory at the Canadian Show Jumping Championships during the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Building on this growing momentum, Sean moved his training base from Ocala, Ontario, for the summer. By 2025, the new team, called Jobin Equestrian Team, is expected to operate north of the border at a farm called Antrim Equestrian . This 24-hectare training and boarding facility, owned by Sean’s family, is located north of Toronto, in the heart of a region renowned for its horse population and equestrian activities.
Forging local heroes
After many years living in the United States, Sean enjoys reconnecting with his roots and building his own performance-driven system which he hopes will take him and his team to new heights in the years to come.
Once Sean’s current horses and students are settled in, he plans to create more training and development opportunities.
“For me, the advantage of returning to Canada is that I have many resources at my disposal and more support on the ground.”
Sean benefits from the support of a close-knit team of dedicated grooms, nutritionists, and performance consultants . With their help, Team Sean aims to compete with the best horse-and-rider pairs in the world and, eventually, bring gold medals back to Canada at international championships.
Given Sean’s upward trajectory on the international stage and his dedication to long-term planning and development, we could very well see him donning Canada’s red jacket at future Pan American Games or even the Olympics . And he has the horses to get there.
Talent scouting to build a sustainable success
Sean’s number one horse is Coquelicot VH Heuvelland Z (Licot), a grey Zangersheide stallion born in 2012. In 2024, Sean achieved ten podium finishes with Licot, including strong performances in Major League 5* team competitions.
Sean’s equine team also includes notable competition horses such as Sterrehof’s Edinus, a KWPN born in 2009 who flourished under his supervision for two years, and Arkuga, a speed specialist.
Sean divides his time between these seasoned competitors and a number of promising young horses, which he rides and trains daily, thus ensuring a solid pool of talent for the future.
Sean and Edinus Photo: Sam Doswell, Doswell Creative 2024
It is tempting to always ride your best performing equine athletes, especially when competing at the highest level of a sport, but Sean is determined to prove that talent development is just as important for long-term success .
So, what makes a high-performance racing team successful?
Sean Jobin values talent scouting —the art of identifying young horses and developing them into top-level performers. As he puts it, “As far as I know, that’s where the future of show jumping lies. If you look at the people who have achieved sustained success over a long period, they are the ones who know how to spot the right horses and develop them. And do it again and again.”
Developing horses from beginner level to Grand Prix is a significant investment, and success is never guaranteed. It can be risky, but Sean believes in the commitment to gradually developing talent from scratch.
When looking for talent in a young horse, Sean evaluates each horse individually: “Whether it’s their alertness, their athleticism, or their spirit – every horse is different.”
A data-driven approach to performance
Drawing on his classical riding background , Sean constantly works to adapt and modernize his training system. To take things a step further, Sean explores how sports analysis – the use of statistical data to study and improve performance – can be applied to the world of show jumping.
Where possible, Sean’s team incorporates data tracking to assess performance beyond traditional metrics like time and penalties. As he explains, “We effectively track a horse’s statistics over a long period and through different variables: how the horses touch the rails or complete clear rounds.”
For example, if a horse knocks down a rail on a course, they note the type of obstacle, its location on the course, the hoof that struck the rail, and the overall context, among other variables. “Basically, we track as many variables as possible to get a better long-term view of each horse’s performance levels,” explains Sean.
Technology is essential to this approach. Sean’s team integrates data from motion sensors to estimate stride and jump length and height, associated acceleration forces, and any lateral balance deviations, combined with step-by-step GPS tracking over the distance of the course.
By examining everything that happened on the course, Sean seeks to reveal patterns and trends in a horse’s performance that might go unnoticed if he only looked at the clock and penalties.
The analytical approach is still relatively new in the equestrian world, but Sean is convinced it offers significant competitive potential – and he’s determined to prove it. A thorough understanding of how your horse moves, prepares its impulsion, and jumps can provide invaluable information to guide training decisions, especially for horses in the early stages of development.
Sean also believes that these analyses help his team adapt training to optimize results . As he says, “The data either reinforces or contradicts what you thought you knew, and then you have to decide. Every horse is different; each has unique parameters for success.”
Analyses both internal and external
Sean’s approach goes beyond movement analysis to include internal variables such as gut health and diet . He collaborates with Mad Barn ‘s nutrition experts to leverage what he has learned from data-driven training to ensure his horses receive optimized nutrition to support his efforts.
“We need to make sure the basic elements are there, that the amino acids are available so that the horse responds to training, recovers effectively and develops properly,” explains Sean.
Sean and Arkuga Photo: Sam Doswell, Doswell Creative 2024
Whether at home during the summer, in winter at his secondary residence in Ocala, or on the road for competitions across Canada and the United States, Sean works closely with Mad Barn to develop and maintain a balanced feeding plan for each of his horses.
Developing a personalized meal plan begins with a complete analysis of the diet .
The total daily intake of each horse, including forage, hay, grain, and supplements, is characterized and weighed to incorporate these values into Mad Barn’s feed formulation software . Forage samples are sent to a laboratory for in-depth forage analysis .
From there, Mad Barn’s qualified equine nutritionists can assess the digestible energy , protein, carbohydrates , vitamins , and minerals in each horse’s diet.
As Jessica Artman, a nutritionist at Mad Barn who works with Sean, explains : “We like to get to the bottom of things.”
Once the diet assessment is complete, Mad Barn identifies nutritional deficiencies and recommends modifications based on factors such as training workload, competition schedule, and the horse’s current health status.
A winning diet, at home and on the road
Sean makes sure to communicate well with his trainers and nutrition specialists throughout the season. Nutritional needs change during travel and competitions , particularly due to workload and environmental changes.
Riders like Sean often travel long distances with their horses, which can significantly affect their diet due to local variations in forage quality and feed sources. As Sean notes, “The biggest challenge for us in terms of nutrition is the sheer amount of travel involved. We try to maintain a certain regularity between traveling and coming home so as not to disrupt the horses’ rhythm.”
When Sean anticipates a significant change in forage, he asks Mad Barn to help him develop a feed transition plan . With Mad Barn’s expert guidance, Sean begins introducing gradual changes to the home diet several weeks before the trip, ensuring his horses are ready for competition as soon as they arrive at their next destination. As Jessica Artman, a master’s-level equine nutritionist, explains, “We want to make sure the transition between the home and on-the-road diets is seamless.”
To address any potential deficiencies, Sean gives Mad Barn’s Omneity® , an all-in-one vitamin and mineral supplement, to all the horses in his stable. Backed by scientific data and endorsed by renowned veterinarians and riders, Omneity® provides a balanced nutritional foundation to help each horse reach its full potential.
Formulated with 100% organic trace elements, a complete supply of B vitamins , and added amino acids, Omneity® supports hoof health, post – exercise recovery, muscle health, immune function, and overall well-being. By eliminating the guesswork involved in equine nutrition, Omneity® allows Sean to focus on what matters most: training and high-level competition.
Most of Sean’s horses also receive Mad Barn w-3 oil , a DHA-enriched fat supplement that provides calories without overstimulating the horses or causing the pronounced blood sugar spike associated with grain-based feeds. Using w-3 oil helps elite equine athletes maintain a healthy weight in the face of the demands of intensive training, while also promoting healthy skin and a shiny coat.
By providing long-chain omega-3 fatty acids — particularly DHA — this supplement also supports normal inflammatory responses, thus helping to maintain joint health, immune function, respiratory health and cardiovascular function.
In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, w-3 oil is enriched with vitamin E , an antioxidant that helps preserve cell integrity and can reduce oxidative stress resulting from intense exercise. Together, these nutrients can help support muscle health and post-exercise care in horses involved in high-level competition.
Sean’s FEI-level horses also receive Mad Barn’s digestive health product , Visceral+ , which promotes stomach and hindgut health as part of the high demands of travel and competition.
Visceral+ is recommended by veterinarians and used by Olympic athletes to maintain digestive function in horses prone to gastric issues due to intense training schedules. Its combination of phospholipids, yeasts, herbs, and amino acids helps maintain the balance of the hindgut microbiome and supports gastric tissue health.
By supporting the immune system as well as normal digestive processes, Visceral+ helps elite horses be ready for competition at all times.
To advance Canadian equestrian sport on the world stage
Sean envisions a long and prosperous future for Canadian show jumping . A question many North American riders face is how to truly compete at the highest level on the international stage, especially against the European powerhouses. As Sean notes, “Compared to Europe, show jumping is a small-scale sport in Canada.”
However, Sean believes there is a solution.
One option that Sean considers particularly important on the Canadian scene is the ownership syndicate — that is, offering investors the opportunity to get involved in the sport and share in the success.
Developing a syndicate that includes promising young horses could help ensure the future of Canadian show jumping by giving riders like Sean more control over the training and development process , allowing them to truly mold their horses into competitive partners.
Sean’s vision is to eventually build a program that can consistently produce medal-winning horses for major international competitions. With the launch of his new support and training brand, Jobin Equestrian Team , this is an exciting time for Canadian show jumping.
However, as Sean explains, his vision for advancing Canadian equestrian sport on the world stage will not be easy: “First, you have to build success. As an individual rider, your program has to be successful. Then, you have to find other people interested in supporting it, who want to be part of that success.”
With this sports business model, Sean believes the way will be opened to many promising Canadian riders and that the unionized approach could help advance the sport.
Sean has adopted other forward-thinking initiatives to boost the show jumping scene in North America. He not only brings visibility to the Major League Show Jumping circuit, but he also believes that doing so will help recruit a broad fan base beyond the already established equestrian community.
For a North American-based rider like Sean, Major League competitions are a welcome addition to the 5* circuit. They offer FEI ranking points and, most importantly, serve as an accessible counterpoint to the more established professional show jumping leagues in Europe.
Regardless of how next year unfolds, it’s clear that Sean is poised to reach new heights in the arena and on the world stage. By embracing innovation and maintaining a forward-looking perspective, his ability to balance talent with continuous improvement makes him a role model for future show jumpers across Canada and around the globe.
With his commitment to individualized training for each horse, Sean could well lay the foundations for a whole future generation of Canadian show jumping horses and secure his place in the annals of equestrian history.
