Clara Collard Battles REDs Syndrome - Aims to Make Autumn Comeback on Two Horses

Dressage

Belgium

Clara Collard, a four-time Belgian team member at the European Junior Riders Championships from 2020 till 2023, saw her first season as a Young Rider interrupted by health issues.

The 19-year old has been diagnosed with REDs syndrome which has brought her competitive career to a stop.

Four-Time Belgian Junior Team Member

Collard began her international show career as a pony rider in 2019. She competed Orchid's Borneo II (by Justice HR x Brummershoeve's Boss) at CDI's in Sint-Truiden, Saumur, Compiegne, Leudelange and Deauville. They won silver at the 2019 Belgian Pony Championships.

Having quickly outgrown her pony, Clara moved onto horses in 2020 with the Dutch warmblood gelding Escape (by Tuschinski x Kaiserstern), even thought she briefly returned to showing her pony in 2021.

At the 2021 European Junior Championships in Oliva Nova

Trained by Carmen de Bondt, Clara and Escape became a highly successful partnership. They had their CDI debut in Grote Brogel in July 2020 and were nominated on the Belgian team for the 2020 European Championships in Pilisjaszfalu, where they were 37th in the individual test. They finished fourth at the 2020 Belgian Junior Riders Championships

Three, consecutive European Junior Riders Championships followed. In 2021 in Oliva Nova (ESP) they were 12th in the Kur to Music finals, in 2022 in Hartpury (GBR) they were 33rd in the individual test and in 2023 in Kronberg (GER) they landed 14th place in the Kur to Music as sole Belgian pair making it into the freestyle finals

At the Belgian Junior Riders Championships they won bronze in 2022 and gold in 2023.

Young Rider Year Interrupted by REDs

At the 2022 European Junior Championships

Clara and Escape rode their first international show as a young rider pair at the 2024 CDI Lier, followed by the Aachen Festival 4 Dressage, where they were 8th in the freestyle. Since then Clara had to give up competing after she developed serious health problems.

Clara has been diagnosed with Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), a syndrome of poor health and declining athletic performance which happens when athletes do not get enough fuel through food to support the energy demands of their daily lives and training. It particularly affects young athletes.

"All the physical exercises became very, very painful and I even had to stop training," Clara explained. "Every joint in my body got inflamed and my hormonal system was completely out of order. It feels like your body goes into absolute survival mode."

On the Road to Improvement

Because of her status as ADEPS young professional athlete, she was able to get monitoring at the Erasme Sports Clinic in Brussels.

"After three months of medical examinations, there finally was a treatment plan in place," said Collard. "I will need to take some time off for my body to recover and had to stop riding for a while."

At the 2023 European Junior Championships

Ambitious as ever, Clara became a freshman at the HEC Management School of the University of Liège as she always wanted to combine riding with academic studies.

"I just graduated in my first year with distinction and that's a great boost for my morale," she explained. "I feel my health is improving day by day and am looking forward to getting back in the saddle."

Looking Forward to the Future

Clara has given herself time to physically recover and will resume training in the autumn.

The future finally looks bright again, especially because she has also welcomed a second horse as Under 25 hopeful which she will compete alongside Escape. Her family acquired the Grand Prix level trained Fond du Lac, a 7-year old Oldenburg gelding by Blue Hors Farrell x United.

"My goals and determination are unchanged. I want to regain my place on the Belgian team as quickly as possible and hopefully become a leader in my division again like in 2023. I'm very grateful for the help of ADEPS and the LEWB for their medical support."