PHILYRIDES
Our Story
How It All Began Â
written by Lana Zavada
You know the feeling you have so much to give but you haven’t quite found where to channel it? It's like having a perfect skill set for a role that doesn't exist yet. This is how I felt before Philyrides.
I had a pause from professional riding due to the change of priorities as the war began in my country Ukraine. But I always knew I was meant to be with horses, and as an MBA I also wanted to create a kind of business that would require utilising my expertise in equestrian sport to the maximum. Yet my initial business ideas did not seem to quite cover this last part. Nevertheless, I secured funding to kickstart my venture. And shortly after, the universe finally knocked on my door: by sheer coincidence I stumbled upon the news that the rider who has been inspiring me over the years and gave hope for the future of our beautiful sport of dressage, Milly Dove, sought new owners to keep the ride on her main horse Jaguar V.O.D.
This is when all the pieces fell into place. I have always been driven by the conviction that the welfare of the horse must always be paramount. Witnessing the ongoing battle against horse mistreatment in recent years, I realised that aggression, even when well-intentioned, does not lead to change. I felt that the best way to promote this change was to set an example, demonstrating that ethical horsemanship is not only crucial but also leads to success. And in my eyes, there was no better candidate for this role than Milly. The very thought of how many horses' lives could be improved if their riders changed their mindset - it blew me away. The warm feeling of inspiration and confidence filled my body. It all felt so right.
Before, I rarely saw horse-rider pairs that fit. But in Milly and Jaguar I saw the completeness for the first time. And continued to see. She is young and they both learn but I have no doubt they are going the right way.
At that point my initial business plan had vanished from my mind - despite how dear it was, it never felt nearly as right as what I was about to do now. One thing that made it extra clear to me was that never in my life have I trusted anyone with animals more than I felt I could trust Milly. I think this is what a horse rider should be, no matter how high are the ambitions, the horse comes first. And the horse is understood, listened to and cared for. And never have I ever wanted someone to succeed in the sport more than I wanted her to.
This was a very different perspective for me, I was used to seeing the world only from the rider's point of view, being the frontman and the face of the team but now I found myself behind the scenes. And it felt great as at the same time I was able to apply my knowledge at an even bigger scale:
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having a good eye for spotting good horses and talented riders (it was already years ago when Milly rode her homebred pony I knew she was going to smash it when she grows up)
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dealing with the nuances of being an owner and making sure the horse is a happy athlete: equine psychology, nutrition, trimming, basic veterinary care and so on
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investment management
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team creation and team building
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rider talent development
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rider sponsorship management
It mixed into a beautiful combination and I realised this was exactly what I was meant to do. And the mission formed by itself:
THE MISSION
at Philyrides we are fostering the new generation of top class riders who follow ethical training methods. By supporting them, we actively contribute to the evolution of a role model - one that inspires riders worldwide to choose kindness and a partnership-centric approach to horses.