Connie Sawyer
THE BUZZ BEHIND-THE-SCENES
C
onnie Sawyer LLC is a behind-the-scenes driving force in the sport of show jumping. A relationship that began two decades ago, when Connie began working at John Madden Sales in her off-time, evolved into a lifelong connection. Among a list of interesting clients, Connie now works with the FEI as Manager of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League.
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Connie was born loving horses. She grew up in riding and competing in the Northeast, with fond memories of galloping through the hay fields and learning to ride a perfect circle in the snow where she could see her tracks.
I usually stay very much behind the scenes, so that the spotlight is always on my clients... they are a group of tremendously motivated, productive people with great vision and ability.
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After graduating from Cornell, she was working as the English Riding Director at SUNY Morrisville. Moving to Albany with her husband, she took a position with a well known PR Firm, Ed Lewi Associates, gaining valuable event planning and marketing experience, that serves her well to this day. When John, Beezie and others started the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, Connie jumped at the chance to apply her skills to the discipline of show jumping. “The Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament holds a vast array of great memories. Two in particular stand out in my mind – the night that Beezie Madden and Judgement set the 4-Bar record at 6'4" and the night of Judgement’s retirement ceremony. Both were amazing nights with an electric atmosphere; the fans in Syracuse are truly the best around.”
Post Syracuse, Michael Taylor of Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) convinced Connie to take on additional clients. That led to working with THIS, the American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm and The Dutta Corp. “I usually stay very much behind the scenes, so that the spotlight is always on my clients. And I must say they are a group of tremendously motivated, productive people with great vision and ability. I just take their vision and organize the logistics to turn those visions into reality. Working with the FEI is incredibly exciting for me because they have such strong vision and direction for the future of our sport.” Because she envisions tremendous opportunity for growth and change, Connie took on the new and challenging role of Manager of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League. She sees the League as show jumping’s NHL or NFL on this continent, one that could shape the future of equestrian sports for the better. As Manager of the League, Connie is working with the community of event organizers
to transition what were once individual international events into international events that are an essential part of a global series. “Of course, with great opportunity comes risk, and it is up to us as the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League to put our absolute best foot forward to showcase North American Show Jumping to a global audience,” she explained. “With the competition that exists to be a top event on a rider’s calendar, event organizers know that they must offer the best facilities, the best competition schedules and the best prize money, as well as points to attract the best riders. This is what competition is about, and we must continue as a series to ensure we are delivering events of the highest international caliber to the league.” She continued. “It is incredibly rewarding for me to see the Longines FEI World Cup™ North American League events placed on the FEI platforms and media outlets beside events like London Olympia, Zurich, Dublin and Barcelona. We have some growing into our new status to do, but our 14 events and our organizers deliver really great sport and have the ability, history, knowledge and motivation to grow this league into its full potential.” In addition to the national broadcasts on CBS Sports and NBC Sports in the US, most people in North America don’t get to see that several of the NAL events received international television distribution in Europe, Australia, China, and French-speaking broadcasts in Canada. Historically in North America this has not been as much of a focus, so the first steps towards change are certainly underway. Amongst all this Connie is a mother of two. When asked how she juggles all of the work with global time zone demands and travel, plus being a mom she praised her husband, Randall, her own mom, Barb, and a great network of professional moms who all support each other. And Amazon. “Amazon one-click buying is my secret weapon, and my house is never in perfect order, but it’s a small price to pay to love what you do, raise your family yourself, and enjoy an incredible community of friends and the sport that we all adore.”
Image credit: Rebecca Walton/Phelps Sports january/february ·
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