In His Own Words: Boyd Martin on Struggle, Progress, and Why Amateurs Inspire Him. 🇺🇸

When Boyd Martin agrees to do something, the equestrian world pays attention.

A four-time Olympian, double Pan American gold medallist, and current world number two, Boyd has spent the better part of three decades competing at the very highest level of eventing. He has represented the United States at four consecutive World Championships, won the title of U.S. Rider of the Year eight times over, and remains one of only two riders on the planet to have completed every CCI5* event in the world.

So when he describes joining the Global Amateur Tour USA Eventing + Showjumping Tour this November as "a huge honour," it means something.

"I've been a big fan of Ronny," Boyd said, speaking about his fellow coach and internationally renowned showjumping trainer Ronny Riemer. "He is a character and he really knows his stuff. To be asked to join him with the Global Amateur Tour is a huge honour for me and I'm very, very excited to get involved."

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A First for the Global Amateur Tour 🏆

This November, from 29 October to 9 November 2026, the Global Amateur Tour returns to Ocala, Florida, with something entirely new. For the first time in GAT history, eventing and showjumping will come together as a hybrid tour, delivered across eleven days at one of the most iconic equestrian destinations in the world.

Based at Sweet Dixie South, a premier high-performance facility that recently hosted U.S. Eventing Team squad training and boasts over 200 cross-country jumps, riders will train and compete under the guidance of two of the sport's most respected names. Boyd will lead two days of performance-focused sessions spanning flatwork, showjumping, and extensive cross-country schooling. Ronny Riemer, known across Europe and North America as The German Riding Instructor, will deliver two days of showjumping-focused training covering gymnastics, course riding, and the precision required to perform consistently under pressure.

Four days of elite preparation. Then four days of competition. Culminating in a prestigious Derby Day finale to close the tour in true GAT style.

"This is the first time that the Global Amateur Tour has had an eventing component, a derby component here in the USA," Boyd said. "And I love a project that's a bit different and new."

What Boyd Martin Actually Teaches

Boyd's philosophy as a coach is not complicated. It is simply very hard to do.

Having spent his own career going back to retrain habits he had developed as a natural feel rider, Boyd now focuses his coaching on the fundamentals that most riders overlook. Position. Straightness. The small details that feel simple on the surface but, when done with genuine precision, become the foundation of everything else.

"What we're trying to do is ingrain correct habits," he explained. "I'm a stickler for making sure the little details in the riding are right. They sound simple. But they're very, very hard to do. And when things get more complicated or you're at a competition, you're so dialled in and practiced at these small details that it's just ingrained in your riding."

On the topic of moving up a level, his thinking is equally clear. Riders who struggle at competition are almost always riders who haven't trained above competition level at home. If you want to compete at 1.10m, Boyd expects you to be schooling at 1.20m. If your goal is one-star eventing, you should already be seeing two-star questions in training. By the time you walk the course at a competition, he says, it should feel familiar. Manageable. Even a little easy.

"Deep down inside, you know you've trained harder," he said. "You've challenged yourself with more complicated questions than what you're seeing at the competition. It doesn't go the other way."

The Mindset That Separates Champions

When asked what truly separates riders who reach the top from those who plateau, Boyd's answer is not talent. It is not natural ability. It is two things he has seen in every great rider he has ever known.

The first is hunger. A relentless, almost uncomfortable drive to keep improving, regardless of the level you've already reached. Boyd himself, despite four Olympic appearances, has continued taking lessons, attending clinics, and studying other champion riders throughout his career. Complacency, he says, is the enemy of progress.

The second is consistency. Not the dramatic, intensive training blocks followed by extended breaks, but the quiet, daily commitment to chipping away. Improving by 0.01 percent per session. Undetectable in the moment. Transformative over time.

"When you look back at yourself as a rider in three months' time," he said, "you should feel a little bit of a notice."

That same mindset is what he brings to his coaching, and it is what he will bring to every rider who joins him in Ocala this November.

A Message from Boyd

Boyd is not one to dress things up. For riders weighing whether to commit to the tour, he offers no illusions about what it will take.

"It's going to be uncomfortable. It's going to be inconvenient. It's going to be expensive. It's going to be a change in your schedule," he said plainly. "But the alternative is to sit at home, watch TV, and eat ice cream. And you're not going to improve doing that."

Getting better at this sport, he argues, requires getting out of your comfort zone. Doing the same thing at home, with the same coach, in the same environment, produces the same results. Coming to a program like GAT means a fresh set of eyes, a different perspective, and the chance to add something new to your riding.

"What you're trying to do is steal little bits of information from my sessions and Ronny's sessions and add it to your box of ingredients of how you want to ride," he said. "Pick up one exercise, one comment from each session, really go home and work on it, and be open-minded enough that it might be slightly different to what you've been doing at home."

Without struggle, there is no progress. Boyd has lived that truth across four decades in the saddle. This November, he's ready to share it.

The Tour 🇺🇸

Location: Sweet Dixie South, Ocala, Florida

Dates: 29 October to 9 November 2026

Training: 4 days with Boyd Martin and Ronny Riemer

Competition: 4 days with the Local Champions Tour, finishing with a Sunday Derby Day Finale

Staying at: The World Equestrian Center, with options from the Riding Academy Hotel through to the five-star Equestrian Hotel

Competition heights: Up to 1.20m

Experience required: Confident riders jumping 60cm and above

The tour also includes stable tours, expert seminars and demonstrations, GAT merchandise, full Chef d'Equipe support, and sightseeing experiences including Universal Studios, Silver Springs, and the Ocala International Wine and Food Festival.

⚡ Early Bird Pricing Closes April 30th

Places on this tour are limited, and with Boyd Martin's name attached, demand is expected to be high.

Early bird pricing is available now for both riders and supporters, but only until April 30th, 2026. After that date, the saving is gone. There are no extensions.

Apply before April 30th and save $600 on your place.

Priority for selection will be given to those who have already submitted an expression of interest or have ridden on a prior GAT Tour.

👉 Applications are open now. Secure your early bird rate before it closes.

APPLY NOW!

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