| Hobbies |
Cooking, reading, tennis. (chronofhorse.com, 12 Oct 2020) |
| Hero / Idol |
US equestrians Phillip Dutton, Robert Costello, David O'Connor, and Karen O'Connor. (Practical Horseman Magazine Facebook page, 14 Apr 2020) |
| Injuries |
He suffered two broken vertebrae in his neck after a fall at the 2015 Five Points Horse Trials in North Carolina, United States of America. He required surgery as a result of his injuries. (eventingnation.com, 07 Sep 2015)
In 1999 he sustained a brain injury after falling from his horse. He required several months of intensive physical therapy in order to recover from his injuries. (willfaudree.com, 08 Mar 2013) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs |
"I do a lot of visualisation [before cross-country], I like to go over how I am going to ride everything." (Practical Horseman Magazine Facebook page, 14 Apr 2020) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Keep going. I take that advice every day. It's amazing what you can teach a horse if you just keep at it and keep going. You're never going to master this, nobody is. You can become really good if you just keep going. You get better every day." (useventing.com, 17 Jul 2020) |
| Awards and honours |
In 2003 he received the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy. The award is given to the young rider who exemplifies the United States of America equestrian team's ideals of sportsmanship and horsemanship. (willfaudree.com, 08 Mar 2013)
He was named the 2002 Young Rider of the Year by the United States Eventing Association [USEA]. (willfaudree.com, 08 Mar 2013) |
| Other information |
STABLES
In 2008 he began running Gavilan Farm in Hoffman, NC, United States of America. "This has become a real home. I can be here year-round. I don't have to go south for the winter." (thepilot.com, 30 Aug 2021; Facebook page, 22 Jul 2021; chronofhorse.com, 13 Apr 2021; sidelinesmagazine.com, 23 Jul 2020; eventingnation.com, 11 Jan 2018)
COACHING AND HORSE TRAINING
He was inspired to become a horse trainer and coach by US equestrian Phillip Dutton, who he started working with in 2001. "I learned this was the life I wanted to live. I love to train horses and work with people of any level that want to become better. My time with Phillip Dutton showed me what it took and how hard it was going to be. I discovered that the ups would be amazing, but I'd have to learn and persevere through the downs." (sidelinesmagazine.com, 23 Jul 2020)
HORSE FAREWELL
His horse Antigua [nicknamed Brad] passed away in May 2021. He and Brad were part of the US team that won gold at the 2003 Pan American Championships in Fair Hill, MD, United States of America, and then placed fourth in the team event at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. "I got Brad in my last year as a young rider [in 2001]. He took me to my first three-star, my first four-star, my first team, my first worlds, and my first European trip. [Brad's retirement in 2009] was the ending of a chapter of my life, and I didn't know what the next chapter was going to be. When I talk about the work ethic and the phrase 'keep going', Brad finished every cross-country he started, and he never had a jumping penalty. Not because I rode him to good distances and made it easy for him, but he just found a way to do it, and that's what he instilled in me, find a way to get it done. You have to think in slow motion and keep going through it, and that's something that Brad really instilled in me, right from the start. Brad laid the foundation for a career I dreamed of as a kid." (chronofhorse.com, 28 May 2021; useventing.com, 09 May 2021)
TURNING POINT
He says fracturing two vertebrae in his neck in 2015 made him reassess the priorities in his life. "I just focus on the balance in my life [now, speaking in 2021]. It took me breaking my neck to figure that out. I gave up all my superstitions in 2015 after I broke my neck. You have to slow down and appreciate that it's great to go to these competitions and we have those goals, but just like when the [COVID-19] pandemic hit [in 2020], we have no control over this. I still have hopes and dreams to go and do it, but priorities change. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and take it as it comes. We're here to do a job and we're going to do our job the best we can." (thepilot.com, 30 Aug 2021; practicalhorsemanmag.com, 08 Apr 2021) |
FEI Database
willfaudreeeventing.com 
www.facebook.com/faudree 
instagram.com/willfaudreeeventing 
