Team USA Olympic equestrian Boyd Martin and wife find value in 'unique championship event'

In the outskirts of Syndey, Australia, a young Boyd Martin would jump off of the school bus in the afternoon, run home, grab a saddle and throw it on his horse, Willie. Galloping around national parks and racing with his friends on the land, the pony clubs in Australia became one of Martins's favorite pastimes.

By the time Martin was 16 years old, he thought to himself, 'is there a way that this hobby we've been enjoying could turn into a life?' And sure enough, the three-time Olympian for the United State's equestrian team took his love for horses and transformed it into a career. 

Born in 1979 to two Olympian parents, speed skater Toy (Dorgan) Martin and Olympic cross-country skier Ross Martin, Boyd says his childhood looked different from that of most kids.

"We had a very sporting upbringing in Sydney, Australia. Every sport you can possibly do, we got really involved with," Martin told USA TODAY Sports.

"My mother was a speedskater from Springfield, Illinois, and represented America at the 1968 Winter Grenoble (France) Olympics. She went to the Olympic games and met a cross country skier from Australia who is my father. He skied the 50k Nordic cross country ski race."

"When I told my parents I wanted to pursue sports for a career, they said go for it."

Martin moved to the U.S. from Australia in 2007 to further his career as an eventing professional. He served as the assistant trainer to Olympian Phillip Dutton for two years before starting his own business. Martin, ranked No. 6 in the world, began riding for Team USA in 2009 and has represented the U.S. at the 2012 London Olympics with Otis Barbotiere and the 2016 Rio Olympics with Blackfoot Mystery. Martin is currently competing at the Tokyo Olympics with Tsetserleg TSF "Thomas." 

"This is my third Olympic games and I am actually looking forward that this will be the most different unique championship event that we’ll ever experience in our whole lives," said Martin. "I think having no spectators and you’re locked down – it's going to be so different than anything we’ve ever gone through before. I think we’ll look back on it in years to come and look back at photos with masks on and competing with no one watching, and think 'holy moly, that's a remarkable time in history.' You can focus on the negatives, but for me, I am looking forward to a different experience."

In Tokyo, Martin is joined by his wife Silva Martin, a Grand Prix dressage rider, sought-after trainer, and Martin's dressage coach.

"I married well," said Martin. "She is a beautiful, beautiful lady and a great mother. Silva is originally from Germany and we met while we were living in Australia and decided to come to America and give this passion for horses a go. We somehow ended up in Coachranville, Pennsylvania, which is not far from Philadelphia."

Together, the Martins own and operate Windurra USA Facility. The facility in the heart of Chester County Hunt Country in Southeastern Pennsylvania includes jumping, dressage arenas, and gallop tracks on over 75 acres of land. When they are not competing or coaching successful riders around the country, they are based in Aiken, South Carolina. 

"We put our heads down and worked and worked and worked. And we are very very proud to have a wonderful training facility near Philadelphia and it's a dream come true for us."

During the coronavirus pandemic, training and riding did not stop for the Martins

"We have been really really lucky," said Martin. "Horse sports is a little bit like golf where it is outdoors and in the fresh air. Everything else was shut down but training the horse out in the barn, was something that didn't get interrupted. It was actually quite nice every day waking up and training the horses. If anything, it was a little bit more focused. No outside people could come to the facility and I wasn't able to coach any of my outside students. If anything, it got more intense for us. I think I was a bit more dialed in and concentrated and focused."

The extra time spent with his horses reminded Martin of why he fell in love with the sport in the first place.

"I definitely think that the pandemic - even though our business suffered a bit - I do think the horses have been doing better and I do believe I have had extra time to prepare for this Olympics games."

From the U.S., watching Martin compete are his two sons, Nox and Leo.

"I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old, they're exhausting," said Martin. "We are very lucky. We live on 100 acres and we need every inch of that property because these two boys are wild. But it has been a fascinating journey becoming a parent. When you are a professional sportsperson, you can be kind of self-centered and selfish about thinking about your own schedule - when you train, when you go to competitions at this time. But then all of the sudden having a couple of kids, and that is equally as important - blocking our time and trying to be a good father and have fun. I thought riding horses was a tough job. But looking after two kids is probably harder.

 "At the moment, horses are all around them (Nox and Leo). Silva is a professional rider and I'm a professional rider and we live on a farm with 50-60 horses, and everything is about training and animals. So I think that they will either get really really sick of it and want nothing to do with it, or they'll catch the bug like I did when I was 10 or 11 years old and fall in love with it. Either way, whatever they want to do, it is not about me and if they wanted to go after something else, I'd be right behind them."

As an eventing professional, Martin competes over three days: dressage, cross-country, and stadium which is show jumping.

"It's basically a triathlon," said Martin. "So instead of swim, bike, and run, you've got dressage – that's the first day and it's very similar to a gymnastics floor routine. Every horse goes and performs attest in front of three judges and each movement is judged on the precision, accuracy, and harmony of the horse and rider. The next day is an exciting day. That the cross country,  thrills, and spills, over about 35 fences that are massive in height, its about a three or four miles course. It is high speeds and very very exciting. You have to ride your horse around this course under a specific time. The third and final day is the stadium which is show jumping.

"On the first day the horse has to be elegant like a ballerina, the next day it has to be fierce like a gladiator, and on the third day, the horse has to be very careful and cautious around the showjumping stadiums. That is where there's a course and an area of about fourteen or 15 show jumps. The winner is the person who does the best combined score over the three days. It's a great sport and the only Olympic sport where there is an athlete and an animal, and one where men and women compete together against each other."

Martin finished with a 31.1 score Friday in eventing dressage and will compete in the cross-country event which begins Saturday at 8:45 p.m. ET. 

"If you pursue horse for a job – which to many people isn't a real job – and it doesn't work out, it would be a disaster. There was a little bit of risk going for it, but I wouldn't change anything or what we've accomplished."

Contact Analis Bailey at aabailey@usatoday.com or on Twitter @analisbailey.