Kat and her Cornell22 compete at the International Derbies
as well, and ranked 8th for JR under 15 by USEF and 4th by
USHJA as of July 21. Photo by Lindsay Brown
POSITION
My mom never stops correcting my position every time I
get on a horse. She says it is the key to the best riding and
admits she knows nothing about jumping. But since I was
three or four years old, she always says, “ Inside leg to the
outside rein and outside leg to the inside rein… the inside
leg says over or bend, with outside rein to straighten. The
outside leg says go forward.” She still tells me today the
same basics, schooling me at home. Each hunter rider has
their own style but for me, I like to hold my shoulders open
and back. It keeps my eyes lifted. My horse’s forehand
feels lifted to jump higher over the fence. In the hunters
I definitely ride with a shorter leg then the dressage. Then
when I go into two point I don’t have to reach for my stirrups
and I have a tighter leg on. When my horses’ jump big,
I want to feel confidant that I’m staying on and in balance.
I do not want to disrupt my horses’ movement. I do ride
with my heels down in both hunters and dressage, or at
least try. I can lift the horse up with my calf in both disciplines
with my heels down. I try really hard to keep my
hands closed on the reins. Then my horses listen to where
I want them to go and what I want them to do. It is the
hardest thing for me to do and both my dressage and
hunter trainers tell me to keep my hands closed. I have the
tendency to open my fingers which is just a bad habit.
Kat’s Shelter In Place….
This has been a strange year with the quarantine which
brought me and my horses back home in March from the
Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington. I had to train them
by myself for almost three months until the Tryon Hunter
Circuit started in June. The good part was I got to train a
lot of my flatwork with my horses at my family farm. I got to
be with them every day, giving them treats, turning them
out, and putting them on the walker. My one-on-onetime
together creates a bond that I know they really try their
hearts out for me in the show ring. When I’m at home riding
and training, I can still hear Jimmy’s voice telling me what
to do. “Don’t ride through the jump, let your horse jump!!!”
I have big goals and don’t know what the future will bring,
but I’ve really grown to appreciate being at home. My
horses are happy and I just keep going forward.
The End of Kat’s Pony Era....
42 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
EE
Chic In Time, Kat’s palomino large pony imported from Germany
winning Circuit WEF Green Large Pony Champion in 2017 to
this July 2020 earning Kentucky Summer Grand Champion with
more than 50 tri-color ribbons over the years, ends their partnership.
Photo by Shawna McMillan
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com