Winter Circuit Options

Getting a case of the winter blues? Maybe it’s time to get out of the barn and get horse showing. Here are just a few options from right here in Colorado to further south.

The National Western Stock Show is right in our backyard and pretty much runs all of January. January 6-21, 2018 to be exact, with the hunter/jumpers showing January 11- 16. Be sure to buy your tickets for the Grand Prix and Gambler’s Choice at http://www.nationalwestern.com/

National Western Stock Show

 

If you have vacation time and extra cash, you can always consider escaping winter farther south.  Several circuits have shows throughout the winter at various locations. HITS (Horse Shows in the Sun) has three locations; Ocala, Florida; Thermal, California and Tucson, Arizona.  The circuits run January through March, you can go for the entire circuit or just a few weeks.  (www.hitsshows.com)

Ocala, Florida HITS

 

There is also the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.  Olympians and World Cup Champions come here to show for the winter.  The competition is the best you will find in the United States.  Set on 150 acres, the show grounds are complete with shopping, restaurants, over a dozen show rings and activities for kids and adults of all levels of equestrian knowledge.  (www.equesdtriansport.com)

Winter Equestrian Festival

 

Heading farther west you can try the Gulf Coast Winter Classic at the Harrison County Fairgrounds in Gulfport, Mississippi. The show has three all-weather rings and a large grass field plus a covered arena.  The show offers a Grand Prix each week ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 in prize money. In addition to the horse show, the area offers newer hotels, casinos, entertainment and great gulf coast restaurants. (www.classiccompany.com)

Gulport, Mississippi

 

Katy, Texas offers a great option for those not wanting to go all the way east or west. The Texas Winter Series Horse Show runs for four weeks from January 31-February 25, 2018. This show offers a Grand Prix each week as well as a USHJA National Hunter Derby weeks I & IV and a USHJA International Hunter Derby weeks I & III. Contact http://www.gswec.com/ for show information and to view their prize list.

 

Katy, Texas
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Guess Who?

Can You Guess Who These Adorable Colorado Riders Are?

The person who guesses the most pictures will WIN a Hacked Horse hat or T. Please submit your answers to kristina@thehackedhorse.com. Good luck!

 

This young rider has darling ponies and loves to strut his stuff in the jumpers and hunters. Guess who?

 

This rider has grown up in Colorado and currently owns one of the top hunters in the country. Guess who?

 

This rider is a a superstar Eventer, but often dabbles in the AA Jumpers. Guess who?

 

This rider has an exceptional chestnut hunter and is an integral part of the Colorado horse community? Guess who?

 

This gorgeous gal goes to Boulder High School and rides with Kristin Jacob. Guess who?

 

This Colorado girl only does the AA Jumpers now, but used to do the Pony Hunters and Equitation. Guess who?

 

This talented young rider does all 3 rings and has a family member as a trainer. Guess who?

 

This little dynamo is a very talented photographer and an HH Ambassador. Guess who?

 

She makes cookies and shows in the AA Jumpers. Guess who?

 

These two are not only two very talented young riders, they are sisters. Guess who?

 

She now rides on the ASU Equestrian Team. Guess who?

 

This little cutie grew up on a horse and is very hard to beat in the jumper ring. Guess who?

 

This girl has a magical unicorn for a horse and can be seen speeding around the 1.20 jumpers. Guess who?

 

This picture is of a rider that lives in Byers. She has been riding her entire life and is “still hooked.” Guess who?

 

She’s a social media maven and a great supporter of the Colorado horse community. You see her in the hunter ring now. Guess who?

 

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Spotlight – Maggie Klau

Rider Spotlight: Maggie Klau

By HH Contributor Kristina McCombie

 

HH:  Who is Maggie? Tell us a little about yourself

MK:  I was born in Virginia and I started riding when I was five. When I was six, my family moved to Pennsylvania. While living there, I showed my pony Zoe (Dolce Stellina). In 2012, we moved here to Colorado. I am now 16 years old and a junior at the Alexander Dawson School in Lafayette.

HH:  What horse do you have right now and what are you working on?

MK:  My horse’s name is Brent (Barbaresco).  He is a 10 year old, 17-hand chestnut gelding that we purchased from Texas in 2016.  Currently we show in 15-17 Equitation and Children’s Hunters.  This year we have been working very hard on becoming more unified as a team and our technique in the Derby, Equitation and Medal rings.

HH:  What were some of your accomplishments this past year and what are your future goals?

MK:  Some of our biggest accomplishments this year were attending clinics with Bernie Traurig, Julie Winkel, Rita Timpenero, and Scott Hofstetter, overcoming show anxiety, and winning the Open Under Saddle Derby in Estes Park this past summer.  Brent is an exceptional horse whom I am very lucky to have. Along with the help from my trainer, Jen Shannon (Cornerstone Farm, Longmont, CO), we have made a lot of progress from last year to this year and I am really proud of that.  We qualified for the National Children’s Medal and we ended up placing fourth! I hope to compete at Stock Show in January, and then in Arizona in March.  I also hope to qualify for IEA post-season this year.  As for my future goals, I would love to pursue the Equitation and Medal rings at a higher level, but we will see what the future holds.

HH:  Who do you idolize in the sport?

MK:  I think there are so many people you can learn from in the sport. I don’t think there is any one person I idolize, but I do enjoy watching top hunter riders like John French and Victoria Colvin. The way they can pilot their horses around, they make it seem so seamless and effortless. Their sense of effortlessness is something I hope to emulate in my ride.

HH:  Who have you ridden with and what have you taken from each trainer?

MK:  I rode with several trainers while I lived in Pennsylvania and they all helped me develop as a young rider, but for the last 6 years I have ridden with Jen Shannon and Cornerstone Farm.  Jen has helped me to become a much better equitation rider. She has given me the confidence to reach my goals and has been a great role model both in the sport and out. I am very lucky to ride with Jen and to call her my friend.

HH:  If your horse was a person who do you think he/she would be like?

MK:  If my horse was a person he would be Ted from How I Met Your Mother.  In the show, Ted is smart and tries to be cool, but he is also goofy and lovable.  That is also how I would describe my horse, kind of goofy, smart, lovable and full of personality!

HH:  What is always in your tack trunk?

MK:  In my tack trunk I always have the basic necessities and plenty of cookies for my horse because he is kind of a cookie monster.

HH:  What’s your favorite show and why?

MK:  The Estes Park shows are my favorite because the venue is beautiful, the crews are great, and the cool weather in the middle of summer is amazing.  I look forward to it all year because it is also just a fun-relaxing week with friends.  I love it up there!

HH:  Do you have any good luck charms or are you superstitious about anything?

MK:  I don’t really have any superstitions about anything, but I have 2 necklaces I like to wear as sort of good luck charms for big events.  One is from my mom and the other is from Jen.

HH:  If you weren’t riding and showing what do you think you’d be doing?

MK:  To be honest I don’t know what my life would look like without riding and showing. I have been doing it for so long it’s hard to picture my life without it. In Pennsylvania I played field hockey for 5 years and really enjoyed that, and I have played basketball in the past so I may have done that. Honestly, riding became such a large part of who I am and it was always my constant no matter what state we lived in. I don’t think I would want to do anything else.

 

 

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