60 SIDELINES JUNE 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Lauren R. Giannini
Kelse Bonham grew up living the life that most horse-crazy kids
dream about: hitting the road two to three weeks every month to
show. The Bonhams have a long history in the horse world:
her father Michael was a fourth generation horse trainer and her
mother Heather (née Herring), rode with Denny Emerson, US
Eventing Hall-of-Famer. Horses romped all over the family tree
and a foxhunting grandmother introduced the young rider to the
chase.
Early Leap Into Showing
Kelse’s equestrian career began precociously: she was
jumping before she started kindergarten. Her parents had a
hunter/jumper and eventing farm, Scotch Wheat Stables, about
30 minutes from St. Louis, Missouri. When she was 10, they
decided to move to northern Oklahoma. One reason was the
need for a school district that would better understand about
Kelse and her younger brother Chester being on the road so
much to show. “I rode ponies until I was 15 – I’m very short – and
we had six or seven at a time,” explained Kelse. “Occasionally,
we’d get in a horse. When I was 11, my grandfather bought me
a children’s jumper. I had him until I was 16. I really fell in love
with the jumpers. They make sense to me. I enjoy equitation
and hunters; but I always feel I have to put on a show, like a
fgure skater going in the ring. With the jumpers you go in and
ride instinctually and I think the horses enjoy it, too.”
Riding On The SCAD Team
Enjoyment seems to be a new bottom line for Kelse. Her
priorities about horses, life and showing shifted when she arrived
at Savannah College of Art & Design for her freshman year. She
majored in Equestrian Studies with a minor in business, earning
a 3.7 grade point average and riding on the team. During her four
years there, Kelse has racked up an impressive list of collegiate
titles, including IHSA 2010 Cacchione Cup Reserve Champion.
“Our school is relatively young in IHSA – I think SCAD has only
been doing it for 20 years or so,” said Kelse. “Last year was our
frst time of making it as a team to the Finals and we won the
team jumping. To qualify you have to win your region and be
frst or second in your zone. We fnished fourth as a team and
we were really happy with that.”
SCAD, coached by Ashley Kelly, earned their ffth consecutive
for a total of eight American National Riding Commission
(ANRC) team titles. Kelse scored her fourth individual national
championship at Centenary College, in New Jersey, April 20-23.
Before SCAD, Kelse won the 2008 Pessoa/USEF Medal
Final. She has been a working student with North Run Stables
in Vermont and with Todd Minikus in Florida, in addition to the
years she rode for her parents in the family business. She won
two Grand Prix, the 2005 $25,000 Tunica and the 2006 $30,000
American Royal.
More Education
With graduation looming, Kelse faces some important choices.
She thinks that going professional for a year or two will give
her a chance to catch her breath and put money toward more
education. “I want to go back to school and get my MBA,” stated
Kelse. “I want something to fall back on if I end up riding as an
amateur. I also love to teach. I enjoy it and it energizes me.”
Growing up in the business and learning every aspect from
grooming to dealing with clients, teaching and training has been
a hands on education, not available in any institute of higher
learning. Kelse will be the frst to tell you that for a long time,
showing was all she knew – until she went to college.
“My whole outlook on riding has changed. I’ve matured into
a more laid-back, home-loving person,” admitted Kelse. “I used
to want to be on the road all the time. In the last couple of
years of school I’ve taken a breather and gone only to a handful
of shows.” Keeping her marks up, enjoying riding and lessons
factor into Kelse’s new outlook on riding and life in general.
“I enjoy training and not having to worry about the next show,”
she said. “I actually don’t have big riding goals right now – I
used to have them; but I’m very content and happy riding and
competing for the fun of it. I don’t like to push my horses hard.
I want them to have fun, too. Part of the reason why I’m drawn
more to jumpers is the standards expected in hunters and
equitation. It’s unfair to the horses if they play on the landing
side of the jump and they’re penalized for being horses. In the
jumpers, horses can be themselves a little bit more.”
Riding Into The Future
Success has not turned her head. There’s a lot to be said
e
Education
The Other Side of the College Fence
Armani and Kelse Bonham, undefeated ANRC individual national
champion, Savannah College of Art and Design