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78 SIDELINES JUNE 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
If It Was Easy, We Wouldn’t Do It!
By Lauren R. Giannini
Hooked on eventing most of his life, Jim
Moore earned his “A” pony club rating at
18, graduated from college and kept rid-
ing. He trained with Jack LeGoff and Karen
O’Connor. Listed in 1998 as a developing
rider, he rode with Capt. Mark Phillips, for-
mer U.S. Chef d’Equipe. Jim’s credentials
include U.S. Eventing Association Level 3
Certifcation, which qualifes him to teach
riders up to Intermediate and CCI**/CIC**.
In 2004, riding the Dutch Warmblood
gelding Grieko owned by his sister, Cyn-
thia Moore-West, Jim represented the
U.S. as an individual in the Eventing World
Cup Finals in Pau, France. With a syndi-
cate of owners called Prestige Partners
and a talented Dutch Warmblood Jock-
aloo, he embarked on his quest to make
the U.S. three-day team for the 2008 Bei-
jing Olympics, but an injury to his horse
put his Olympic dream on hold.
“My philosophy for myself and for my
students has always been: if it was easy,
we wouldn’t do it!” Jim said. For the last
three years he has put his work ethic, drive, expertise and pas-
sion for horses into harness as the professional at Kelly’s Ford
Equestrian Center, part of the Inn at Kelly’s Ford on the Rappa-
hannock River in Remington, Virginia. Kelly’s Ford is historically
signifcant for being a battleground during the Civil War. It’s also a
great venue for equestrian competitions.
“My students are involved in all three disciplines in which I’m
certifed – eventing, dressage and hunter seat equitation,” Jim
said. “They have a ‘home feld’ advantage – we have six cross-
country courses at Kelly’s Ford.”
Jim takes a group to the Washington International Horse Show
for Barn Night every year and last year WIHS set the stage for a
special event. “When I became manager at Kelly’s Ford, one of
our adult amateur riders helped me take the group to Barn Night –
that’s when I frst met Melinda Rozga and started getting to know
her,” recalled Jim. “After knowing her for two years, I wanted to
ask her to marry me. She said: ‘You need to surprise me com-
pletely if you think I’m going to say yes.’ So, at Barn Night last
October, I talked to the WIHS organizers
and during the break between classes
and Gambler’s Choice, when they throw
T-shirts to the spectators, they put the
camera on me and put it on the Jumbo-
tron and I asked Melinda to marry me.
My proposal and Melinda’s acceptance
went out on Facebook like wild fre.”
Born in Wisconsin, Jim grew up in Col-
orado under the tutelage of his mother,
Sue Moore, who began her son’s eques-
trian education when he was four. Jim
graduated from Colorado State Univer-
sity and started Prestige Training Event
Team. He spent three years in California
working as an instructor and manager,
then moved to Indiana where he spent
one year at Jane Ginther’s Hartmeyer’s
Stables where he managed the Ball
State University Equitation Program be-
fore he returned to Colorado to direct
Helen Krieble’s Colorado Horse Park
Riding School. In 1993 he started the
University of Denver’s intercollegiate
equestrian team and served as coach
until he moved to Virginia.
Jim’s burning ambitions, however, haven’t changed and he is
training an event prospect with serious potential: Herzwind result-
ed from an embryo transfer from Jim’s three-star mare Herzjuwel
and sire Windfall II, ridden by Darren Chiacchia to individual gold
at 2003 Pan Am Games and team bronze at 2004 Athens Olym-
pics. This season Jim hopes to move Herzwind, owned by Dr.
John Kelly, of Ocala, Florida, up to Preliminary. It will be a monu-
mental achievement, considering all the hats that Jim wears.
“I have a personal goal of eventing at the four-star level and it
will work with the right horse and the right resources,” Jim said.
“Meanwhile, my professional life is all about achieving my goals
for Kelly’s Ford Equestrian Center. We put in a derby feld. It has
a grob, liverpool and a berm. We’re having Derby Day, judged by
Gigi Winslett, on July 27th – hunter derby, jumper derby and an
event derby like a jumping combined test. They jump from one
arena to the other over solid obstacles. We hope that Derby Day
will be populated by regulars, bring new faces, and entice more
spectators to the newly designed show grounds at Kelly’s Ford.”
For more informa-
tion, visit www.innat-
kellysford.com and
www.prestigetrain-
ing.com.
e
Jim proposing to
Melinda at Barn Night
at the Washington
International Horse
Show. She said
“Yes!”
Photo by Rex Reed,
www.amberleaphoto.com
Jim Moore and
Herzwind (Windfall
II–Herzjuwel)
at Kelly’s Ford
Equestrian Center.
Photo by
Lauren R. Giannini