50 SIDELINESMAY 2014
FORHORSEPEOPLE • ABOUTHORSEPEOPLE
be successful. I’m so lucky to have an incredible group of horses
that areable to takeme to this level successfully.Coming toWEF,
I was hoping to do some big classes and be consistent but this
seasonhas definitely surpassedmy expectations.”
While their chosen paths to the topmay be different from one
another’s now, both sisters share similar starts to their show
careers: on theWest Coast and at BlenheimEquisports, formerly
calledOaks-Blenheim, and still often referred to as TheOaks.
“The Oaks has always been one of my favorite West Coast
shows,” Audrey shared. “The location is beautiful, and I learneda
lot frombeingable toshowbothhuntersand jumperson thegrass
fields. I’ve had some great experiences there; in particular I won
aYoungRiders teamqualifier there, whichputmeon the team to
compete in Kentucky. I also did some of my first Thursday night
GrandPrix in the indoor ring there.”
At just 18 months older than Audrey, Saer too shares similar
fondmemories of competingat theOaks-Blenheim.
“We showed at The Oaks a ton starting around the time that
I was 13 or 14,” Saer said. “They always had the Young Riders
qualification process there. Lucy [Davis], Karl [Cook] and I were
all doing Young Riders around the same time, and it was so
competitive. It was fun to be at the Oaks for that and have the
incredible atmosphere that it has. It gave you a great experience,
and it was extremely competitiveand fun.”
ForSaer, those ridersagainstwhomshecompetedat theOaks-
Blenheimare the same riders shehashad theprivilegeofmoving
up the ranks with over the past few years. “Lucy, Karl and I all
did Young Riders together, and nowwe’re all doing international
teams somewhat together. It’s been fun towatch and to be a part
of,” Saer said.
If it hasbeen fun towatch themcome this far since their earliest
Blenheim days, it should be even more exciting to see what the
next few years hold for theCoulter sisters.
Saer will spend the summer competing in Germany and
throughout Europe under the tutelage and guidance of Markus
Beerbaum and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who have been
training both Saer and Audrey for the last several years. From
there, Saer has her sights set on representing her home country
in future team competitions.
“I’malwayshoping toget onmoreNationsCups teamsand take
part in that teamaspect of riding,” saidSaer,whowasapart of the
U.S.’s winning Nations Cup team in Argentina in 2010. “Being in
Argentina for my first onewas incredible, and I’m really aiming to
domore of them,” she said.
Saer andAudrey, in 2006, grew up competing as shows on the
West Coast.
Photo courtesy of theCoulter Family
Robert Ridland congratulatingSaer duringaBlenheim
Equisports horse show.
Photo by FlyingHorsePhotography
Saer andCarmenaZ, oneof the extremely talented stallions
ownedby theCoulters’ CopernicusStables LLC and competed
bySaer.
PhotobyKennethKraus
