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Thursday, February 16 2017 / Published in General

Karen Cudmore: Happy in the Heartland

Karen and Ceonto at the $130,000 Burlington Capital-Omaha Grand Prix at The International Omaha show at the CenturyLink Center.
Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography

By Kim MacMillan

Home is where the heart is, and for professional jumper rider Karen Cudmore, where the horses are too. Karen has found success and happiness in basing her family’s Heartland Farms operation out of the centrally-located, easygoing Midwestern city of Omaha, Nebraska. A native of Canada, her journey to the heartland was a long one. She started riding as she grew up in Western Canada and worked her way east to Toronto, then moved on to several U.S. western states before putting down roots in Omaha.

A winner of many grand prix classes, Karen has represented Canada on a number of international teams over the years. Aboard the Holsteiner stallion Conejo (Calando I – Mephisto), one of her farm’s flagship stallions purchased as a 2-year-old from comedienne Joan Rivers, she competed in the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain; the 2003 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas; and the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic. With Southern Pride (South Pacific – Carentio), a Holsteiner stallion bred by The Oaks in California, Karen was an alternate for the Canadian team at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. In 2010, the pair represented Canada in the Nations Cup in Belgium and in the Rolex World Cup Finals in Geneva.

Early Years

Karen, 57, whose maiden name is Olson, said she has always loved horses and as a child would often ride her bike to a stable near her home. She grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, where her family owned the historic Strathcona Hotel. As a complement to the hotel business, her uncle also owned a horse-drawn carriage company called Tally Ho Carriages, and tourists from the hotel would book rides with Tally Ho. “With leasing property to maintain those carriage horses, my uncle always threw a couple of ponies on the property. Eventually he said to me, ‘Why don’t you just try this pony for a few months?’ I don’t think they were even broke,” she laughed. “I was like, ‘Gee Uncle, how do you put a leg on these things?’ But that’s how I started.”

Contrary to the path that many riders take to become a professional trainer, Karen did not come up through the junior equitation circuit. Instead, she worked for a long list of respected horsemen and horsewomen, taking away the best each had to teach her. By the time Karen was 16 years old, she was working in Victoria for top Canadian equestrienne Bo Mearns, who still holds the Canadian high jump record of 7 feet 2 inches. “I was like, ‘This is the only person who actually looks like she knows what she’s doing.’ I didn’t really know what I was doing then. I don’t think I jumped my first A show until I was 18. Bo’s the one who encouraged me to go out and work for a different person every year and learn something. And that’s what I did. It was a little bit cut short in some places where I should have maybe stayed, but I thought, ‘How I am I going to get the experience from all of these riders if I don’t keep moving?’”

Karen and Southern Pride
Photo by Quintessence Photography

Working stints for Albert Kley at Spruce Meadows and Danny Foster (show jumping individual gold medal winner at the 1991 Pan Am Games in Cuba) helped shape who Karen is today as a rider and trainer. She was also influenced by Canadian Team riders Michel Vaillancourt and John Anderson while at their stables. Then, while competing at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Karen met U.S. trainer Linda Allen and went to work for her.

Connections she made through Linda landed Karen a job in California working for horse owners from Hong Kong. Working in the same area was her future husband, Blair Cudmore, who’d grown up in Saskatchewan, Canada. “He lived just down the street working with Arsia Ardalan. They imported a lot of European horses and did a lot of work with Joan Irvine Smith at The Oaks in San Juan Capistrano.”

As Karen and Blair got to know one another, they realized that they wanted to start a business together and decided to move to the Midwest. They spent time in Colorado and Iowa before settling in Nebraska. She explained their thinking as they searched for the best location for a growing show, sales and horse breeding business: “We said, ‘OK, look, if we want to start our own thing, we should move to the Midwest,’ where his family already had an established business. It was just a little more affordable in the Midwest for young and up-and-coming kids, which we were. We weren’t married at the time. We had a couple of good young horses that were almost ready to step into the grand prix. So, we embarked in this business together and we got married a few years later. Now we have two kids and we’ve been married for 30 years.”

The Cudmore family, left to right:  Kiley, Blair, Karen and Brooke with some of Heartland Farms’ dogs          
Photo courtesy of The International Omaha

The Cudmore Family

The Cudmores have two daughters, Brooke, 23, and Kiley, 21. Brooke and Karen are the full-time riders and trainers for the farm. Kiley is a yoga instructor, but also helps at Heartland by riding the older stallions and some of the young horses. Blair keeps everything going on all of the properties and manages the breeding operation.

Their breeding program is based on producing Holsteiner and Holsteiner-Thoroughbred cross horses. Besides Conejo (who is deceased, but they still have frozen semen from him) and Southern Pride, the stallion Ocelot, who is by The Oaks stallion South Pacific and was Brooke’s North American Junior Young Rider Championships partner, also stands at Heartland. They also use the stallion Grannus. “Then we have some up-and-coming Kashmere and Cassini I stallions as well; we’re introducing those into the breeding program. We’re trying to keep our program modern and updated. But, when you have stallions like Southern Pride, who’s coming into his 19th year and still doing grand prix, you appreciate the stability of a horse like that. Yes, I don’t go FEI [with him] every week, but there’s a reason for doing that. I stretch his longevity by sparing him from the grueling work of doing the super-hard jumping all of the time,” said Karen, adding that she wanted to thank her sponsors, Bruno Delgrange, Phycox, and Techna Vet Industries.

Living In Omaha

The Cudmores plan to base in America’s heartland has paid off for them. The lower cost of living and of land in Nebraska and Iowa has been a benefit, and the area allows them the space for their breeding program — plus, is centrally located so that they can easily go east, west, north or south to shows. In any given year, you could see the Heartland string showing on the West Coast in Thermal, California, or in Wellington or Ocala, Florida, as well as at shows in Canada, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota and others. They showed recently at the new World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio, which boasts a huge indoor arena, and Karen said she really loved that facility. She also really enjoys showing at the Denver Stock Show each year, but ultimately, where they go depends on the needs of her horses and her clients. “I always try to put my horses in a circuit where they can shine and I just kind of go where the customers roll.”

Brooke, left, and her mom Karen Cudmore
Photo by Lisa Roskens

As the 2017 FEI World Cup Finals draw near, Karen praised Lisa Roskens for her vision and work ethic in bringing the finals to Omaha. “Lisa is sharp. She’ll step up the game every week until she finds the best way to do everything. Lisa has a good business background and she’s the most ‘unlazy’ person I’ve ever met!”

Karen feels that people coming to the World Cup will enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and the easily-accessible restaurants, hotels and attractions in Omaha. She said that she experiences this when sales clients come to her farm. “The Midwest is a great place to show. What we like about it is that it’s affordable, there’s no traffic, and it’s easy. The airport is only five minutes away from the CenturyLink Center where the World Cup will be. The hotels and restaurants are very close by as well. You almost don’t need a car. It’s exhausting to show at this level. So, exhibitors just want to get there, get to the hotel and get a good night’s sleep and then get into the show grounds and get it figured out. And, to pull into a town where you can get the best steak in town and a beer for under 20 bucks, and good service – oh yeah, everyone is going to love it. We have people flying in from all over the world to see horses at our farm. They say, ‘Boy, this has been pleasant.’ I’m like, Yes, that’s the Midwest!”

 

 

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Tagged under: breeding, karen cudmore, omaha, show jumping

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

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