SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Tuesday, November 29 2016 / Published in General

Katie Hiller: Champion of Underdogs – Making Her Way in Dressage with Determination, Perseverance, Patience and Love

 

Katie Hiller with her horses, Toy Soldier and Adaggio.

Katie Hiller with her horses, Toy Soldier and Adaggio.

By Britney Anderson

For many, if not most of us, the “horse bug” isn’t something you catch — it’s something you’re born with. That’s how it was for Katrina “Katie” Hiller. “One of my first words was ‘pony.’ It was always just something I was obsessed with,” Katie recalled. “As a birthday present when I turned 6, my parents got me a riding lesson and I’ve been hooked ever since. I don’t think they realized it was going to turn into a career for me.”

Katie’s road to riding success has not been cookie-cutter. From her first word to her first Grand Prix, Katie has paved her own path with determination and patience. With only periodic coaching, Katie successfully earned her USDF bronze, silver and gold medals on a horse she trained on her own — while still learning herself. Through injured horses and tough rides, Katie’s exemplary heart helped her persevere and she’s well on her way to achieving the greatness of her dreams.

Katie and Toy Soldier Photo courtesy of Katie Hiller

Katie and Toy Soldier
Photo courtesy of Katie Hiller

Destined For Dressage

Katie began riding with a local trainer who was primarily a jumping instructor, but believed in starting all of her students with dressage so they got a good foundation. On a lesson pony, Katie did her first show when she was 8 years old. After that, she doesn’t remember if she tried jumping at all. “I mean, I might have done a little bit of work with the ground poles,” she said, “but I was just obsessed with dressage once I learned more about it and really knew that it could be competitive and not just trotting around an arena. So I think after showing the first time, I really fell in love with it and never had an interest in jumping.”

Before she turned 10, Katie’s first trainer moved away. But Chico, the lesson pony she competed in her first show, didn’t. “For my 10th birthday, my parents bought me that pony as a present, so he was my first horse. I competed him probably until I was 16, maybe even longer than that. I had him for a long time.”

Katie and Chico began training with Jessica Jo “JJ” Tate, who lived in Wisconsin at the time, when Katie was 11. Soon after they began taking lessons, Katie got her second horse, a 3-year-old Oldenburg named Toy Soldier, or “Toy.” “I’d trailer down in the summer and ride with JJ, and we’d also fly her up to us for clinics because we lived four or five hours away. So she was really influential in the beginning of my dressage career.”

JJ moved to the East Coast when Katie was 14, so Katie began training with Patti Becker on a more regular basis when she couldn’t ride with JJ. “I was with her for a good amount of time, a few years, and she really helped me with Toy Soldier. He was pretty naughty as a young horse, so she helped me get through that. We still flew JJ in for clinics, but I didn’t really have a daily trainer all through high school — we’d just fly JJ and Patti up for clinics once a month.”

Katie and Toy Soldier were Reserve Champions in the 2014 Brentina Cup. Photo by RBM Photography

Katie and Toy Soldier were Reserve Champions in the 2014 Brentina Cup.
Photo by RBM Photography

A Hard But Worthwhile Path

Now, 25-year-old Katie and 16-year-old Toy are preparing to make the transition from the Under 25 Grand Prix to the Open Grand Prix, having had a successful Young Rider career including earning the USDF bronze, silver and gold medals, and a Reserve Championship in the Brentina Cup. But it didn’t always look like it would turn out so well. “He wasn’t easy,” Katie said. “A lot of people told me to give up on him. He was very emotional, and had a pretty bad rearing problem. A lot of people thought he was too dangerous or wasn’t worth the struggle.”

But Katie isn’t one to give up.

“I wasn’t a trainer at the time, so I didn’t really know what I was doing and he didn’t know what he was doing, so I think at times it was difficult because we didn’t have a lot of help, just those monthly clinics for a period of time,” she said. Toy and Katie persevered, laying the foundation not just for their partnership but for Katie’s career as a trainer. “I think our connection is so much stronger because of that. It’s almost like we share the same heart and the same brain. We’re just really close — I don’t know if I’ll ever have a connection with another horse like I do with him. I think it’s because we’ve spent so much one-on-one time together and have literally taught each other everything.”

Katie knew she wanted to turn professional since she learned she could make a career out of dressage. “Probably when I was 8 or 10 I learned that it was an Olympic sport, and then I just knew that that’s what I wanted to do and that a goal of mine would be to compete internationally and really make a career out of it,” she said.

She began teaching small local lessons when she was 14 or 15, and fell in love with that, too. “I got such a good feeling from doing that; I knew it was another passion of mine along with riding,” Katie said. “I just kind of rolled with it and kept teaching, obviously kept learning and kept riding with other instructors like my current coach. But it’s exhilarating when I teach someone a good lesson and they get the feeling of that connection and that lightbulb moment.”

Knowing she wanted to be a trainer gave Katie the determination she needed to get through the tough years with Toy, which in turn helped her become a great trainer, accomplished rider and sought-after clinician. “Looking back, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat because it really made me the rider and the trainer that I am today, going through those hard times.”

Katie and Toy competing in Wellington, Florida, at in the 2014 Brentina Cup. Photo by RBM Photography

Katie and Toy competing in Wellington, Florida, at in the 2014 Brentina Cup.
Photo by RBM Photography

Forging Forward

Though it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Katie, her patience and genuine love for horses shines through it all, as exemplified in the story of her second horse, Adagio, or Daj. Daj was in training with Katie and had so many behavioral issues that his owner didn’t feel she could accept any money to sell him when she ran into financial issues. Instead, she gave him to Katie.

Though Katie planned to resell him after 6 months when she took him on, she and Daj formed a strong bond — a bond that may have saved Daj’s life. Just before she was going to sell him, Daj contracted the neurological disease EPM (Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis). When many other riders might not have had the patience to nurse Daj through recovery, he was in the right hands. “It was really detrimental for him,” Katie said. “It took him almost two years to be normal again after that. It really took its toll on him physically and emotionally, and we weren’t sure if he was going to be fit to be ridden after that.”

With Katie’s patience and immune supplements such as BioStar’s Gold Star EQ, Daj is “finally starting to feel like a normal horse and he’s progressing like a normal horse again. The vitamin E oil [in BioStar’s Gold Star EQ] has been really helpful for his immune system, bringing it back from the EPM,” she said. Katie is taking it slow, helping to build his confidence and focus on training before getting into the show ring.

Working from Wild Rose Farm in Walworth, Wisconsin, Katie’s dressage career is already blooming, and she only recently celebrated her 25th birthday. Monday through Friday, Katie rides and teaches at Wild Rose, and is usually away weekends teaching clinics all over the United States.

“I guess the long-term goal is that I’d love to compete internationally,” Katie said of her hopes for the future. “I’d love to represent the U.S. on a team, whether that’s at the Olympics or Pan Am, or a Global Young Horse Championship; I’d love to represent my country. Also just to keep developing my own knowledge and my own skills, which is such a journey. Ultimately, to keep being the best I can be.”

 

 

 

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: britney a, dressage, katie hiller

What you can read next

Eventing Fact: You Will Sometimes Fall Off
Everything Eventing With Boyd Martin  
Princeton Show Jumping – Week 3 Wrap Up

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
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!!
It's finally Spring🌷🌻☀️! Get your barn s It's finally Spring🌷🌻☀️! Get your barn set up with a Pyranha SprayMaster Misting System. 
✅Provides whole barn insect control! 
✅Easy to install with basic tools!
✅Electric pump & programmable automatic timer!

Get yours today!
@pyranhalife

#pyranhalife #madeintheusa #pyranha #equestrian #horselife #horselifestyle #barncare
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • LADY JEAN RANCH, INC.
    Fifty Rideable Acres Covered Arena with Mirrors Boarding Annual & Seasonal 10333 Randolph Siding Road Jupiter, FL 33478 561-745-1300 www.ljrelite.com

    [Read more]

  • Hanoverian Stallion - Sternlicht
    Sternlicht (Soliman de Hus-Rascalino-Wesley) 2010 Hanoverian Stallion 16.3 Hands Owner: Hilltop Farm, Inc. Breeder: Greengate Farm Approved Registries: AHS, ARS, GOV, Westfalen, ISR/Old Breeding Fee: $1,500 1-Year or $750/dose, cooled or frozen semen EVA Status: Negative,

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island
  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Will Coleman Retains Yanmar America CCI4*-S Lead in Dramatic Show Jumping at Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International
  • First edition of the World Sport Horse Sales was a hit with $410.000 for the most expensive horse
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp Takes Third Victory in $50,000 Grand-Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field

Category

Recent Posts

  • April 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Building a Bond With a New Horse

    By Margie Sugarman I just bought a new horse. I...
  • Developing Healthy Relationships With Your Barnmates

    By Rob Jacobs The purpose of this month’s colum...
  • The Value of Self-Coaching

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp The sport of eventing is ...
  • Unbridled With Annette Longenecker

    By Britney Grover  Annette Longenecker wasn’t j...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!