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Friday, February 26 2021 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Chloe Smyth: Eventing With Hounds, Horses and Heart

By Tafra Donberger

Portraits by Kristin Lee

After meeting eventer Chloe Smyth, it’s easy to see that she lives, breathes and dreams horses. Chloe has funneled her deep passion for the animals into a climb up the levels in the eventing world, but it’s her varied background, in combination with an exceptional work ethic and unfailingly kind personality, that’s made her into the athlete and trainer she is now.

At only 28 years old, Chloe has spent most of her life horseback — the first time she was on a horse, she told her mother, Donna, “I’m never getting off a horse again!” — and has made the most of every opportunity that’s come her way. Starting in Pony Club at 8 years old Chloe worked endlessly to learn it all, even studying Davis veterinary books and calling the local veterinarian to discuss equine lameness and illness.

In high school, she joined the rodeo team and competed in gymkhana events, including barrel racing and IEL hunter-jumper, rode on the dressage team and won the Victor Hugo Vidal Sponsorship. Then at 15 Chloe moved to Ireland to train under Olympian Trevor Smith and his brother Steven Smith, and that’s when eventing took hold of Chloe’s heart.

When she came back to the States, she brought a green Irish Sport Horse named C.S.I. with her. “He was very green and I was told he’d be a serious challenge to show,” Chloe said. That sentiment drove her to take C.S.I. to the Advanced 3* (in the pre-2019 levels). 

Hunting and Hounds

Chloe Smyth

Chloe moved to KingsWay Farm at the beginning of 2011, while also working as an assistant trainer at a hunter-jumper barn 50 miles away. That’s when KingsWay’s owner, Terry Paine, came up with a perfect solution. He was looking for a professional first whip and kennelman. A whip is a rider who trains the hounds and controls them during a hunt, while taking directions from the master huntsman. Like many equestrians, Chloe was already inclined toward dogs, having grown up with them. Stepping in to train the hounds, mostly English Foxhounds, wasn’t a stretch for her.

Chloe had an impressive aptitude for identifying each individual hound by name, right from the beginning. The Santa Fe Hunt is the only hunt club in Southern California recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America, but in the West, the fox is replaced with coyotes.

“We hunt coyotes off the cattle ranches,” Chloe explained. “The hounds job is to teach them to be cautious and to deter them from bothering the mother cows.”

The position gave Chloe the opportunity to live at KingsWay, which allowed her to drop the tedious commute time, continue riding the young horses, and fund her eventing. But perhaps most importantly, her place at KingsWay put her together with Stag Party, her current event horse.

Speaking Horse

Chloe began riding Stag in 2014, and the two clicked from the beginning. Where C.S.I was bold and strong, teaching Chloe how to get through a course no matter what, Stag is careful, and the two of them began building a partnership that shines to everyone who sees it.

“He follows her around the barn, and he really trusts her,” Linda Paine said of the KingsWay-bred gelding. “She really likes the horse, and she appreciates what he does for her.” Chloe has brought him up through the levels, and recently won the Advanced horse trial at Woodside Horse Park.

“We’re so tickled with her job on Stag Party,” Terry said. “She’s done a great job. I don’t think there’s any limit on the scope of their ability.”

Chloe’s mom, Donna, is Chloe’s biggest fan and also her groom, a job that began when Chloe was scraping together the beginnings of a business. Donna has watched Stag Party and Chloe’s relationship develop from the start. “Stag Party has been a gentle, soft horse,” Donna said. “This year I’ve seen something between the two of them grow. She can say a little bit with the reins, and he trusts her completely.”

Chloe hopes to have Stag qualified for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event by 2022, and wants to get him more experience at the FEI level throughout the upcoming year. Chloe worked on her dressage with Niki Hall-Clarke and currently is taking dressage lessons with Donna Weinberg. Chloe also works on her show jumping and cross-country with Tamie Smith.

There are between 30-35 horses under Chloe’s tutelage at any one time, including the youngsters at KingsWay. She’s bringing along another event horse named Nite Life, who won the Future Event Horse 4-year-old West Coast Championship in 2019 and just completed his first training level as a 5-year-old. “He’s smart, almost in a terroristic way,” she laughed. “He’ll figure out how to open anything, or disconnect anything from the wall. He’s a busybody who has to travel with his Jolly ball!”

Chloe’s business has boomed, so she gave up the kennel duties for the Santa Fe Hunt — though she still drops in on the hunts as professional first whip, a fancy way to say she gets paid to be the whip. She now has two assistants, Alexius Carbajal and Sadie Tabesh, to help her get it all done. She coaches multiple riders, and that’s where her personality and intuition really shine.

Everyone can see that Chloe pours her heart and soul into the horses, noticing the smallest nicks and scrapes and often ferreting out the root of any problem a horse could have. She works closely with her vet, Dr. Huth, and physiotherapists to ensure that her horses are sound and able to perform at their best.

“She speaks hound, and she speaks horse,” Donna laughed. “She knows what they’re saying or what they’re doing, and how to get the right approach with them.”

All-Around Horsewoman

Chloe Smyth

Chloe’s multiple talents have been a boon for Terry and Linda, who know she can handle not just a tight spot on a cross-country course or in rough hunt country but also hold her own in any challenge, even if it’s not related directly to a horse.

“She’s the kind of person who can overhaul her own motorcycle and go running up a mountain,” Terry said. “She’s not afraid to tackle things. She’s a great gal to take a trip with; she can drive the rig and back it through a knothole.”

Linda shared a story on just how handy Chloe can be with a truck and trailer. On their way home from Twin Rivers, they found themselves with a blown-out tire on the side of the highway. “She fixed it in 14 minutes,” Linda recalled. “She’s handy with things like that — I’d still have been waiting for AAA!”

Chloe likes to fish, owns a dirt bike and she has four of her own dogs, all rescues: Sierra, Slade, Stanley Yelnats and Peaches, her own “motley crew.” But it’s fair to say she’s married to her business. Like everyone in the industry, the COVID pandemic gave her time to focus on her youngsters, working on basics; she has several students setting their goals for 2021 that she’s excited to help them with, and of course, there’s the motivation to find success at the FEI level with Stag Party.

“He has a bit of anxiety, and so do I,” she said. “I know how to reassure and calm him. When we go to work, he’ll try his heart out for me. His heart is huge.”

Stag isn’t the only one with a huge heart. “We’ve got people with Chloe just because they like her operation and how she treats them,” Terry said. Chloe exudes kindness toward everyone, from the grocery store clerk having a bad day to the client who might just need to have an easy lesson on a bad day.

“People and horses, we all have emotions and feelings,” Chloe said. “Being kind and empathetic toward everyone is the biggest thing I try to practice.”

For more information, visit kingswayfarmeventing.com

Photos by Kristin Lee Photography, www.kristinleephotography.com

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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

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You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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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! 🦄
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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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