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
1
Monday, March 12 2018 / Published in Weekly Feature

Coco Fath: A Busy Life With Horses

Coco Fath

By Lauren R. Giannini

Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek

At just 17, Coco Fath is fiercely competitive, loves the anticipation of going in the ring and doesn’t suffer from performance anxiety the way riders often do. “I’ve never been much of a nervous rider until this year. Maybe that comes from being older and having higher expectations, but when I go in the ring with the outlook that it is what it is, the nerves fade very quickly,” Coco said.

“I also don’t get nervous in the jumpers, which I think has something to do with the adrenaline from the speed and the height. The ice in my veins comes from my mother, Elizabeth Fath, who competed as a Grade 1 gymnast in college and has always been too determined to get nervous.”

While Coco has a competitive side after years in the saddle, her sentimental side is filled with great memories of life as a barn kid. “When I was younger my old barn did a gymkhana every year,” she said. “It included a costume class, sit-a-buck, a Pepsi challenge and even a Bloody Mary challenge for the parents. Those were some of my favorite moments riding as a child.”

Coco enjoys some time at home in Connecticut

Coco’s riding, although different now, still makes her smile. She finished last year with two top-10 finishes in the Big Eq and multiple championships and wins in the Junior Jumpers, including Devon, Hampton Classic and Washington International Horse Show. WIHS added to her accolades as she was named Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for October 2017 for her competitive performance in the East Conference, Junior Division of the SJHOF Classic Series. She earned that award by besting a field of 23 junior riders in the very competitive $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame class.

Most important to Coco were her top placings in 2017 in the CSIO 2* grand prix in Europe where she made the jump-off in three out of four shows. She ended the tour in Dinard, France, where she placed third in a very competitive field of 42 international riders.

 Family Sporting Traditions

Coco and her two older sisters were born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, the historic home of the Fairfield County Hunt Club. “I was bitten by the horse bug when I was 3 watching my older sisters ride with the legendary Emerson Burr,” Coco recalled. “My parents assumed I wouldn’t ride because I’m allergic to horses, but that didn’t stop me. Nothing that Zyrtec and a few allergy shots couldn’t fix! I began riding at Fairfield County Hunt Club, which is steeped in tradition, further fueling my desire.

I started my career with Jenny Martin-Rudaz, head trainer at Fairfield County Hunt Club, who brought me from short stirrup to pony hunters and created a great basis for my riding,” Coco said.

Horses keep her busy all year round. When she isn’t at home in Fairfield or on the circuit up and down the East Coast, she’s wintering in Wellington, Florida. “When I’m home I try to spend as much time as I can with my family, dogs, and school friends,” Coco said. “Riding does take up a lot of my time but I’m also involved in multiple charities, one being the Equus Foundation.”

Coco is co-head of a club at her school that fundraises solely for the Equus Foundation. “I’m also part of a social impact board at my tutoring service in Florida which deals with a number of different charities and organizations,” she said. “Recently we helped run an event for Equus benefiting the organization as well as the Peeps Foundation.”

Coco and Bo

Getting Serious

“I had been riding for years but got serious when I was 8 and began training with Andre Dignelli and Patricia Griffin at Heritage who really taught me how to ride like an A-circuit rider,” Coco said. “Patricia brought me through the pony hunters while Andre got me into the equitation and jumpers — I earned my first equitation final ribbon in 2014.”

About two years ago Coco began riding with Molly Ashe and her husband Chris Cawley at Molly Ashe, Inc. At that time jumpers weren’t her strong suit, but that soon changed. “Molly has me competitive at the FEI 2* grand prix level,” Coco said. “With Molly and Chris’s help I was able to move up from the low juniors to the Under 25 division in one year. Molly and Chris are amazing horsemen who taught me a lot about what it takes to get a horse to the ring and keep them sound.”

About a year ago, Coco started doing equitation with Stacia. “I’m beginning to enjoy the eq rather than looking at it as a necessary evil,” Coco said. “Stacia has made tremendous improvements in my position, style and thought processes as I enter the ring.”

Coco and her mom in Upperville with Countdown, left, and Akinda

“It really is a dream team,” Coco said, referring to her string of horses. Two, however, merit special mention: Huckleberry, her 12-year-old High Junior Jumper, Under-25, CSI2* horse, and Class Action, 19, one of her two equitation horses.

“I have to say Huckleberry is definitely my horse of a lifetime and has brought so much joy and success to me in the jumpers,” Coco said. “Huck has done wonders for me and he’s a horse I really connect with and care for as a partner. His barn manners might not show it, but he has a heart of gold and tries, no matter what the circumstances are, to come out a champion. Huck’s snarky personality is my favorite part about him, as well as his size, because he really is, in essence, the little horse that could!”

Class Action runs a close second as a horse of a lifetime. “He has been a huge part of my junior career, but I’ve only had him a year,” Coco said. “He’s very similar to Huck in that he knows his job well and he’s a horse that really wants to win.”

Coco Fath

Coco speaks enthusiastically about each of her horses, but it’s clear that, as much as she loves the hunters, she’s gravitating more and more toward the jumpers. “Bart C was my first real grand prix horse and showed me the ropes when it came to jumping 1.45m and higher,” she said. “He has incredible scope, but requires a meticulous ride to go clear. Cohbanta is my 9-year-old speed horse who is a blast, literally and figuratively. She’s a hot black mare that taught me to go fast in the jumper ring. Farrero is my new 8-year-old. His scope is freakish and he’s definitely one to watch out for. His quirkiness in and outside the ring has been a great learning experience for me, because I have never developed a horse before. I’m hopeful he will be my next great horse.”

While Coco is aware of the ups and downs of the show world, she’s also wise beyond her years. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to be grateful when the show days go well, but when they don’t, lose like a winner,” Coco said. “This sport is incredibly humbling, which we all learn the hard way. It has really taught me that hard work pays off and that you should never give up on a goal, no matter how far out of reach it may seem. I love the sport and the horses. I’d like to keep riding in my life forever.”

Photos by Isabel J. Kurek

Coco and Class Action on course

 

 

 

 

 

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: Coco Fath, isabel j. kurek, lauren r. giannini

What you can read next

Scarlett Charles Is All About Detail in Both Riding and Art
Will Faudree: Resilient and Ready for More
Blessed Are the Grooms

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
❗️George Williams column❗️ The FEI World ❗️George Williams column❗️
The FEI World Cup Final in Omaha is coming up quickly. That means that it’s starting to heat 
up as the end of the qualifying period for both the Western European League (WEL) and the 
North American League (NAL) nears. I started to write this column before the Amsterdam CDI- W, and I was using the FEI Ranking List from January 15 as a reference. As I sit down to finish 
my column, I’m now looking at the results from Amsterdam. While the list of the top contenders 
for the WEL hasn’t changed, they’re definitely moving around on the ranking list. The WEL has 
three more legs, as they’re referred to: Neumünster February 16–19, Goteborg February 23–26, 
and ’s-Hertogenbosch March 9–12, and they could change things dramatically.
Looking at the top 12 athletes from the WEL as they were ranked on January 15, there are five 
from Germany, three from the Netherlands and one each from Great Britain, Denmark

➡️Read Georges's full column by clicking the link in our bio, and never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine 🦄 

#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
Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Gre Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Great American $300,000 Grand Prix at HITS Ocala!! 🏆🥇

Crowds filled the stands at the HITS Ocala Grand Prix Ring on Sunday afternoon to watch the world’s top athletes compete in the Great American $300,000 Grand Prix. The day concluded with a thrilling five-horse jump-off featuring athletes 
representing four countries. In the end, it was Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) and Ivaro N who produced the only double clear effort of the day, claiming one of the biggest wins of her career. Scott Keach (AUS) and Noble De La Chapelle earned the second-place prize with the fastest 4-fault jump-off, while Aaron Vale (USA) and Obi Wan placed third as the day’s pathfinders.

“I'm still on cloud nine, I still can't believe it – I’ve used up all my luck for the year,” smiled Goldman-Smolen after her win. “I've been knocking on the door a long time in these bigger classes. I am so proud of my horse – he gave every ounce of effort.”

Sunday’s Great American $300,000 Grand Prix marked the conclusion of the 2023 HITS Ocala circuit. HITS CCO Joe Norick concluded, “We are so excited about the new HITS, with 2023 as the launch. New footing, many new arenas here, and a lot of our facilities across America are getting a lot of love and new footing. Our partnerships with Worldly Martin and others across America including our footing leader Bart Poles overseeing our operations – it really makes a big difference for us. Today is about Ocala and these three riders sitting next to me who supported us this entire winter. We want to be a proud destination for our exhibitors and our friends. We know we have to provide them a beautiful showplace to work from that's horseman friendly, and that's our go goal. 

Congratulations to all of the riders, horses, owners, and groom who participated in this prestigious class!!! 🎉
📸 @esi_photography 
#horseshow #horses #horse #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #horselove #horsestagram #instagram #showjumping #equestrianlife #equine  #horsebackriding #dressage #horselife #pony #of #horserider #horseshoe #horsemanship #horseshowlife #riding #instahorse #horseaddict #horseofinstagram #sidelinesmagazine
It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
Standing at Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses, in California

For more information, you can contact 
🖥Ryanpedigosporthorses.com
🖥Ryan.p.f@hotmail.com
☎️(714) 357-2714

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 🦄

@ryanpedigosporthorsespf_

#stallion #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #equine #dressage #pferd #equestrianlife #mare #hengst #horseriding #instahorse #cheval #pferde #equinephotography #horselove #dressagehorse #pony #horselover #caballo #foal #quarterhorse #aqha #arabianhorse #sidelinesmagazine
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
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • EQUINE HOMES REAL ESTATE LLC
    Equestrian and Country Properties Linda Fish-Brown 603-496-5437 LFB@equinehomes.com www.equinehomes.com

    [Read more]

  • Kristin Lee Photography
    kristinleephotography.com kristin@kristinleephotography.com 805-428-3356 @kristinleephotollc

    [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

  • 2023 Upperville Colt & Horse Show Presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™ Returns for 170th Year on June 5-11
  • 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

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!