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Monday, August 24 2020 / Published in Weekly Feature

Tanner Korotkin: It’s All About the Journey

By Britney Grover

Portraits by Melissa Fuller

Tanner Korotkin owes his life as a successful junior jumper turned young professional grand prix rider to his parents in more ways than one. Yes, they supported his endeavors as so many great parents do. Sure, they also happen to be Alan and Kirsty Korotkin, well-known Wellington trainers, and yes, Tanner grew up surrounded by their expertise at Castlewood Farm. But even beyond that, Tanner’s parents literally bribed him into taking his first riding lesson.

“My first memory of horses is when I was around 8 years old,” Tanner recalled. “My parents were desperately trying to get me to ride, but because I was playing baseball, I wanted nothing to do with it. They put me and my brother Jared on a pony named Sugar, and after we both fell off multiple times we ended up quitting.”

His parents, however, did not give up. When Tanner was about 11, he expressed some interest in show jumping after watching his dad in the grand prix ring, and his parents were ready. “They bribed me with a trip to Universal if I took a lesson with Linda Smith,” Tanner said. “I took the lesson and ended up loving it.”

Growing Up at Castlewood

From the time he first decided to pursue riding, Tanner had his goal in sight. “In the beginning, I was constantly watching my dad and his clients, one of them being Samantha Senft, showing in grand prix all over the country,” he said. “Watching them race around jumping massive jumps, all I wanted was to get up to that level and start competing against some of the best in the world.”

Despite his relatively late start, it didn’t take Tanner long to catch up. He trained with Linda Smith for several months until his parents decided he was serious enough to train with them, and from the time he was 15 through his junior career, Tanner rode with Missy Clark and John Brennan at North Run. But with trainers for parents, his equestrian education didn’t end when his horses were in their stalls.

“It can be tough when the training is 24/7, even during family dinners, anything,” Tanner said. “But the constant training on and off horses is a privilege that not every kid gets, and I will always be beyond appreciative for it. The best part about growing up with trainers as parents is that my greatest supporters just so happen to be my trainers, know everything about the sport and know exactly what to do to keep helping me improve, in and out of the show ring.”

And Tanner’s constant education has paid off. Not only has he brought home top ribbons in national and international grand prix, accumulated many big equitation wins at top competitions like Devon and the Winter Equestrian Festival and won junior jumper championships, but Tanner has been awarded multiple Style of Riding and sportsmanship awards.

“I’ve always tried to follow in my dad’s footsteps for how honorable and nice he is to anyone, no matter the circumstances,” Tanner said. “Whether it’s buying a horse or training with him, it’s hard to find a more honest and kind person than my dad.”

Just 18 years old, Tanner seems to be taking advantage of the experiences of those he’s grown up around and manifests wisdom beyond his years. He has over 10,000 followers on Instagram, but the fact that so many people are watching him is a product of his character, not the other way around.

“My entire life I’ve always tried to just be the nicest version of myself, walking out of the show ring, walking around in public, anywhere,” Tanner shared. “Having a good attitude constantly, no matter how terrible your round is, will get you a long way in this sport. I focus on learning from my mistakes and moving on: We all make mistakes, we all have bad days, we all get angry. Personally, I don’t see a need to allow anyone else to see my internal frustration, and there’s no point in letting a past mistake potentially cause me to make another because I’m still caught up thinking about it.”

Success and the Future

Tanner’s ability to let go of his mistakes helped him at Devon last year, when the first day of junior jumper competition didn’t exactly go his way. He learned from it and moved on to win both the $3,750 Junior Jumper class and the $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic, securing the Junior Jumper Championship. Since then, Tanner turned 18 and has jumped straight into being a professional this year.

“Growing up as a part of Castlewood has not only brought me great opportunities, but it’s taught me the business side of this sport as well,” he said. “Of course competing is huge, but we can’t forget about the team that makes it happen, and what it takes to actually run a business, from buying and selling horses, to teaching younger kids and much more.”

Tanner recently accepted a job at Sweet Oak Farm and is working under Shane Sweetnam on the road in Tryon, North Carolina; Lexington, Kentucky; and Traverse City, Michigan this summer. He also has two international mounts, Country Boy and Deauville S, and is exciting about the future.

Tanner is thrilled with the ride on Country Boy and said, “I was beyond lucky to get the opportunity to ride an amazing horse such as this one,” Tanner said. “I didn’t think it would come this fast.”

Despite the excitement of the match and potential, Tanner and Country Boy are “taking it slow” as they get to know each other; they started showing in some two-star grand prix at WEF this year, and will continue to move up together. With his busy schedule, Tanner plans to take most of his college courses online through Lynn University, which is only 40 minutes from the show grounds and barn.

Of course, his education also continues at home. He lives with his parents and their five family dogs. His older brother, Jared, never did catch the horse bug, although Tanner said, “Making him hop on a horse was definitely fun to watch!” Jared is a senior studying motion picture at the University of Miami and recently directed a short film at Castlewood.

When he’s not riding, Tanner loves to hang out with friends away from the “horse show craziness,” whether they’re friends from inside or outside of the sport. Even then, he admits he’s usually still thinking about riding, 

“Show jumping is my life, and to further myself in this sport, I’m willing to go anywhere and do anything to work my way up,” Tanner said. “I’m focusing on my riding and working as hard as possible to better myself in and out of the ring. I have a great opportunity at Sweet Oak with Shane, and I’m going to see where the road takes me. It’s all about the journey.”

Photos by Melissa Fuller, msfullerphotography.com, unless noted otherwise

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Tagged under: castlewood farm, show jumping, Tanner Korotkin, wellington, young professional

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Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II CDI W & USEF National Level 5 dressage competition, hosted October 19-22, 2023 at TerraNova Equestrian Center in beautiful Myakka City, Florida. Conveniently located near Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota, TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s premier equestrian destination.

Discover TerraNova’s peaceful showgrounds and luxury facilities for a world-class competition experience. TerraNova Dressage II is managed by Thomas Baur and Monica Fitzgerald and has quickly become a favorite venue amongst dressage competitors. 
National Judges:
Cindi Wylie
Anne Cizadlo

CDI Judges:
William Warren (4* / USA)
Elke Ebert (5* / GER)
Agniezka Majewska (4* / POL)
Debbie Rodrigurz (3* / USA)
Christof Umbach (5* / LUX)

View full prize list: https://www.terranovaequestrian.com/terranova-dressage-ii-cdi4 Enter CDI: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/165165 Enter USEF: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/184795 Closing date: October 12th – enter now!

#showterranova
HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with Intern HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with International-level dressage rider Amelia Newcomb. Who is committed to making dressage accessible to anyone who wants to learn and improve in the sport. With a mantra of “Dressage for All,” Amelia, her husband, Germán Schneider, and the rest of her team at Amelia Newcomb Dressage believe that anyone and everyone can learn to love their ride. 
With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers around the globe, Amelia is able to share her joy and 
enthusiasm for the sport with more equestrians than she ever dreamed of through her online training 
platform. Amelia’s curriculum breaks riding down into a simple, proven system that anyone can follow 
and get results, regardless of age, discipline or location.“My goal is to make good dressage training accessible to everyone who is interested in learning. One way I do that is by producing quality videos to educate and encourage dressage students along their dressage journey,” Amelia said. “The transformations that my students get are insane and my business is changing the entire sport of dressage and the way people learn to ride.”
While Amelia is a talented USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist today, she knows the struggles 
associated with trying to make your way in the sport without abundant educational resources. “I grew up in Colorado, where there weren’t that many dressage resources available. I was so hungry for knowledge, I would go to big shows just to watch the big-named trainers work,” Amelia said. “That’s why, when given the opportunity to share what I’ve learned along the way, I decided to go for it and start my YouTube channel.” 
➡️Catch the full story at the link in our bio!! 
⬇️For more information, visit amelianewcombdressage.com and on Instagram 
amelicanewcombdressage

📸Photos by Lindsey Long, lindseylong.com
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Sho The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Show is happening now! Don’t miss another second by streaming it live! 🐴

📹👀HOW TO VIEW THE LIVE STREAM
The WPCSA will again be streaming footage live from the ring at the American National Show next week. You will need two free passes to get to the feed this year.

1️⃣�The first is a USEF fan membership which you can get through this site:
Join or Renew | US Equestrian (usef.org)

2️⃣ Once you become a fan member, you will need to log in to the USEF Network on ClipMyHorse. A video demonstrating how to do this can be found here:
Existing USEF Fan - Watch the USEF Network - YouTube 

📸Pictured- Grand Champion Section B under UK judge. 
Owner-Barbara Chappell
Handler-Paul Maye /Maye Show Ponies Fairfield, VA
A note from our editor. It's here!! The October is A note from our editor.
It's here!! The October issue of Sidelines Magazine! So happy to have the fabulous Amelia Newcomb  on our cover. Amelia is a dressage rider with over 100,000 students! You read that right! Amelia has a very popular YouTube Channel where riders from around the word can learn and improve on their dressage - and it's not just dressage riders who are benefitting from Amelia Newcombe Dressage on Your Tube but riders of all disciplines - don't miss her story! Thanks to Sidelines photographer Lindsey Long for the beautiful photos. This issue has so many great stories! Catch up with eventer Zachary Brandt Equestrian (make sure to see how much he loves his dogs), and meet show jumper Katherine Anne Brewer and her horse Super Bunny, artist Samantha Dawn, equestrian Megan Smith who teaches Pilates 4 Equestrians; and Ela Ladwig a dressage rider and trainer who's multi talented because she's also a talented artist also. We have an amazing story on hunter-jumper rider Lisa Mooney who has a story you don't want to miss!! We also have a story on Tyler Held who's passion for eventing has taken her on quite the journey, and we catch up with Jimmy Toon in our Unbridled column. This issue also features our Save The Date section where you can check out show dates for this year and next from horse shows around the country! So get out your calendar!! And don't miss our great columnists, hunter-jumper with Rob R.L. Jacobs, eventing with Liz Halliday Eventing and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. And check out the photos of riders at the 2023 The Hampton Classic Horse Show also! It's another great issue! Make sure to subscribe to Sidelines also - one year for $14.95 and the magazine is delivered right to your house or barn!! 
Enjoy the October issue: https://sidelinesmagazine.com/app/#/reader/50029/1767167

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