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High Goals 2008
Kyle King looks to defend his championshipand to diversify within the industry.
By Cindy McCauley
For grand prix rider Kyle King, 2007 was a banner year. The season began with an exciting win here at HITS Ocala, when King, riding Spitfire, won the prestigious HITS Ocala $100,000 Footing AuthorityTM Grand Prix.
Reflecting back, the Ocala resident says he finished one of the most successful years of his career, in terms of wins. King's says his success with Spitfire, a 9-year old Selle Francais gelding, was exciting, but even more remarkable was the rest of the season. King and the horse went on to capture the $50,000 Thunderbird in Vancouver, BC, Canada. From there, they competed at Spruce Meadows, where Spitfire and two other mounts brought in more than $100,000 each.
Things are changing in 2008, however, and King says this will be a rebuilding year. Many of his horses have moved on to new homes and new riders. Goals are different this year. Not only will King look to defend his crown at HITS Ocala, but he also will be dividing his time between HITS Ocala and Wellington where he will compete in the Olympic qualifying classes.
Defending the Crown
King hopes to defend the $100,000 HITS Ocala Grand Prix title, riding his own 13-year old Hanovarian mare, Finnette, after having given her the '07 season off as she participated in embryo flushes. Although he's looking forward to Finnette getting back in the show ring, King also anticipates the mare's first crop of foals sometime this spring. He looks forward to seeing them compete in a few years.
While King plans to campaign hard at HITS Ocala, he also aims to compete in the Olympic qualifying events at Wellington with the goal of making the 2008 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team. He's working out details to campaign Capone I, formerly Canadian-owned stallion, but now American-owned.
King has been developing Capone I the past two years and says the horse was peaking at Spruce Meadows last year. Capone I is coming off a three-month rest, and the Olympic competition format fits him well, so they may have a shot at qualifying. King says the horse is in demand as a breeding stallion, so he hopes the qualifying competition schedule works out in conjunction with the breeding season.
Local & International Presence
Formerly from California, King has spent three years competing and training in Ocala and finds Marion County a great place to re-establish his business, Kingsland Farm Incorporated (KFI Show Jumping).
King will have several horses and riders competing at various levels during the 2008 HITS Ocala season.
Alex Grayton of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a competitor on the second squad of developing young riders in his
country, has been riding and training with King with great success.
"We went to Spruce Meadows and Alex did so well. He won the whole thing!" King said, excited about his first experience as an international coach.
Penny Miller, of Derby Daze Farm in Ocala, rides and trains with King as well. She plans to compete in the amateur/owner jumper division, having been out of the show ring for 15 years.
Erin Everett, King's sister, rounds out this year's team. Everett will be riding several horses from the Ocala area in the amateur jumper divisions.
Partner Danny Pate
Another venture King is excited about is his partnering with Thoroughbred breeder Danny Pate of Solitary Oak Farm in Ocala. King and Pate have begun searching for outstanding hunter/jumper prospects to develop for international competition.
"We are selecting quality horses and training them. We want to develop horses in the right way, so they remain competitive, sane and sound," King said.
King is also slowly getting into racehorses. He believes Michael Matz (trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro) and Hugh Graham, top Canadian rider, as well as other former show jumping competitors, seem to know how to condition horses to reach their potential. He hopes to get involved in that aspect of the horse industry when his riding days are over.
"It seems as though the background in show jumping provides the knowledge of how to bring a horse on, how to manage his training. It seems like a good fit for me when I am done riding," King said.
On the Agenda:
Kyle King's plate is mighty full for 2008, but his enthusiasm runs high. Look for King and his riders at HITS Ocala, and be sure to watch the results of the Olympic trial competitions in Wellington, as well as the City League Finals in Orlando this November.
Kyle King and KFI Show Jumping are represented by Wendy LaRoche, WildWest Entertainment. LaRoche helps with marketing and obtaining sponsorships for the City Team Show Jumping League. Contact her at wendylaroche2005@yahoo.com.
Heard About City League?
Founders hope to promote show jumping, encourage spectators and raise funds for breast cancer.
In 2008, King will ride as team captain in the first ever City Team Show Jumping League. Founded by Jimmy and Marsha Gibbs, and Vic and Pauline Russell, the newly-formed league's goals are to advance show jumping as a spectator sport, develop young riders within the sport and support breast cancer prevention at the same time. Competition begins with 24 city teams competing in seven Southeastern cities, beginning in March. The circuit includes three-day shows in Alpharetta and Augusta, Ga., Asheville and Greensboro, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn. The semifinals will be a 10-day competition in Spartanburg, S.C., with the grand prix championship being held in Orlando in November.
King will ride this year for the Charlotte, North Carolina, team, but hopes to have another team in place in Ocala for next season. The key ingredient is finding sponsors to help defray expenses and to link with a great non-profit venture - breast cancer prevention.
To learn more about this concept or to become a sponsor, email: cityshowjumping@yahoo.com.
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(c) 2007 Horse Capital Digest.com |
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