We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? EN’s Got Talent introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].
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Kim Keeton and Accolade show jump at the Aldon International CCI* in 2011. Photo by James Pyne Photography.
Last week we met Dr. Kim Keeton and Accolade, a 7-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion who cut his eventing teeth in England when Kim, an equine vet, crossed the pond to further her career. “Bear” competed in England during his 5- and 6-year-old seasons, concluding 2011 with a successful run in the Aldon International CCI*, his first one-star. After Bear had adjusted to the different tracks in England, Kim found it challenging to bring him back to preliminary level in the U.S. for the 2012 season. “I struggled with his age and how talented he was, because I didn’t want to push him to intermediate too soon,” Kim said. “I did find that some of the preliminary tracks didn’t hold him, just because he’d been in such a different environment. In England, questions come up very quickly because you don’t have the long galloping tracks. Here we have a lot more gallop, jump, gallop, jump, with a little bit of a gallop to get them back. Even moving up to intermediate, I struggled to grasp how to gallop so that he was prepared for the questions.”
Bear won his preliminary division at Poplar Place in May before making his intermediate debut at Chattahoochie Hills later that month, where he placed 11th. The pair finished fifth at the American Eventing Championships in their preliminary division before finishing out the season with a 10th place finish in intermediate at Poplar Place. After the eventing season wrapped up, Bear and Kim spent the fall show jumping in the 1.20-meter classes. “It made a huge difference,” Kim said. “He had a couple clears, which for a horse that was having two to three down was quite good. He’s young and bold cross country, and what helps him in the cross country is what hurts him in the show jumping. If I was able to jump 10 horses a day, I might be able to fix it a little quicker, but that’s just not the case.”
Kim Keeton and Accolade go cross country at the Aldon International CCI* in 2011. Photo by James Pyne Photography.
Kim is very pleased with how Bear finished the season. He’ll start out 2013 going intermediate again, and while Kim knows “plans are made to be broken,” she has some big goals for this year. “If all is going well, I’ld like to see him do the Ocala CCI2* this spring,” Kim said. “Long term, a very loose goal is to do the CCI2* at Fair Hill this autumn.” Kim doesn’t know what the future holds for this horse, but she’s confident he has the talent to go far. “I will take him as far as he is willing to take me,” Kim said. “I would love to say that the horse is a four-star horse. I’ve never gone Advanced, so I think saying that is a bit premature. But he certainly has the scope and the talent on the flat. It’s really about if he wants that as much as I do.”
In addition to watching Bear develop into an upper-level prospect, Kim also has the incredible privilege of watching his little bear cubs, as she calls his foals, carry on his legacy. “I did not want him breeding until he had proved himself,” Kim said. “He was bred to be an event horse, but I wanted him to prove that first.” Kyle and Jen Carter ultimately convinced Kim to breed Bear as a 4-year-old after it was clear he was going places. The baby — named Lola and coming 3 this year — is out of Jen’s four-star mare Leaps and Bounds, who is bred back to Bear and due in February. Kim currently has five mares in foal to Bear — ranging from a mare that ran a two-star in England to a pony she kicked around intermediate — all due around Memorial Day.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZXcih0DqGw
Kim and Bear at the Aldon International CCI* in England in 2011
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Whether Bear makes a bigger name for himself as an upper-level event horse or a prolific event horse sire — or both — remains to be seen. In the meantime, Kim plans to enjoy the journey and appreciate each day she has with this special horse. “I know the horse like the back of my hand,” Kim said. “He was foaled in my lap; I was the first thing he saw. It’s just really neat to see the horse grow and change. He certainly has far exceeded any expectations I had for him. He’s a pleasure to be around and a joy to ride. Every day I get on him and feel lucky to have something like that in my barn. Realizing I had a vision and seeing that he’s also realizing it is a big deal. I’m hoping his babies will continue his legacy.”
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Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll bring some girl power to the blog when we meet Sayyida, a 6-year-old Trakehner mare owned by Sean Tennant and Kyle and Jennifer Carter. “I originally bought Xena to have her compete and then to add her to my string of broodmares,” Sean said. “I began having some major medical problems soon after and decided I needed to sell off the others and try to keep my real future star any way that I could. I approached Jen and Kyle in October of 2010 and we agreed to become partners on Xena. They took her into their program after she had just a couple of weeks under saddle.” Xena has come a long way since and is currently running preliminary with Jen in the irons. Mac Tennant, Sean’s father, tipped me about Xena. Thanks for the tip, Mac!
