EN’s Got Talent is Eventing Nation’s newest series. We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? This series 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].
Elisa Wallace and Corteo in stadium at Poplar Place. Photo by Aly Ratazzi of Rather Be Riding Photography.
Elisa Wallace’s journey to finding Corteo, a 5-year-old Dutch gelding owned by Rosemarie Spillane, started out of necessity. Long-listed with both of her Advanced horses for the 2007 Pan Ams and 2008 Olympics, untimely injuries to both horses left Elisa sidelined for the last five years. “We’ve always been looking for a prospect that can go back to the top,” Elisa said. “I came across an ad on Equine Now and I actually knew the trainer, Dean Graham. I read the horse’s bloodlines and wondered why he was still available.”
That horse was Corteo, known around the barn as Tate, whose sire Verdi helped the Dutch Olympic team to a show jumping silver medal in London over the summer. But at 15.2 hands and sporting a stubby tail, Corteo was being overlooked. “The breeder, Seafire Sporthorses, was focusing him toward show jumping, but the hunter/jumper crowd would pass him over because he was under 16.2 and his tail was short,” Elisa said. “I saw the quality and thought he should be long gone by now. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how amazing he is.”
Elisa and Corteo at his first schooling show at Wilson Farms in July. Photo by Aly Ratazzi of Rather Be Riding Photography.
Elisa vetted Tate the same day she tried him, bringing him home in March. “He was a real green bean and didn’t really know anything,” Elisa said. “You could get on his back and that was about all he knew.” But Corteo learned quickly, answering all of Elisa’s questions and showing he had a good brain to compliment his stunning looks. “He tries really hard to do what you’re asking him to do,” Elisa said. “Sometimes that can be a little tough — when they are trying so hard that they get in their own way. That just means being patient and making sure he understands the questions.”
While Corteo is still very green, there’s no question he has the makings of an upper-level event horse. With scope to burn — thanks to his superstar father — Corteo’s jump is an eventer’s dream; but Elisa plans to bring him along slowly. “He just turned 5 in August, so he’s a late bloomer,” Elisa said. “It’s easy with the young ones to kick them up when they’re so willing and talented, but I really want to make sure I take my time and let him mature.” So far, Elisa has been extremely pleased with Corteo’s progress. “The first time I took him schooling on cross country was a blast; he loved it,” Elisa said. “It’s great to have that same feeling from bringing along my past Advanced horses — that it’s super easy and they jump huge over it just because they think it’s fun.”
Corteo definitely had a blast last month at Poplar Place — the second event of his career — where he finished seventh in his novice division. Taking what Elisa affectionately refers to as “Superman jumps,” Corteo’s stadium round caught the attention of both Leslie Law and Becky Holder; Becky in particular was enamored with him. “Becky came up to me after the round and said, ‘That’s a legit horse. I’ve been looking for young horses all over the U.S. and Europe and I haven’t seen one that nice.’ She really thought he was special,” Elisa said.
Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll look more in depth at how Elisa is tackling training with Corteo, including how she handles babies who still have their wolf teeth. “The flatwork is his toughest thing right now because he still had wolf teeth when I got him, so he became very defensive against the bit,” Elisa said. “The dressage judges nail me because he gets behind the vertical. It’s so much easier to bring their head down than to have one who doesn’t want to connect once they’ve learned to disappear behind the vertical.”
