There is something special about talking to a rider who has brought a horse all the way up the levels. The patience, the instinct, the thousand quiet decisions that shape a partnership long before the big results ever appear on a scoreboard. And for Kate Sand, 2024 was the year all those years came into focus.

From the three-year-old off the track with no real record to speak of, to a second place finish at Bouckaert, and a rise into the top four of the US Equestrian Open standings. This is a story built on feel, faith, and a horse who keeps proving he is more than anyone expected. A once in a lifetime type, even if he has not quite figured that out himself.

Highlights

• The Facebook ad that started it all
• How a self described kick ride rewrote Kate’s idea of what she wanted in a horse
• Training with Ali Knowles and the early hints from Karen O’Connor that this might be a top level horse
• The first step up to four star, what went wrong, and how the pair rebuilt with more confidence
• Bouckaert, the test tweaks, the show jumping accuracy, and the cross country run that put them second fastest of the day
• The plan for 2025, intermediate to advanced in Aiken, a likely return to Carolina, aiming at long formats, and why Morven, Bromont, and Rebecca Farm are each on the table
• A look at Kate’s small Kentucky program, her love of developing horses, and why keeping it manageable matters

Guests Kate Sand, US Equestrian Open rider, joined by host Annie Bishop.

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