Katie Hiller with her horses, Toy Soldier and Adaggio.
Katie's road to riding success has not been cookie-cutter. From her first word to her first Grand Prix, Katie has paved her own path with determination and patience. With only periodic coaching, Katie successfully earned her USDF bronze, silver and gold medals on a horse she trained on her own — while still learning herself. Through injured horses and tough rides, Katie's exemplary heart helped her persevere and she's well on her way to achieving the greatness of her dreams.
Katie and Toy Soldier were Reserve Champions in the 2014 Brentina Cup.
But Katie isn't one to give up.
Katie knew she wanted to turn professional since she learned she could make a career out of dressage. "Probably when I was 8 or 10 I learned that it was an Olympic sport, and then I just knew that that's what I wanted to do and that a goal of mine would be to compete internationally and really make a career out of it," she said.
Katie and Toy competing in Wellington, Florida, at in the 2014 Brentina Cup.
Though it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Katie, her patience and genuine love for horses shines through it all, as exemplified in the story of her second horse, Adagio, or Daj. Daj was in training with Katie and had so many behavioral issues that his owner didn't feel she could accept any money to sell him when she ran into financial issues. Instead, she gave him to Katie.
With Katie's patience and immune supplements such as BioStar's Gold Star EQ, Daj is "finally starting to feel like a normal horse and he's progressing like a normal horse again. The vitamin E oil [in BioStar's Gold Star EQ] has been really helpful for his immune system, bringing it back from the EPM," she said. Katie is taking it slow, helping to build his confidence and focus on training before getting into the show ring.
Working from Wild Rose Farm in Walworth, Wisconsin, Katie's dressage career is already blooming, and she only recently celebrated her 25th birthday. Monday through Friday, Katie rides and teaches at Wild Rose, and is usually away weekends teaching clinics all over the United States.