Hillary Dobbs is just starting her show jumping career full time but the 22-year-old rider has already achieved what many hope to accomplish in a lifetime! With 27 Grand Prix wins at the close of the 2010 A-circuit, the recent Harvard graduate can now concentrate completely on her professional life in the horse world. "This past year was filled with some big wins and highlights, but the greatest honor a rider can have is to represent one's country," stated Dobbs, who capped off her show season by winning the Holiday & Horses $30,000 Opener at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida.
Having graduated with her degree in Government with the class of '10, Dobbs now calls her family's farm in New Jersey and residence in West Palm Beach, Florida home bases. The daughter of Debi and Lou Dobbs, the Fox News anchor, she has spent her life around horses. She will commence the 2011 season showing in the Grand Prix at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, but still has her eye on competitions abroad in the not-so-distant future. "A huge goal for me now is to hopefully be able to ride for the U.S. overseas on a Nations Cup tour," Dobbs said during a quiet moment during the holidays. "For me, being a part of the American team is always a priority, the definitive goal. To hear the Star Spangled Banner play during the presentation is the ultimate honor for me. It is not only a personal triumph, but one for my country, the United States Show Jumping Team (USET) and for Chef D'Equipe, George Morris."
Although she may seem young, Dobbs is a seasoned competitor, having ridden for the U.S. on numerous occasions. This past year, she qualified and rode in her second FEI World Cup Finals in Geneva, Switzerland, and this past summer followed this as a member of the U.S.'s 15-rider Samsung Super League Show Jumping Team in Europe. "It gave me great pride to ride on behalf of the U.S. internationally this year, competing first in Geneva, then La Baule, Rome, and St. Gallen." Thanks to her efforts, the American flag was raised more than once during her three-country summer tour. Putting in fast and clean efforts, she beat out top international competition to win the Prix du Rhône and the S4 Preis der Metzgerei Gemperli on her 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Marengo, and then the S5 LGT Bank in Lichtenstein upon her 13-year-old Sachsen mare, Corlett, at St. Gallen.
A familiar face to show jumping fans around the world, Dobbs has been putting in blazingly fast and accurate rounds since her debut in the Open Jumper ranks in 2006 aboard Corlett, Marengo, and her longtime partner, Quincy B, a 15.2 1/2hh Holsteiner gelding. "It's been amazing, really," reflected Dobbs. "Quincy B has taken me from the junior jumper ranks, to being a part of winning Nations Cup teams, to representing the United States internationally." She has added two more horses to her line-up, her 13- year-old mare Marlo and 9-year-old stallion Undento VDL, both KWPN bred jumpers.
In 2007, the poised and precise rider first garnered headlines by beating the competition to the blue in four consecutive Grand Prix. She began her winning streak with back-to-back victories on two consecutive weekends during the St. Clement's Horse Show Series in Saratoga Springs, New York, with courses set by international course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio. Her successes in the show ring continued and at 20, Dobbs put in history-making performances throughout the year. She became the youngest rider to win the Swedish Derby, the Devon Horse Show's Open Jumper Rider and the Open Jumper Championship titles and the Hampton Classic Horse Show's $200,000 FTI Hampton Grand Prix, a World Cup Qualifier, breaking the record set by two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward. This would not be the only time that Dobbs would steal the victory away from world class competitors, but it wasn't all blue ribbons and winning rides.
"My riding career started when I was five in leadline on a chestnut pony named Poppycock," remembered the pretty brunette. "Most young girls are awestruck by famous actors or singers, but not me! Grand prix riders were my 'celebrities',” admitted Dobbs. "To this day, whether it's sharing a cab with Marcus Ehning at World Cup Finals, or saying 'hi' to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, I guess I still get star struck!"
"However, I had the hunger to be a grand prix rider at a very early age. God bless my patient mother, tracing out 'figure 8s' in the sand at home, trying to help me grasp the elusive concept for Mini Short Stirrup." Luckily, both her parents shared the passion and she grew up on the family's farm in Sussex, New Jersey, surrounded by horses and ponies. Although she showed locally, Dobbs realized early on that she wanted to take her passion as far as possible and that called for change. "In order to become that grand prix rider I always wanted to be, I had to make another dream happen first," remembered Dobbs. "I wanted to train with Missy Clark and John Brennan at North Run in Warren, Vermont."
Their freshman year at Blair Academy, Hillary and her twin sister, Heather, combined efforts to convince their parents that their equestrian aspirations were sincere. "I will never forget sitting them down and literally giving a presentation on why we should ride with Missy Clark. We had posters outlining our arguments and you can bet we were thorough! That fall, I had my 'trial' lesson with Missy! "Obviously the trainer saw some untapped talent in the twins and their education began in earnest.
"I had always dreamed of being a winning equitation rider," she admitted, "but that was not in the cards for me." The teen was introduced to the jumpers at North Run. "I fell in love right away and that first year was a great one. Learning to go fast, make tight turns, I was thrilled and as competitive as they came." But no one can win all the time and Dobbs made her mistakes and her fair share of disappointments. "During the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) I nearly went off-course and had to circle, jumping an otherwise clean round. I was devastated! There will always be ups and downs in the sport. But I did learn from that error and I did NOT go off-course during the Junior Jumper Finals two years later."
"My advice to anyone who wants to compete, and hopefully succeed, in the sport, would be perseverance," offered Dobbs. "I struggled a lot as a junior rider and it finally came together." Her hard work, professionalism, and good horsemanship have not gone unnoticed; she was presented with the USET's prestigious Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy and the Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award as well as being named Cavalor's first ‘Young Champion.’ "One thing that has always been stressed in North Run's program and my education is that no rider is a finished product. There is always so much ahead to learn."
“I am the happiest on a horse and especially in the ring," finished Dobbs. "On a personal level, I hope to successfully run a budding sales operation with Roy Wilten. We have begun the process with a quality group of horses. It is my intent to expand this venture into a trusted and reputable source for quality sporthorses." This might seem like a lot to take on for a girl just out of college but not for Dobbs. "I like pressure,” she smiled brightly. “I’m up for it. I have been very fortunate to have had the successes I have had thus far," sighed the rider and equestrian entrepreneur, "but with so many goals and dreams ahead of me in the grand prix ranks and in the horse world, my journey is only beginning."
