Lexington, Ky.—Oct. 29  

It’s a good bet that Sloane Coles was the only professional hunter rider showing at the National Horse Show who was planning to put their stock tie back on in a few days and follow the hounds.

But Coles grew up foxhunting, since her father, John, is a Master of the famed Orange County Hunt (Va.). Orange County’s opening meet is on Nov. 1 and Coles is hoping to be able to go out with the field, just days after winning the first year green hunter stake class and taking that division reserve championship aboard Autumn Rhythm.

Taking the blue in that stake class over veteran top names like Scott Stewart, Hunt Tosh and Kelley Farmer was quite an accomplishment for Coles, who is just 26 and started her own training business just 1½ years ago. “It’s great to be able to win in that kind of company, against some of the best horses in the country,” Coles said. “He won the stake at Washington and he couldn’t have gone better this week. Every class, he was just on it.” 

Coles has 22 horses in training at her home base of Spring Ledge in The Plains, Va., right where she grew up. Coles grew up galloping over the rolling hills of Northern Virginia, so she makes hacking out and turn-out a priority for horses in her care.

Autumn Rhythm, a 6-year-old Anglo-European Warmblood (Crak van de Kampenhoeve—Layout), joined her string in March of 2013 as a pre-green horse. “I think he’s one of the best out there right now, so that makes my job a little bit easier. He’s easy to win on. He’s gotten a ribbon in every class from [the Pennsylvania National] to Washington to now. He’s so consistent,” she said of the bay gelding imported by Canadian jumper rider Angela Covert.

“He’s always been a great jumper. He’s got a bit of a funny personality, but now he is so easy to ride down to the fence. He just has this wonderful canter and you really don’t have to do anything. I think he’s the kind of horse who’s a real show horse,” Coles continued.

Autumn Rhythm’s owner, Nelani Trent, is an art dealer in New York City and she shows other horses in the adult amateur classes, but she also makes time to come watch Autumn Rhythm show. “She took a gamble on a young horse and he’s turned out to be one of the best in the country,” Coles said. “I hope I realize how lucky I am to have him. I’m so lucky to have such a special horse so early in my career that can win everywhere.”

Coles, who ended her junior career in 2006 with top-five placings in the Pessoa/USEF Medal Final, the ASPCA Maclay Final and the Washington International Equitation Classic Final, spent six years preparing to branch out on her own. As a 19-year-old, she spent a year working and riding for John and Beezie Madden.

While she was attending Drew University (N.J.), she rode with Mark Leone, then she spent time in Belgium working for Francois Mathy. After a stint working for U.S. rider Lauren Hough, she started Spring Ledge. “You take a little bit from everybody. That’s the one thing I do miss—getting to have those learning experiences,” she said. “I need to learn everything I can and I get help whenever I can. I just went for a lesson with Mark the other day.”

Coles is enjoying the ride on Autumn Rhythm and her success in the hunter ranks, but her ultimate aspirations lie in the grand prix jumper ring. In September, she placed second in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix in Culpeper, Va., with her own Baloucat. She also has a 7-year-old, WEC l’Ami Noir, who has won in the Young Jumper classes. Coles knows her path to the top will probably involve developing her own green prospects, but that’s the way she likes it. “I like working with the young horses and developing them,” she said.

 Watch Coles and Autumn Rhythm’s winning first year green stake round…