Karen Webb describes herself as a “full time working stiff,” and like many others, she somehow makes time to compete, raise a family and keep her horses at home.

While her grueling schedule must be planned to the minute, it’s all worth it when she goes through the finish flags on cross-country with her young horse, Joey, or when she watches her 10-year-old daughter cantering around a jumping course with a big smile.

“Getting up at 4 a.m. every morning during the work week, slogging out the long commute, sometimes fixing a quick dinner, then rushing out to the barn to get a quick schooling ride in, then caring for everyone and feeding, afterwards, makes for some long days for sure,” she said. “Still, my horses are worth every minute of it, including the sleep deprivation!”

Webb grew up in Georgia with two other horse-crazy sisters. While her parents were quite frugal, they made sure their children could ride, even if it was “feral around the countryside.”

She dabbled in several disciplines when she reached adulthood, including dressage, competitive trail riding and jumping, as well as breeding a few sport horses.

A career as a paralegal and marriage kept Webb from seriously pursuing showing, and not always having a big budget for horses meant she often brought along youngsters to sell so she could upgrade to a better-bred or more talented mount.

About 10 years ago, Webb and her husband Todd adopted a daughter, Sabrina, from China, which meant her riding goals were sidelined, but the now 10-year-old had a pony waiting for her from the moment she arrived.

Two years ago, with Sabrina interested in riding, Karen decided it was time to dive in and pursue her fascination with eventing at age 46.

Finding The Right Partner

So why pick up eventing later in life? “I’m Scotch Irish and redheaded. I’ve always enjoyed athletic pursuits. The horses have always been my passion but I also ride motorcycles. I enjoy the adrenaline junkie type of things,” she said.

Karen, Newnan, Ga., is a member of The Chronicle of the Horse online forums as user FatCatFarm, and she began researching what would be the best type of horse for her.

“I had started paying attention to what the members had to say about various breeds,” she said. “Many liked the sweet, solid, dependable and versatile draft crosses. Another common refrain was that Saddlebreds were highly underrated sport horses who could be good at both dressage and jumping, and that they tried extremely hard to please their people. I thought, ‘now that would be a cross that I could get behind and hopefully have fun with.’  And that I was how I discovered the Georgian Grande, the Saddlebred to Draft, not Friesian, version.”

She bought two full brothers, Joey and Bliss, by the Saddlebred stallion Spot Of Gold out of a Percheron mare, AK Schubert’s Moon. Both were bred by Nancy Crosscut of Crosswinds Stables in Erie, Pa.

Joey is the oldest at 7. “I think a lot of people find ‘heart horse’ really obnoxious, but most people, I think, if they recall their horses, talk about this one particular horse who was that one horse that really did it for them,” said Karen. “I had not had that experience until I acquired my big buckskin, 16.3 hand draft cross Joey. He is just the cat’s meow to me. He looks like a large Lusitano. He is as sweet as the day is long, but he’s talented too and he will try his heart out. He eats up cross-country.”

Karen found local trainer Meg Morgan of Simply Southern Eventing to help her learn the ropes of eventing and now both she and Sabrina take lessons.

“She’s just one of those naturally gifted teachers,” she said. “She’s a lovely rider, but she’s an excellent teacher in her own right.”

Karen has been competing at schooling events in the area to get experience before she and Joey move up to a recognized event. She was proud to have won the novice division at the Poplar Place Farm (Ga.) schooling event in June.

“I cannot tell you how exhilarating and gratifying it is to be out on cross-country with a young horse that you’ve brought along and he’s looking for that next fence,” she said.

Making It All Work

Karen’s day begins at 4 a.m. when she heads down to the barn to feed her four horses, Sabrina’s two ponies, two mini donkeys and four Miniature Horses (“When people post Craigslist horses in need, I’ve sometimes been one of those people that will go pay good money to rescue horses out of terrible situations,” she admits.)

Her commute to her job at Northside Hospital near Atlanta is 62 miles each way through traffic, but she tries to work 8 to 4 to miss some of it. She works in the risk management department of the hospital, which she said can get stressful some days.

“We see everything from physicians behaving badly to slip-and-falls to joint commission accreditation to bad baby situations because we’re a mother-baby hospital as well,” she said. “You never know what’s going to walk in the door on a daily basis. The long commute is probably the most taxing part of my day. I’m 48, going on 49 and my body no longer behaves as I wish it. Getting to work out is more important than it ever was. Going to the gym is the last thing I want to do. Horseback riding really is good exercise, plus taking care of your own stable.”

Karen skips lunch and picks up Sabrina from school or camp on the way home. They often grab food on the go or she’ll make a quick dinner at home before it’s time to ride and do barn chores.

“The mental therapy [of riding helps] to decompress—raising a daughter is incredibly stressful,” she said. “She’s a straight-A kid and we have to help her with homework and projects and be supportive and make sure she gets to explore all the things that she wants to do. That is stressful. Getting time for me on horseback—even dressage, which is not my favorite thing—can be very zen at times.”

After 23 years of marriage Karen and Todd don’t see each other much during the week, but Karen admitted they’re very settled in their routine. She’ll spend time with the horses while he’s happy to hang out and relax in the house. He’s also an amateur photographer, so he’ll come to shows to help out.

Eventing has proven to be the perfect pursuit for Karen and she’s enjoyed having ride times, meeting lots of friendly faces and learning to master three different phases.

“Being organized is key,” she said. “I still try to have my house clean, I still try to have some semblance of a yard with flowers. I still want my horses to be well cared for and groomed, and it’s a real juggling act, but it’s so worth it.”