When Archie Cox called Karli Postel last summer to tell her that he was planning to retire from his Brookway Stables in the near future, Postel was shocked. 

“Archie is one of the hardest working men that I know,” said Postel, who worked full-time for the hunter/jumper trainer from 2016-2022 before leaving to run Schroeder Sporthorses with her ex-husband, Simon Schroeder. 

After an unexpected separation from Schroeder last year, Postel knew it was time to start a new chapter in her life as well. 

“A month after Archie’s call, I approached Archie at a horse show to see if we could work together,” she said. “I was thinking that he could be semi-retired but still have a foothold in his business. Archie is such a positive teacher and has brought me so much confidence.”

Cox liked Postel’s idea, and they began working together last autumn.

“I feel really blessed about this,” Postel said. “Archie is all in on this idea, and it gives him the freedom to judge and clinic. We complement each other so well, and the greatest shift for me is being connected back to a business partner who is in alignment with what my goals, our students’ goals, and the horses’ goals are. This brings me a lot of peace of mind.”

Their business partnership has only continued to blossom over this year’s winter circuit at the Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California. On Feb. 14, Postel and Jack Strang’s Full Moon Fever rode their way to the top of the $49,900 USHJA International Hunter Derby with scores totaling 377 points. After acquiring “Louis” at the end of Thermal last year, Postel has taken her time developing the 12-year-old Westphalian gelding (Balous Bellini—Maximare Conchita) into his new job as an international derby horse and Strang’s 3’3” junior hunter. 

“Since [the first time] I watched ‘Louis’ go, I’ve always thought he had the potential to be an international derby horse,” Postel said. “The Strang family has been so supportive and patient with Louis, and I think that’s why he’s really been able to come into his own this year.” 

Although 2025 looks different than Postel originally thought it would, she remains optimistic about her future in the sport. 

“I’m taking it day by day and moving forward,” she said. “[Schroeder] is still the father of my two beautiful children. Right now, we’re navigating how that works. Life is going nicely on the business side [for me], and my kids are happy, so I’m happy about that.”

We caught up with Postel after her Thermal win to learn more about her and her current mounts, including Louis:

What was it like for you growing up in the horse business? 

My family owns and operates Foxfield Riding School in Westlake Village, California. When I was a kid, it was one of the biggest programs; we started riders like Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. For me, horses have shaped my entire life and guided me through every step of life. Starting at Foxfield, I learned the love of the horse, not just the competition side of it. Back then, we didn’t have grooms; we took care of our own horses and had fun with them, riding without saddles and bridles. We had two huge cross-country fields, with lots of space to ride and hack out. In today’s world, you don’t get a lot of places like that. It built time management, patience, and being humbled by working with animals. 

I cannot endorse our sport enough. You can start so young and stay in it for so long, and there are so many different avenues you can take. 

What has it been like to develop a horse like Full Moon Fever?

Originally Louis’ job was geared more toward the jumpers. When we tried Louis last winter, Jack rode Louis over five jumps, and he was like, “This is the horse.” 

We’ve really taken our time with Louis. [At the beginning of 2024] I was pregnant with my son Henry, and Jack was in no rush to develop Louis. That was the beautiful thing. Louis puts his all into every jump, and sometimes it’s almost too much! We had to start small; he used to want to jump 1.60 meters over everything. Within this last year, he’s really found his niche in the hunters.

Last summer Jack was traveling a lot, so I got to ride Louis quite a bit. In the fall of 2024, Jack rode Louis in the [NAL West Coast Children’s Hunter Finals at the Blenheim Fall Tournament Horse Show (California) in September 2024], and Louis received his first 87 and 88 scores. Now since linking up with Brookway Stables, they have moved into the 3’3” junior hunter division. There are growing pains with moving up divisions, but they’re both figuring it out. I think Louis will continue to take Jack forward in his junior riding career. 

What is Louis like to ride?

Louis is a fun horse to work with; he really tries his heart out every time. He’s super gentle. He’s light across the ground and in the bridle, and he gives such an exuberant jump. When you get to the top of the jump with Louis, there’s no better feeling.

Louis is very aware of the jumps; it’s always about the presence of the arena with him. He wants to win. Despite getting a little nervous here and there, he continues to step up every time he’s asked to. 

During WCHR week [at Thermal], I did the hunter stake under the lights [the Feb. 8 $20,000 Winner’s Circle 3’6″/3’9″ Hunter Stake Hunt & Go] with Louis, and he really stepped up. I had one unfortunate extra lead change, but I was so proud of him. I feel like our process is working, and we’re really getting there with him.

What do you think makes both you and Louis compatible as partners in the show ring?

I think we believe in each other. I’ve been very patient with him, and we’re very sympathetic to each other. I believe Louis is a winner, and I think he knows it, but he needs a little guidance here and there as he continues to learn.

Could you walk me through your strategy for riding the classic round and the handy round?

When Archie and I looked at the course, we discussed that it was such a big field, and there were not many clear corners. Coming off of the WCHR night class, I wanted to land with intention and direction from each fence in order to not have any extra lead changes. I had a plan for every step. I knew where I wanted to do the lead changes and how to direct Louis on where he was going. With that much space available, the horses want to go anywhere so it’s important to tell them where to go.

The first goal is to make it back to the second round, the second goal is to be smooth. I didn’t do all the high options in Round 1, but in my handy round, I had an opportunity to turn it up a notch and jump all the high options. I feel strongly about my ability as a handy rider, and I laid it all out on the table—go big or go home! It was a fun handy track. I just landed and trusted Louis and kept galloping, and Louis gave me some beautiful efforts.

Watch their winning handy round, courtesy of ShowGroundsLive.com:

Did you do anything specific to prepare Louis for this International Hunter Derby?

No, Archie and I are all about consistency. We did a 3’6” performance hunter division with Louis during the week, and then I hacked Louis in the ring in the morning [on the day of the class]. We keep it simple. Something I’ve always appreciated about Archie is that he always makes you feel confident before you go in the ring. If you think you can do it and your horse thinks you can do it, you often do it. 

What are your goals for Louis for the remainder of the year?

I’m aiming Louis for Week 10’s Hunter Spectacular. My goal is to also compete Louis at [the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship (Kentucky)] this summer.

Last year, I got to compete at Derby Finals for the first time on my longtime partner, Get Rowdy. We had qualified a few times in the past, but we didn’t go to compete until 2024. Rowdy was toward the end of a long successful career, and he has never let me down. At that time, I was just coming off of having my son, so I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to have taken me around my first time. Rowdy is still happy; we have him at home [at Brookway Stables]. He lives in a pasture; his show career is over now. My daughter Lena rides him sometimes, and that’s a real full-circle moment for me.