So, what’s it like to have a photo of you singled out by George Morris himself for a unique and flattering critique in The Chronicle of the Horse?

Kesley Horn, a young eventing professional from Corvallis, Ore., got to find out this week when an article full of Morris’ praise for her position ran both on www.coth.com and in the Chronicle’s Nov. 28 print edition.

“It makes me smile, honestly. It made me feel good,” Horn said. “I have a little bit of trouble being in the spotlight just because I get shy, but honestly, that doesn’t matter. It’s more important to me to continue to work hard and enjoy my job and my riding. If attention comes with that, who doesn’t like a little attention? So, I am thrilled that George Morris noticed my photo and thought to write about it.”

A photo of Horn on Swingtown winning the U.S. Eventing Association’s 4-year-old Young Event Horse West Coast Championship in the Oct. 24 & 31 issue of the Chronicle impressed Morris so much that he picked up the phone to wax poetic about her position to the Chronicle’s staff.

“It was a nice surprise! The response has been very positive,” said Horn. “Everyone at my barn congratulated me. I feel a bit weird—it’s like I won something else after I won the Young Event Horse class. Because it was a surprise, I didn’t expect it. So it’s a bit overwhelming, but in the best possible way.”

Horn hasn’t had the opportunity to ride in front of Morris, but she did audit a clinic he taught at Rich Fellers’ farm last year. “I enjoyed it a lot. I took lots of notes and learned a lot,” she said. “I hope to ride in one of his clinics someday—I just haven’t had a horse yet who is at the level I need to be at to ride with him. My goal last year was to ride [training level horse Tomlong Ratatouille] in a George Morris clinic this year, but he had an injury this spring. Next year maybe!”

Kelsey Horn on Tomlong Ratatouille. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Horn

Horn, 29, has worked for six years as the head trainer at Inavale Farm in Philomath, Ore., and she’s evented to the two-star level. She grew up riding at Inavale as a child, and she credits Inavale’s owner, Caroline Meneghelli, with her eye-catching position over a jump.

“Caroline and her mom, Alice [Glass], were the two people who really taught me about correct riding,” Horn said. “Caroline has excellent equitation herself, so she’s the one who instilled that position in me. I give her a lot of credit for that!”

But Horn’s early education was a bit unusual for an eventer. When she started riding at Inavale as a small child, the farm focused on Morgan showing. Horn grew up riding Morgans in western pleasure and english equitation at Morgan breed shows.

Kelsey Horn in her early riding days at Inavale. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Horn

When she was 7, though, she took a break from showing. “From 7 to 10, I didn’t show at all, really. I was more interested in riding bareback and galloping around!” she said.

“But when I was 11, I started taking a few jumping lessons from Caroline. Around that time, Inavale was starting to shift gears from Morgans to horse trials. They put on a one-day horse trial, and I was addicted. I loved it. I started jumping more, and it took off. I had a Morgan named Claire who Caroline’s family bred, and she was bred to show in Morgan shows, but it turned out she was an excellent jumper. So I started jumping her, and she took me from beginner novice to preliminary.”

Kelsey Horn at age 12 with Claire at a Morgan show. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Horn

Now, Caroline and her husband Luigi run a USEA-recognized event every June at Inavale—2017 will be the 20^th anniversary of the first recognized event at the farm.

Horn rode through high school and college, taking her horse Smoke Alarm to the two-star level. In spare moments, she worked teaching lessons at Inavale. When she graduated from Oregon State University, Caroline offered her the head trainer position.

“It’s just what I love doing. I’m so lucky,” she said. “There wasn’t anything else that I really wanted to do, so it was kind of obvious that this was the lane I wanted to go down. Inavale was an excellent platform for me because I feel so comfortable here, and it’s an amazing facility. It’s given me a lot of opportunity. To have the job here was a huge break for me. I’ve been training here for six years now, and I’m very grateful to them.”

Horn has big goals, such as riding in the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, so she makes a concerted effort to continue her education. “I go to Meika Decher’s to lesson with her for several days in a row. It’s been important to me to continue to learn, and that’s why I really strive to get to clinics as much as I can. I have a lot to learn!” she said.

Next year she plans to move Swingtown up to the YEH 5-year-old classes and training level. “My goal for her is to work hard on the dressage over the winter. I’d like to come out in the spring and go down to California and get started a little bit earlier,” she said. “I’ll pick select events for her to do and then maybe think about a prelim by the end of the year.”