Show jumper Kirsten Coe is going to be blogging for us as she prepares for her first FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final. Coe, 30, was a top junior rider, then spent five years working as an assistant trainer for Andre Dignelli at Heritage Farm. Now, she’s partners with horse dealer Ilan Ferder, who is also her fiancé.

In February, she got the ride on Tristan, a talented horse belonging to Ferder. Tristan was the top finisher in the selection trials for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with Nicole Shahinian Simpson riding, but since last summer had been competing in Europe with Samantha McIntosh.

Coe and Ferder spent a week on vacation in Isreal before meeting their horses in Belgium at the farm of Tal Milstein, Ferder’s European partner, on April 8. For the next week and a half, Coe will be training and preparing there for the World Cup Final, which is Apr. 27-May 1 in Leipzig, Germany.

After a nice week off, it was great to see the horses! They made the trip over well and have enjoyed a nice week off in the paddock relaxing. They are real characters and totally spoiled. I have been riding them on the flat for the last few days and they feel fresh and happy, though it’s amazing how sore I am after not riding for 10 days!

This weekend will be the first time they jump. We are taking them to an indoor facility nearby to give them a school inside since they haven’t jumped indoors since January. It’s very different jumping inside as opposed to jumping in a huge ring in Florida. We’re really looking forward to next week!