United States Eventing Association

Marty Whitehouse is one of the great rising stars in our sport, and not just because of her talent in the saddle. This 21-year-old from Nicholasville, Kentucky has an impressive resume with her horses, which includes many wins such as a blue ribbon at the Midsouth CCI* in 2007 and top placings at last year's Wellpride USEA American Eventing Championships with four different horses. Last year Marty was awarded a USEA bronze medal for her Preliminary wins, and also took home from the USEA Annual Meeting the prestigious Courtney Reeves Trophy, which is awarded to the individual who exemplifies sportsmanship, the spirit of the sport, and who gives back to the sport.

1. How long have you been riding?

I have riding since I was three, so I have been riding 18 years this summer.

2. How did you get involved in eventing?

I started out in a lesson barn because I loved horses and my parents knew nothing about horses. I started in Pony Club when I was 8 and that’s probably when I was first introduced. My mom and I used to go Rolex every year (even when I was 3 and 4) because we loved to watch it and it was only 20 minutes from our house. I did my first recognized horse trial when I was 10 - it was Jumpstart HT at the KY Horse Park. I was hooked from that point on!

3. Who is/are your current competition horse(s) (name, age, breed, experience, etc…)? Do they have any funny personality quirks?

Well I have three of my own:

Final Score is a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. I have done 6 One Stars on him - including 2 NAYRC’s and winning the Hagyard Midsouth One Star in 2007 - and competed thru Intermediate. He is the most attention demanding horse on our farm…definitely in charge. He must eat first and have all attention directed his way- especially from our vet’s two daughters who love to come out and ride!

Tzarina is a 5-year-old Holsteiner mare. She has competed through Novice and I bought her last year, even though I have been riding her since she was broken at 3. She is the definite alpha mare on the farm and thinks pretty highly of herself. Her self confidence is one of her best traits and she has never met a jump she didn’t like. She is definitely going to think highly of herself for a little bit because I just saw the cover of the USEF Eventing Rules and it was of us at AEC this last fall!

Two Point Conversion is a 6-year-old QH/Paint Gelding. I bought him as a project in Sept. 2008 and he has done two events (one BN in the fall) and just came in 4^th at Poplar Place Jan. HT this January. He hates to have his legs wrapped, but is a fabulous cross-country horse and foxhunter!

Caper is a 4-year-old Holsteiner Gelding who is owned by Claire Latimer. He is one of her Holsteiner she has bred and raised. He competed at BN in the fall. He is over 17H and his best friend is an 11 H Welsh pony named Bubbles!

Uliza Jane is a 4-year-old mare, also owned by Claire Latimer, is another Holsteiner Claire has bred and raised. She has done some little schooling shows and is ready for BN this coming year.

4. What is your favorite competition memory?

It’s between winning the Hagyard Midsouth One Star in 2007 with Final Score because he was amazing that weekend even though riding him (and some of my others at the time) had been hard with all of my school obligations, he pulled it together. The other would probably have been winning the Prince Philip Cup Games Competition (held at Rolex every year for USPC) and that was my first big win in anything…the atmosphere was so exciting there. It’s a toss up between the two!

5. What has been your most embarrassing eventing moment?

I was at a Young Riders clinic for NAYRC a month or so before we left for the competition and I fell off three times with Ian Stark- who I had always thought so highly of. I fell in a Weldon’s Wall, the water jump (which was filled up with pond water), and at a warm-up skinny. I sure learned a lot, but the worst moment was when one of the other riders came up to me after the third fall and asked if I needed help getting back on again! I just started crying! I learned a lot but with a bit of embarrassment! Gosh a second time I was pretty embarrassed was in 2007. I rode with Gina Miles in a USPC Festival lesson. I was on one of my project horses and it had rained really hard the night before, and the water had been left running in the water jump. Gina had me drop into the water first (being the 'A' in the group) so my young horse cantered down and dropped in softly but on his next step with the water being so deep he fell right over on his side--completely submerging us! The best part was the photographer got 30 or so photos of the sight! The best shot was the one of Gina standing laughing at the situation as I got up, since everyone was fine!

6. If you had to liken one of your horses to a celebrity, who would it be and why?

Tzarina would be Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind. She knows she is pretty, thinks highly of all that she does, would love to go to parties in the nicest dress money could buy- but is tough enough to be around all the boys, and she has the boys wrapped around her every move at the farm (as Scarlett does at all the parties).

Final Score would be Peyton Manning because Final Score has all the likings to a good quarter back, good under pressure, smart, and logical. Peyton Manning is good under these situations and is always level headed- so is Final Score! Also Peyton is pretty humble, and even with all of Final Score’s success, he still loves his friends and people!

7. You received the Courtney Reeves Award at the Convention in December. What did that mean to you as a rider and as an individual?

Well considering my mom and some of my riding friends tricked me to going to New Orleans the weekend before my finals, I was shocked! As soon as they started reading the award description the table started looking at me. Gosh, I was so shocked I barely remember walking to the stage in front of everyone! It really means a lot because I don’t just ride and teach, but I am a full time student at the University of Kentucky and in a sorority (Delta Delta Delta) so I try to give as much as I can. I also applied to Vet Schools in the fall (waiting on my Auburn interview date…) so I have lots of directions, but my passion is riding and giving back to my students and USPC. So this meant a lot, especially since I live such a split life. It definitely reminds me every time I see the award that it is worth all the time I give!

8. What are your plans for the upcoming eventing season?

Well,, I have already competed at Poplar Place in January, but because of school, especially Biochemistry, I have to pick my schedule around my tests. I am going to Pine Top over spring break and then doing Chattahoochee Hills, MayDaze, Spring Bay, and hopefully some other shows this spring. I am moving my mare to Training in March and my Paint project to Training late spring (if things go well). I also have some students that I am hoping to be able to take to some late events for their first BN along with some of the Holsteiner young horses I ride for Claire Latimer. The summer show schedule will depend on if I get into Auburn School of Veterinary Medicine!

9. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

This would have to have been after I had to send a horse back to the farm who gave him to me because he kept shutting down at shows and home, even when going slow with him. Charlie Plumb said, standing in the middle of the road at the Kentucky Horse Park, that not all horses are meant to be show horses or even be riding horses and this really helped me get through a hard time. It also has helped me realize there are too many good horses in the world to put up with dangerous horses or ones that don’t try.

10. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your eventing career?

Probably having to juggle school and Eventing- I really feel strongly that school is a priority and that if I want to keep competing the rest of my life I will need income to support that! In riding though I think my biggest challenge I have had to overcome was a fear of corners. My first Preliminary I fell at a corner (I had never schooled one and it was both my and my horse’s first Preliminary). It took years to get over the fear- even though I had complete trust in my horse. I never did get back over that corner at the KHP- but Mick Costello last year tore it down to my excitement just to make it into another corner! It took many stadium jump corners and my dad building an actual cross-country corner for me to get over my fear.

Photos by Emily Daily