As her graduation date from the University of Kentucky loomed at the end of 2022, Cosby Green faced a question many seniors must answer: What comes next?
Just as many college graduates choose to continue their education, Green decided to do the same, but hers wouldn’t take place in a traditional classroom. Instead, she booked a flight to England to spend a year learning from two of the world’s best eventers, Jonelle and Tim Price.
“The competition, the standard of competition is so high, and it’s such a small area with so many amazing people, so I just really wanted to be [immersed] in that environment,” she said.
In 2023, Green competed at famous fixtures she’d only experienced via live stream. In October, she checked two big milestones off her list. She rode Jos UFO De Quidam to 25th in the Boekelo CCIO4*-L (the Netherlands) and was the highest-placed first-timer, and three weeks later she contested her first five-star at Pau (France), where she was 16th with Copper Beach.
But as her return date neared, the 23-year-old realized she had more to gain from the experience, so she decided to extend her time at Chedington Equestrian, the Prices’ home base, a decision aided by receiving the Wilton Fair Grant and Essex Horse Trial Grant from the U.S. Eventing Association Foundation, both of which are awarded to young riders training to represent the U.S. in team competition.
We caught up with Green to discuss her experiences and plans moving forward.
How did you decide you wanted to work with the Prices?
They’re just so consistently amazing. They have multiple horses that are so excellent, and I think that really speaks a lot for their program and themselves as well. I’ve heard such amazing things about them, that they’re just the coolest people ever, which I found out to be true. They’re so down to earth—really genuine nice people.
At the time they were world No. 1 and 2, so it’s kind of hard to turn down an opportunity like that and be a part of the team.
What’s it been like working with the Prices? How do you feel they’ve helped you grow?
They are just what I’m looking for at this point in my career.
I’ve always idolized Jonelle my entire life, and getting to see her in person and the way that she works, the businesswoman that she is and the horsewoman that she is, that really just brings inspiration to me every day. I want to be as organized, as amazing horse people as them. That’s something that really sets the standard on and off the horse.
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As far as training with them, they are just so patient and very clear. Everything makes very clear sense to me, and then because it makes sense to me, the horses pick up on their method of training so beautifully. Everything is just so clear, so clearly explained, so fair. I think that’s something that I’ve really learned, just the idea of training horses: black and white, in a way, and then also treating each horse as an individual. It just makes a really, really successful team and pipeline. Being entrenched in that and having advice of, “Oh what should my horse do this week?” Or, “This is an issue. How can we solve this?” It’s been amazing because it is different than what I would’ve done, say, a year ago. So them just having the patience and taking me on as a clueless American has been an absolute game-changer.
Can you talk about your first five-star experience?
That was kind of a big push to move over here as well is I wanted to do a five-star with my older horse “Sean,” Copper Beach, and that was always kind of the goal, and what better people to help me get there than Tim and Jonelle?
As an athlete you try not to be too set on one thing. You have goals, but you don’t believe you’re there until you’re there. I took every day before in stride, and then we got to Pau, and it really hit me. It was like, OK this is actually happening; this is a life goal; I’ve dreamed of this moment every day since I was a little girl.
I couldn’t have asked for a better first five-star. Obviously Copper Beach is an amazing partner, super experienced, and we helped each other out the whole weekend. Being around him, a seasoned professional, helped me out, and then being around Tim and Jonelle as well and their whole crew who, again, they do five-stars all the time. It is a big deal, but for them it’s just another day, and it’s a big show, and they trust their training and their process. I know I’ve been in the same kind of program that their horses have been, and I just knew I needed to trust and rely on that.
You’ve been lucky to have an experienced partner in Sean, who Buck Davidson previously competed through the five-star level, but what is it like taking the ride on a horse who’d done so much already?
He was the first horse I’d ridden that was truly established and knew what he was doing, and I think that’s something that I really needed in my riding at the time. I’d always kind of either brought horses up or maybe I was lucky enough to ride a horse that was a little bit ahead of me or kind of where I was, but at the same time, I think there was just a bit of confusion. I just needed someone to be like, “This is how you do it,” and do it properly. And Sean’s such an amazing teacher because he’s very honest. He’ll do what you tell him to do. He’s not easy, and he’s not going to give it away or give it up, but he’s such a kind horse that if you do it correctly, he is going to reward you for it, which I think has been one of the biggest things for me.
Everything with him is pretty black and white. Maybe he’s not the scopiest or the fanciest horse I’ll ever ride, but I would say he is my horse of a lifetime because he really taught me. He really made me fall back in love with the sport, and he taught me that hard work—it does pay off, and correct riding, it does pay off, and it just taught me how to ride.
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“Maybe he’s not the scopiest or the fanciest horse I’ll ever ride, but I would say he is my horse of a lifetime because he really taught me. He really made me fall back in love with the sport, and he taught me that hard work—it does pay off, and correct riding, it does pay off, and it just taught me how to ride.”
He taught me patience because—I get so emotional about it—before I got him he had done so much with Buck [Davidson]. I got him and didn’t really think he’d have that much career left in him at all; I really don’t think anybody did. I think he loves me, and I think he does it because he loves me and I love him, and he knows that.
How are you planning to use to use the two grants you received in December?
I think the first thing would be [going to Spain to show jump during the Sunshine Tour]. That is the biggest priority. And then I think just from there is expanding upon my training as well.
There’s a lot of different opportunities around the country. I love training with Tim and Jonelle, but if they go off to train with somebody, I would love to be able to tag along and learn from who they’re learning from as well, and just kind of expand that horizon a bit. And just better training and going to better gallops and really giving myself a good, proper go at doing everything. It just gives extra support in doing everything how the Prices do and to the standard that they do.
What are your goals for your business when you return?
In a perfect world I would love to be able to bring some young horses back with me from England and kind of start my own program and barn. I want to try to replicate it as similarly as I can to everything I’ve learned over here, which I know it’s difficult because America is a different country. …
I want to create something very specific to myself. I know it’s easier said than done, but I really want to always emphasize the importance of the horses and the horse’s welfare and just keeping the horses happy. That will kind of be my business motto, if you will, is the horses will come first, and I think that’s something that could be easy to lose sight of when it’s all kind of happening.
I want to give my horses every opportunity to do their best because I think that really makes a difference. When I come back, I just need to kind of find my footing and kind of see how can I create this, [take] everything I’ve learned over here and make it functional in the U.S. and always just trying to be better.
The competition schedule and culture is very different in Europe, where they start much later in the year, compared to the U.S. where everyone feels they have to get out early—if you’re not already in Florida on Jan. 1 you’re late. Has this experience changed your thoughts on your own schedule?
A hundred percent. I remember last year, before I came, I was having an aneurysm; I was like, “Oh my God, I’m so behind.” Even this year when I was in America, you see all these horses getting ready to get down to Florida, and it’s right before Christmas, and they’re jumping full courses, and they’ve been ridden and ridden, and there’s still a little part of me that’s like, “Oh gosh, I need to be further along than I am.” But then I come here, and everyone is all at the same stage, and everyone tells me I need to chill out and that we’re fine, and it’s only January.
That’s been a complete mindshift. The way that they run the horses over here, I prefer it. That’s something I’m going to be heavily keeping in mind. On the flip side, I think people-wise, it’s really hard to flat out from January to November. I think having people happy and having a good culture is half the battle in competing successfully, so just knowing that November, December, January, part of February, that is the time that the horses need to have that downtime and same with the people, because when it’s go time, it’s go time.
Want to learn more about Cosby Green? A full profile, “Cosby Green Is Soaking Up Every Learning Opportunity With Team Price,” is featured in our Feb. 19 – March 18, 2024, issue, which is out Monday. You can subscribe and get online access to a digital version and then enjoy a year of print issues o The Chronicle of the Horse and our lifestyle publication, Untacked. If you’re just following COTH online, you’re missing so much great unique content. Each print issue of the Chronicle is full of in-depth competition news, fascinating features, probing looks at issues within the sports of hunter/jumper, eventing and dressage, and stunning photography.
