Monday, Oct. 7, 2024

Ringside Chat With Tori Colvin: New Adventures

Junior superstar rider Tori Colvin is making some big changes and the Chronicle caught up with her to find out what the future holds. Colvin is most known for her domination in the junior hunter ring with Betsee Parker's string of horses like Inclusive, Way Cool, Ovation and others.

Recently, Parker bought Clearway, the horse Lillie Keenan rode to win the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals (Pa.) and the ASPCA Maclay Finals (Ky.) last year, for Colvin to show in the equitation division.

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Junior superstar rider Tori Colvin is making some big changes and the Chronicle caught up with her to find out what the future holds. Colvin is most known for her domination in the junior hunter ring with Betsee Parker’s string of horses like Inclusive, Way Cool, Ovation and others.

Recently, Parker bought Clearway, the horse Lillie Keenan rode to win the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals (Pa.) and the ASPCA Maclay Finals (Ky.) last year, for Colvin to show in the equitation division.

In July, Colvin traveled to Chantilly, France to compete in the two-star jumper classes at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Chantilly as a prize for winning the Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series in Wellington, Fla., this winter. She won two 1.35-meter speed classes on Cesanna, a horse loaned to her by Artisan Farms. 

Are you making a change in who you’re riding with?

Yes. Scott [Stewart] and Ken [Berkley] have been so great and I think they’ve helped me so much and done everything for me; I think they thought it was just time for a change. They have trained me for the past eight years, since I was a kid. They trained me all the time and I think they just thought it was time for me to move on. So I’m just looking forward to a new chapter.

So what will you do in the future?

I’m going to [keep riding Betsee Parker’s] hunters because I know them so well and I’ve ridden them for four years. So I know their programs; I’ll probably just keep training them myself, with my mom’s help. Andre Dignelli will be helping me with the equitation and the two jumpers [Don Juan and Chanel B 2 owned by Karen Long Dwight]. Karen and Betsee have stayed by my side and [been supportive of] taking the horses wherever.

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I’m looking for more—we’re going to do more of the jumpers and equitation. Scott and Ken are great, but Andre [focuses on the equitation] and we got [the new equitation horse Parker bought] Clearway from him. He’s had that horse since he was a baby.

For the jumpers and equitation I’ll train with Andre. And the hunters—he’ll help me when Clearway does the high performance, to get in the ring. He’ll help me with that, and maybe with Betsee’s horses, who I’ve been with for four years.

Are you excited about this new development?

Yes! I’m looking forward to a new chapter of my life.

What do you hope to gain from this change?

It’s just a new experience and doing more jumper stuff. I want to aim for [North American Junior and Yong Rider Championships] and maybe Spruce Meadows (Alta.) next year. I want to go to Spruce Meadows!

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