Candice King
Show Jumping and Clinician

Candice King is a passionate horsewoman and avid Grand Prix competitor who has earned numerous titles both in the United States and Europe. Raised on her family’s farm in the San Fernando Valley of California, King began riding Western and showing Quarter Horses as a toddler. By age 7, she had switched to hunt seat and was riding and successfully showing hunters and jumpers.

At age 15, King moved to the East Coast and joined the prestigious Beacon Hill show stable in New Jersey as a working student. In exchange for lessons and catch rides with legendary trainers Frank Madden and Bill Cooney, King mucked, groomed and rode sale horses. While at Beacon Hill, King qualified for all the major indoor shows in the equitation divisions and helped the Texas Zone win the Junior Jumpers Prix De States with two clear rounds.

In 1989 King returned to California, built a barn and started her own business, Rancho del Puma. While running Rancho del Puma, King won the North American Jumper Championships, qualified for two World Cup finals and rode for the United States in Toronto, which made her the youngest person ever to ride for the USET.

King left California in 1993 to return to the East Coast as the resident trainer for Dan Lufkin and his family at their Chestnut Ridge Farm in Millbrook, N.Y. While there, King enjoyed many successes aboard Mr. Spoon and Mangrove Mattie, two horses, purchased by a syndicate of her sponsors including Joan and Ernie Kalman, that she took to the winner’s circle at Spruce Meadows and to the Masters in 1997.

During 2000, King successfully campaigned Penlyn Farm’s John EM to the Horse of the Year title. In 2001 the pair placed fifth in the World Cup at Gothenburg, and King was named highest-scoring American and leading lady rider. Later that year King did what no American had done in 30 years – she won The Queen Elizabeth Cup at Hickstead. Her consistent performance at both national and international venues earned her a spot on the exclusive USET Developing Rider Program in 2001.

Back in the United States in 2002, King did what no other AGA rider has ever done – she placed 1st through 4th at the Merrill Lynch Grand Prix of Cleveland.

Having proven herself as an international competitor, 2003/2004 found King back in Europe winning and placing in major Grand Prix and Nations Cups and part of the U.S. Samsung Super League team. At home she continued to place well at the Winter Equestrian Festival and other major shows including the Hampton Classic where she won the World Cup qualifier.

In 2005 King placed third in the Grand Prix of Las Vegas aboard CoCo Cabana. During 2006 she found more success in Europe when she was named Leading Lady rider at both Rome and Cannes. She again rode in the U.S. Samsung Super League and earned a spot on the short list for the World Equestrian Games.

Over the years King has worked closely with many supportive professionals including Jolene Labour, Sheri Rose, Tommy Lowe, Jimmy Williams, Susie Hutchison and Hap Hansen on the West Coast; and Joe Fargis, Conrad Homfeld, Barney Ward, Jimmy Doyle and Ronnie Beard on the East Coast. Each of these trainers has influenced King’s riding technique and helped her hone her natural talent as a jumper rider.

A sought-after clinician, King has conducted equitation and jumper clinics for SUNY Morrisville College, The Pony Medal Finals, Norcal Hunter Jumper Association and the Minnesota Hunter Jumper Association.

King’s goals for 2007 include qualifying for the World Cup finals in Las Vegas in April and the Pan American Games in August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is also looking ahead to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

King is married to Brandon King. Their daughter Alexandra was born in 1999. They currently reside in Wellington, Fla.

Career highlights
2008

• Winner WEF Grand Prix
• Winner WEF USA vs. World
• Reserve Champion 7 & 8 Year Old Hampton Classic Horse Show
• 4th Country Heir Grand Prix Lexington, KY
• 3rd USHJA Hunter Derby Challenge Series Cleveland, OH
• 5th HITS Grand Prix Saugerties, NY
• Selector for the USEF Gold Medal Olympic Team
• Trainer of multiple young riders for Developing Rider Tour
• Promoted Purina @ Country Heir Donkey Races
• Committee Member in newly established Trainer Certification Program for the USHJA (Involving proper feed & wellbeing of horse)

• Short List for WEG
• Leading Lady Rider at Rome
• Leading Lady Rider at Cannes
• U.S. Samsung Super League Tour (U.S. team 2nd overall)

• Won the Outback Sidelines triathlon charity event in West Palm Beach as member of Swans Farm Team

• Placed in major Grand Prix and Nations Cups including a tour in 2004 with the U.S. Samsung Super League Team
• Continued to win and place well at major venues in the United States, including The Winter Equestrian Festival and the Indoor Circuit.
• Won the World Cup qualifier at the Hampton Classic

• Placed 1st – 4th at Merrill Lynch Grand Prix of Cleveland (an AGA record)
• Placed 3rd at the Grand Prix of Las Vegas
• Won the Jeep Ride and Drive competition at Falsterbo, Sweden as well as winning or placing in some of the most prestigious grand prix in both Europe and the United States
• Member of winning Nation’s Cup team in Norway
• Highly ranked finish at World Cup Finals on Caliskan

• Selected to be part of the USET’s Developing Rider Program.
• Finished 5th in the World Cup at Gothenburg with John EM
• Earned highest scoring American as well as leading female rider at Gothenburg
• Won the Invitational 6 Bar at 6’4” aboard Glenn CH in Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Won the Queen Elizabeth Cup at Hickstead (the first American to win in 30 years - since Mary Chapot in 1971)

• Competed Penlyn Farm’s John EM to Horse of the Year honors

• Syndicate, including Joan and Ernie Kalman, purchased the horse Mr. Spoon for King and for the next few years King kept Mr. Spoon on the top 15 jumper list. She went on to take the Kalman’s Mangrove Mattie to the winner’s circle at Spruce Meadows and qualified her to the Masters

• Returned to East Coast to work as resident trainer for the Lufkin family at Chestnut Ridge Farm in Millbrook, N.Y.

• Built Rancho del Puma
• Won North American Jumper Championship at Spruce Meadows
• Qualified for two World Cup Finals
• Rode for the USET in Toronto, becoming the youngest rider ever for the USET

• Won Grand Prix, Yuma, Ariz.
• 3 Prix des States – Junior Jumper Championships
• Puissance Wall 6’4” at Monterey, Calif.
• Apprenticed to Beacon Hill Show Stables

• Won West Coast Medal Finals

• Qualified Indoors, Medal Finals

• CoCo Cabana, 10 year old Westphalian Gelding
• Caliskan, 14 year old Holstein Gelding
• Tarco, 10 year old Belgian Warmblood Gelding
• Perfekt, 10 year old Dutch Gelding
• Constantin, 9 year old Hanoverian Gelding