Canadian Show Jumping Team veteran Chris Pratt has enjoyed a long and illustrious career. Now 55, instead of hanging up his riding boots, he’s embarking on the next chapter.
It’s one that may present the greatest opportunities yet. Thanks to a new partnership with Karen Long Dwight, her husband Glen Fleischer, and their Take The High Road LLC, Pratt once again has an opportunity to excel in international competition.
With a long list of accomplishments and experience to his credit between running his own Epic Stables in both North America and Europe and working for some of the top names in the business, Pratt’s resume as a rider and coach is impressive. Having spent the last few years training riders at the international level, including Shane Sweetnam’s clients when the Irish Olympian was traveling, Pratt was settling into the role of high performance coach.
“At this point last year, I was thinking that my own riding career at the top level was finished,” said Pratt, who had sold Cjoxx Z, a horse he had developed, to the United Arab Emirates as a five-star campaigner at the end of the 2023 season. “I was happy coaching and training other riders at the highest level.”
Fate, however, had other plans. Pratt had been coaching Filippo Marco Pignatti, who was riding for Take The High Road LLC based in Wellington, FL, and Lexington, KY. When Pignatti decided to move back to his native Italy, Pratt was invited to take over the reins.
“When Karen and Glen asked if I’d be interested in riding and showing their horses, I really gave it some thought,” said Pratt, who continues to operate Epic Stables as a training and sales business alongside his wife, Jennifer Badala-Pratt, who successfully competes in the hunter ring. “I needed to decide whether I wanted to keep being a coach or put my effort into being a top rider again. It’s a lot of work and not a commitment that I take lightly.”
Having previously traveled the world to cheer on her horse Austria 2, who was campaigned at the five-star level for four seasons by Kent Farrington, Long Dwight’s desire to continue to have horses competing internationally won Pratt over.
“It’s not easy to have the right horses for the top level, but the commitment from Glen and Karen is the reason I decided to go back and focus on the sport as a rider again,” said Pratt. “Riding is what I love to do and having another opportunity to compete internationally again was too good to pass up.”
It’s one that may present the greatest opportunities yet. Thanks to a new partnership with Karen Long Dwight, her husband Glen Fleischer, and their Take The High Road LLC, Pratt once again has an opportunity to excel in international competition.
With a long list of accomplishments and experience to his credit between running his own Epic Stables in both North America and Europe and working for some of the top names in the business, Pratt’s resume as a rider and coach is impressive. Having spent the last few years training riders at the international level, including Shane Sweetnam’s clients when the Irish Olympian was traveling, Pratt was settling into the role of high performance coach.
“At this point last year, I was thinking that my own riding career at the top level was finished,” said Pratt, who had sold Cjoxx Z, a horse he had developed, to the United Arab Emirates as a five-star campaigner at the end of the 2023 season. “I was happy coaching and training other riders at the highest level.”
Fate, however, had other plans. Pratt had been coaching Filippo Marco Pignatti, who was riding for Take The High Road LLC based in Wellington, FL, and Lexington, KY. When Pignatti decided to move back to his native Italy, Pratt was invited to take over the reins.
“When Karen and Glen asked if I’d be interested in riding and showing their horses, I really gave it some thought,” said Pratt, who continues to operate Epic Stables as a training and sales business alongside his wife, Jennifer Badala-Pratt, who successfully competes in the hunter ring. “I needed to decide whether I wanted to keep being a coach or put my effort into being a top rider again. It’s a lot of work and not a commitment that I take lightly.”
Having previously traveled the world to cheer on her horse Austria 2, who was campaigned at the five-star level for four seasons by Kent Farrington, Long Dwight’s desire to continue to have horses competing internationally won Pratt over.
“It’s not easy to have the right horses for the top level, but the commitment from Glen and Karen is the reason I decided to go back and focus on the sport as a rider again,” said Pratt. “Riding is what I love to do and having another opportunity to compete internationally again was too good to pass up.”