Katie started riding at the age of 7 in a small town in central Minnesota with Grand Prix rider and trainer Kate Phillips where she also started attending clinics with international dressage master Conrad Schumacher. This is where her love for horses and dressage started. By age 10, her parents had purchased her first horse and from then on out, she continued her dressage career with her 2 horses working up the levels through Prix St. George obtaining her bronze medal. She then moved on and started training under William Solyntges and attended clinics with many top riders, trainers, and judges including Janet Foy, Dolly Hannon, Natalie Hinnemann, Alison Sader Larson, Melissa Allen, Hans Biss, Shannon Dueck, and Charles De Knuffy. At age 18 she started her business, formally known as KS Dressage, LLC now KM Performance Horses, LLC, at which time she bought her first imported horse whom she trained up to Prix St. George with and lived and trained in Florida with her trainer and FEI rider Jane Hannigan. She then moved to Nebraska to continue running her business out of a barn in the Omaha area and imported her mare, Farulein Holle, who she still has and continues to train and show. During this time she earned her silver medal with the help of her former Grand Prix Danish geldning, Rubicon ASK. She is now based in Belton, TX with her 5 horses ranging from age 6 months to 16 years old.
Katie will be bringing her 16 year old KWPN gelding out in the Grand Prix ring and plans to bring her Oldenburg mare Fiji out of Prix St. George in California where she will be training with David Wrightman and Natalie Hinnemann. She will also continue to show her horses in Texas and continue to bring up her young horses as well.
Katie started riding in Schleese saddles about 5 years ago and was instantly hooked.
“The comfort they offered for me as a rider and the freedom of movement it gives my horses is unlike any other saddle.” Ever since then she has continued to ride and show her horses in Schleese saddles and is excited to continue working with Schleese.