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“Honestly, winning this award means a lot and is very personal for me,” Joanne commented. “I have a long history with Keiri and was in awe of her riding ability from the moment I first saw her.”
Turns out that Keiri was one of the people who responded to Joanne’s ad in the Chronicle of the Horse looking for a show rider to help out at her Canterbury Farm, which at the time was among the larger show barns in Colorado. Keiri sent a video and then flew out for her “interview.” Joanne had her ride three totally different horses – one that was young, one that was older but a tough ride nonetheless, and one that was a fancy show hunter. Keiri mastered them all.
“Keiri could get on any horse and make it look easy. She was a magician. It is humbling to be considered on that same level.”
Of course, Joanne is quite the “magician” in the irons herself and as such, well deserving of the award.
She was born in Ontario. Growing up, her family had a three-stall barn in their backyard so she learned to ride in the snow and cold. In the winter, they would mostly do flatwork and only jump when the weather permitted. “We would put WD40 in the horses’ hooves to prevent the snow from sticking,” she said with a laugh.
Immediately upon turning 16, Joanne got her driver’s license and hauled to a horse show that following weekend. Not long after, she began riding with John and Debbie Schaffner in New York. At shows, her horses (“looking like wooly mammoths”) would be placed well at the end of the row far from the tack room. As she and her horses improved, they were moved up the row. But then tragedy hit. A bad wreck broke Joanne’s back and she was told she couldn’t ride anymore.
So she threw herself into her studies and earned a degree in civil engineering. On a trip to Atlanta to attend a job fair, she noticed a horse show going on and being a bit early for the fair, pulled in to watch. She saw a woman come out of the show ring virtually in tears after having finished last. Joanne walked up and asked if the woman was open to suggestions. The woman was happy to hear what Joanne had to say since she had no trainer. Joanne stayed at the show to help the woman (who, by the way, went on to place quite well in her remaining classes). While it was the end of her career as a civil engineer, it was the start of her decorated career as a hunter jumper trainer.
“I love it here. The lifestyle, the people – especially the horse people – are the best,” she said. “Everyone is so very welcoming. And I love that with most trainers here, the horses come first.”
Donated by the Colorado Hunter Jumper Foundation and Friends of Keiri Kaneps, the Keiri Kaneps Professional Hunter Rider of the Year Award recognizes a professional hunter rider who exemplifies the integrity, horsemanship and beautiful skills that made Keiri so special.
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