Born and raised in South Africa, eventer Kate Gillespie spent much of her childhood on a horse. She started eventing 15 years ago and came to the United States to follow her dream of becoming a professional rider and trainer. Not only is she a professional, but she has overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become the highest rated eventer in the history of South Africa.

Kate’s equine partner is Reno, a 9-year-old gelding who is just beginning to show talent. While many professionals purchase highly trained mounts, Kate’s financial circumstances forced her to search for a diamond in the rough. When she purchased Reno as a three-year-old, his greatest trick was jumping out of his paddock. Kate’s lifelong experience working with young horses allowed her to see past Reno’s youthful exuberance. In just a few short years, she took Reno from a gangly three-year-old to an Intermediate phenomenon. In 2007, Reno was named Reserved Champion Horse of the Year by the United States Eventing Association.

“Trilogy has been totally supportive of my riding and I consider them to be good friends,” Kate said. “Trilogy President Debbie Witty is my all time favorite. Her understanding of the horse’s movement and shape for all different disciplines is outstanding. Her experience is unbeatable, and so is her customer service.”

Kate rides in two Trilogy Saddles, the Talisman for eventing and the Verago for Dressage. “The best thing about the Talisman is the comfort to both myself and my horse. It has removable and interchangeable knee and thigh blocks which makes it great for all different types of legs,” Kate said. “When you want to be in a jumping seat, rather than cross country, the blocks are easy to change. The open seat also makes it easy to get in and out of on the cross country course.”

Kate finds the Verago comfortable and says the fairly deep seat keeps her seat steady but doesn't hinder movement at all. “Let’s face it -- eventers need all the help we can get in our dressage!” Kate said.

“When I first met Kate I knew that she was serious about her riding but I did not recognize the intensity of her focus. Watching Kate ride Reno is an exciting experience -- they both exude such a sense of power and ferocity when approaching a fence. They revel in the challenge of it!” Debbie said. “I admire that Kate is a self made rider with her self made horse, she did it all by hard work and the sweat of her brow.”

Debbie said she is always looking for input from her Trilogy Ambassadors and Kate was happy to step up to the challenge. “When we were developing the Talisman event saddle it was Kate who gave me some very valuable input on the elements required from an event rider for a serious event saddle,” Debbie said. “Keep your eye on this pair we are very excited to see what the future holds for our Event Team!”