Chris Pratt's New Gig

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.

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“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.”

That was the summer of 2024, and their partnership has been on an upward trajectory ever since. In October, Pratt scored his first victory for his new owners in the $100,000 CSI3* Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix in Lexington, KY, riding Ideaal ES.

Speaking to her decision to work with Pratt, Long Dwight said, “We originally hired him to help our former rider, Filippo Pignatti, and he advanced tremendously. Filippo started to get really close to winning a grand prix but never quite got it. It was a natural transition to offer the horses to Chris when Filippo left.”

Despite having already won a grand prix, Pratt is taking his time integrating Ideaal ES, better known as “Al” around the barn, into his training program.

“I took over riding him about six months ago and a lot of the work has been getting the horse used to my program as well as better understanding the horse on my part,” said Pratt of the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Ukato x Conway). “He’s a very careful, competitive horse. He’s only had one rider previously and I want to take my time developing a partnership with him. It’s great to have an owner who supports this approach.

“Karen was a rider and competitor all her life, so she is very understanding of what it takes to be successful,” continued Pratt. “She’s a tremendous horsewoman who is very patient and very observant. She’s also got a great eye for a horse.”

Chris Pratt (left) with Karen Long Dwight and her husband Glen Fleischer of Take The High Road LLC. (Starting Gate Communications photo)

A lifelong horse owner, as were her parents before her, Long Dwight knows first-hand the time and effort required to be successful in the sport. Devoted to her horses, she enjoys spending time with them each day and watching them train. Her husband, whom she met in New Jersey after being introduced by their mutual dog sitter, was not a horse person but Long Dwight’s influence has clearly worn off. The retired businessman is now Chair of the Equestrian Preserve Committee, an important advisory committee to the Village of Wellington on all horse-related matters, and rides two horses at their farm each morning. Their daily interaction with Pratt has only served to further strengthen their belief in him as the right fit for the Take The High Road horses.

“He’s so easy going, so smart, and thinks things through before he even gets on a horse,” observed Long Dwight, who finished out her competitive career in the Adult Hunter divisions. “He makes a plan and he’s good at sticking to it. He understands the difference between the horses and knowing that some of them like this while others like that. He is good at bridling and saddling them well, and brings with him a top group of vets, massage therapists, and blacksmiths.

“He’s simply the best,” she continued. “He never gets mad; he never gets cranky. He’s always even-tempered. The horses really feel comfortable and safe with him. He even won over Al and won his first grand prix. It was very exciting!”

In addition to Ideaal ES, Lollypop is a recent purchase that the team is excited about. They found the Dutch Warmblood gelding (Cape Coral RBF Z x Lancelot) in Holland on a scouting trip. Owned by a woman whose family also owned a candy factory, the horse had aptly been named Lollypop. Having just turned nine, the grey is still developing and shows great promise.

“He’s a little behind for his age but has lots of blood, is scopey, and is a candidate for jumping some big classes,” said Pratt. “I like the blood; he’s very game, very competitive. He’s a smart and sensitive horse. Our goal this winter is to have him jump in the two-star classes.”

With two quality horses already in the barn, Long Dwight would relish the opportunity to cheer on her own horse and rider at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“We’re hoping that maybe we’ll get to the next Olympics,” she said. “That’s what we’re aiming for. We’ve got two horses now and would like to add some others to the mix. It would be so much fun!”

Pratt has had some big moments in his career, but an Olympic appearance has eluded him thus far. When working for the Grange family’s Lothlorien Farm, he jumped double clear to help Canada win the 2006 Nations’ Cup in Wellington, FL, riding Mustique while Rivendell carried him to the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, the same year. Another career highlight again came in Aachen when Pratt guided Newberry Balia NL to victory in the 2020 Sparkassen Youngsters Cup, considered one of the most prestigious young horse classes in the world for seven and eight-year-olds. He also has numerous Nations’ Cup appearances to his credit, including at top European shows such as CSIO5* La Baule, France; CSIO5* Rome, Italy; and the CSIO5* Nations’ Cup Final in Barcelona, Spain.

Also a respected trainer, Pratt coached Japan’s Shota Ogomori to a spot on the short list for the Tokyo Olympic Games and Canada’s Will Martin to a top five finish individually at the 2021 North American Youth Championships. While he continues to coach a select group of clients, Pratt’s current focus is on the international ring.

“I joke that I’m in the fourth quarter of my career, but I consider this to be one of the biggest opportunities I’ve ever had,” said Pratt, who is also putting the finishing touches on his own farm in Lexington, KY. “I would love to achieve some of the goals I’ve missed in the past. I haven’t yet been to the Olympics, and making another appearance at the World Championships would be amazing. Some of the best memories of my life are from those big shows.”

Pratt sees the partnership with Long Dwight as the ideal culmination of his successful riding career.

“I’m really excited and ready to give 100% effort to get back to the top sport,” said Pratt. “I’ve learned so much from so many people and so many horses through my life, and I am looking forward to putting that knowledge to use. Having the opportunity to realize my goals and finish at the top with Karen and Glen’s support is a magical thing to be doing.”