Catching Up With Rachel Kennedy
Rachel Kennedy is a name known to most riders. Not only is she an accomplished rider, but an accredited trainer. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native has had quite the career and continues to love what she does every day. After a successful 2012 season, Kennedy looks forward to continued victories with the twenty horses she will bring down to Wellington, Florida to compete at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.
It was so interesting to learn about Rachel Kennedy’s past and interview her for this blog. For those of you who don’t know, Kennedy started her riding career at the age of five under the instruction of Jack Trainor of Here And There Farm. You would think that she was born on a horse by the way she puts in seamless hunter rounds and the way she acts around horses; however it was a friend that introduced her to the sport. Amy, a friend that she walked to school with every day, one day invited young Kennedy for a riding lesson at Here and There Farm. In 1969 she took her first riding lesson and paid $2.00. Equestrians today can only dream these prices still existed!
Kennedy never really owned any ponies of her own, but she is proud to say that she was the thirteenth rider to successfully pilot the infamous pony “Dresden” to victories. Even though Kennedy did not own ponies she was lucky enough to ride all of the sale horses that came through the barn. Not only did riding sale horses educate her about the different types of horses, but it prepared her for anything. What also educated Kennedy was the presence of foxhunting in Jack Trainor’s barn. She accredits much of her success and wisdom to Jack: “I met a lot of people and made a lot of friends and connections because of him” she recalls. “Jack taught me how to be a horseman, how to really understand horses.”
When Jack ran into a bit of a problem with an assistant, he asked eager and horse-crazed Kennedy to step in. While Jack continued to foxhunt, she tended to the farm and often times took horses to horse shows by herself. At only 18 years of age, her talent and experience shined. She was able to balance commuting to college for four years with managing Here And There Farm. Not only did she have to complete her assignments, but she had to complete all the barn chores and ride most of the horses.
As time went on Kennedy went on to meet her husband Oliver and ended up moving two and a half hours away to Maryland. For some time she continued to commute back and forth to Jack’s farm to make sure everything was running smoothly. When business started to get slow at Here And There Farm, Kennedy got the crazy idea to start a business on her own. “When I had enough horses to have a farm name (I am very superstitious) I decided to go under my husband Oliver’s company name, “Equestrian Sports and Promotions Inc.” she explains. It was from the company name that Kennedy was able to come up with ESP Farm. Most people do not know the story behind ESP and “Over the years friends and customers have decided other funny things the initials ESP could stand for” she laughs.
Today, Rachel Kennedy is very well-known amongst the equestrian community. With talented mounts and many wins under her belt, she can still look back at her proudest moments. Winning three consecutive AHSA (now USEF) horse of the year awards on Bittersweet (1989-2000) and winning three USHJA International Hunter Derbies on Ebony (2008-2010) are amongst her favorite accomplishments.
Kennedy is quick to skip over her own accomplishments because she never has enough nice things to say about her clients victories. “I think the two proudest moments ever for me were when my student Kaitlin Campbell and “Rocky W” won the Upperville Grand Prix and watching my son, Will, show “Chappie” in the Low Children’s Jumpers to win the Zone 3 Year End Award this year.”
Some other accomplishments of ESP Farm from the 2012 season are:
• Kaitlin Campbell and Rocky W won The Blue Rock Grand Prix, The Vermont Summer Grand Prix, The Hagyard Classic Grand Prix at Kentucky Summer, and The KHJA Grand Prix.
• Kaitlin Campbell and Rocky W were 3rd in the World Cup Class at the Kentucky National.
• ESP Farm’s young horse, Grand Pleasure, won a team silver at Young Riders and was 2nd to Rocky W in The Hagyard Classic Grand Prix and the Vermont Summer Grand Prix.
• Sara Parrish and Tommy Tune were 11th at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, 9th in the NAL Adult Jumper Finals, and 5th in the WIHS Adult Finals.
• Julian Curry and Golden Opportunity were Champion at The Upperville Horse Show, The Bluegrass Festival, the Maryland Horse & Pony Show, and Capital Challenge. Julian was also Best Child Rider at Upperville and the Maryland Horse & Pony Show. At Capital Challenge he was awarded the Stewart Warner Award.
• Jillian Clay and True Quintender won classes at Capital Challenge, Harrisburg, and got top ribbons at the Washington International Horse Show.
Rachel Kennedy is so proud of all her students and explains that they have big goals for the 2013 season. She and her assistant Brittany Tasho are eager for the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival to begin and have high hopes for the horses. Kennedy is most excited to be with her friends in one place for three months, not to mention enjoy the beautiful weather. Personally, the FEI Nations Cup presented this year by G&C Farm is her favorite class to watch. “It is electric and everyone is routing for his or her home country” she explains.
Although the clients of ESP Farm have varying goals, Kennedy has a few of her own. “My goals are for my horses to stay happy and sound and for my clients to be successful, then I know I’ve done my job” she notes. Like many professionals, Kennedy would also like to keep her sanity and composure throughout the season. Don’t we all!
For those of you that don’t know Rachel Kennedy she is 100% committed to her horses, family, customers, and friends. She is a very enthusiastic horsewoman with an electrifying humor and personality. For a busy professional, she took the time to catch up with us and thoughtfully highlight her past, her results, and her goals. Needless to say it will be great fun to write about Kennedy and ESP Farm again as they continue to dominate in the show rings.
FTI WEF 
I used to ride with Rachel when she had Bittersweet. They were both so wonderful to spend time with and I learned so much. I am so happy to see such a wonderful article written about an incredible horsewoman.
Lee Wells Bender