Rider To Teacher: Victoria Colvin Bases New Enterprise In The Wellington Area
Born and raised in Wellington, Victoria Colvin knows the community like she knows the back of a horse. Now 20 years old, the young phenom is taking the next step in the equestrian industry by graduating from student to teacher.
Following a highly successful junior career as one of the winningest young riders in history, Colvin is striking out on her own and launching her own enterprise.
In only her first year as a professional, she recently opened the doors to her own business bearing her name, Victoria Colvin LLC, and has already achieved considerable success.
Based locally, Victoria Colvin LLC offers clients the elite opportunity to train with an acclaimed show rider and trainer. Colvin’s students will further have the opportunity to compete at horse shows across North America during the spring and fall, as well as in Wellington at the world-famous Winter Equestrian Festival during the winter season.
The new venture also inclu–des a strong focus on finding, developing and selling quality young show horses with the hope that they will each bring success to their future owners.
“It was never a question that when I started my own training business that it would be located in Wellington,” Colvin said. “Growing up in horse country around equestrians from around the world definitely fostered my riding, and I want the same to be true for my students. Wellington is home to a quality of training and competition that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Uniquely qualified to develop successful riders, Colvin is known for her prowess in all three riding rings — hunter, jumper and equitation — and boasts an impressive list of victories accumulated throughout her career. A natural horsewoman from a young age, Colvin first caught the attention of the competitive equestrian community with her domination in the pony ring as a child, and grew to be a renowned talent.
She made her Grand Prix debut at the ripe age of 13 in 2011, ultimately winning the $25,000 Spring VI Grand Prix in front of a hometown crowd in Wellington aboard Monsieur du Reverdy, beating out 30 seasoned competitors in her first effort.
Colvin spent the majority of 2014 and 2015 leading victory gallops as the top junior rider in the country, earning nearly all of the major junior equitation championships in unprecedented fashion. A proven Grand Prix contender, she has since accrued a number of wins to her name, most recently the 2016 $40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show in Kentucky.
In the hunter ring, Colvin added her name to the history books as the 2017 winner of the $268,550 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, topping a field of more than 80 horses and riders aboard John and Stephanie Ingram’s Cuba.
With high-profile owners seeking her out to ride their horses in every ring, the potential to add more accolades to her name is constantly growing, but Colvin has not forgotten her beginnings in South Florida.
“Some of the highlights of my competitive riding career have come from the Winter Equestrian Festival and other horse shows at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center,” Colvin said. “I’ve done everything from the pony ring to the Grand Prix. I know those show grounds well, and having them practically in my backyard is really special. Though I’ve traveled all over the country to ride, Wellington will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Colvin’s many accomplishments have propelled her to widespread recognition in the equestrian sphere, and her uncanny talent has led her to train with a multitude of elite trainers, most recently the legendary George H. Morris, who has described her as the most naturally gifted rider he has ever met and envisions her as a future Olympic medalist.
If all goes well, and Colvin continues to work her way into the show jumping limelight, Wellington just may have another hometown rider to cheer for at a future Olympic Games. For now, only time will tell. “There is a lot going on in my life right now between riding, instructing, traveling and competing. Though I’m very proud of everything I, as well as the horses, owners and trainers that have helped me along the way, have accomplished, I’m always looking for the next step,” Colvin said. “I’m currently bringing along two horses of my own, and I’m eager to find a few more high-performance horses with the hopes of competing internationally.”
Though she has her eye set on global stardom in the future, Colvin has not forgotten her roots. While competition may take her from her hometown, the Wellington native always knows that she will be back, now with a new business to manage.
“Not only is Wellington my home and the base of Victoria Colvin LLC, but I’ll be returning to the Winter Equestrian Festival year after year. It’s the place to be for all things equestrian,” Colvin said. “Wellington will always be where I was raised and where I had my introduction to riding. I’ll always be grateful for that, and this town will always be my home.” Visit www.victoriacolvin.com to learn more about Victoria Colvin LLC.
