Meet Kate Sulzbach: Dressage Trainer, Horse Matchmaker, and Mom of a 9-Month-Old
Updated: Nov 3
If you’ve spent any time at a CDS show, especially our local Earl Warren competitions, you’ve probably spotted Kate Sulzbach. She’s the head trainer at In the Irons Farm in Santa Barbara, the owner of KTS Dressage, and one of the busiest, most enthusiastic people in the barn aisle. Here’s a look at what keeps her going.
A Barn Full of Variety
Kate and In the Irons work with horses of every age and level, which means no two days look alike. “It’s never boring from a training perspective,” and a quick tour of her own lineup of horses shows why.
Limmi, her big 11-year-old Hanoverian, is getting ready for PSG after enjoying some well-earned time off while Kate was pregnant.
Marky (Kjeldbjerg Remarkable), a 5-year-old Danish gentleman, has been showing First Level this year. Next year, the FEI 6-year-old classes may be in his sights. His first trip down centerline came at HITS Del Mar, and despite a few first-time show jitters, he walked out with a 68%. Not a bad debut!
Moose and Squirrel, the farm’s two 3-year-olds, are co-owned by Kate and In the Irons. Moose is out of Matilda (SWB) by Secret, and Squirrel is out of Christi Sulzbach's Hanoverian mare Splenda by Livaldon. Kate and Terri Roccovich (aunt and fellow trainer) are about to start breaking them, so the next chapter is just beginning.
Her Riders Are Shining
Kate’s clients have had a season worth celebrating:
Chloe and Duvall continued their FEI education with their strongest PSG performances yet. They’re so close to that Silver medal.
Chloe Adrian-Giannetto and Juliet Bradley, both Juniors, made the long haul to the GAIG Region 7/CDS Championships 🏆. Chloe placed 3rd against tough competition in Fourth Level Junior, 4-3.
Juliet took home Reserve Champion in both her USDF and CDS Training Level Junior classes, in her very first trip to Championships.
Susan Soderman and Lady Lupita won their RAAC division at the latest SBC CDS Earl Warren show.
As Kate puts it, “These girls are something else and we are beyond proud of them!”
From Eventing to Dressage
Kate began her competitive life as a 3-Day Eventer but fell in love with dressage, and she says that as a trainer, you never stop learning. One of the things she loves most is how the sport rewards correct work over price tags. Some of her most competitive show horses might be a sport pony from Idaho, but if the movement is correct and correctly ridden, they can beat a horse with a big price tag.
Finding Joy in the Little Victories
“With horses, every day can have accomplishments,” Kate says. She gets deep satisfaction from finding the right horse for a client and watching the pair grow into a team, and she finds immense fulfillment in the training process with young horses. Sometimes a student qualifying for CDS Championships or RAAC feels like a bigger accomplishment than her own USDF medals.
Why SBC CDS?
“Who doesn’t want to horse show in Santa Barbara?!” Kate laughs. Having spent plenty of time at other venues around the state, she knows how lucky we are, and she’s thrilled to have joined the SBC-CDS Show Committee to share our slice of paradise with the rest of the California dressage community. Her goal is simple: to keep growing our shows.
She also loves what makes the local horse community special: “No matter the discipline, we always come together when it matters.”
What’s Next?
When asked what she’s looking forward to, Kate, mom to a 9-month-old, didn’t hesitate: sleeping, at some point!
Until then, you’ll find her at the next show, with a great group of horses and riders, a smile on her face, and probably a coffee in hand. Be sure to say hello and congratulate her on a fantastic season!
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