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“It was one of those days where I felt like it was destiny, that something special was going to happen,” Kyle King tells World of Showjumping about placing second in the CSIO5* 1.60m CPKC International, presented by Rolex, at the Spruce Meadows 'Masters' 2025 with the 10-year-old mare Kayenne Z (Kannan x Canezaro, bred by Kristof Engelen).

To World of Showjumping, the 50-year-old tells about his journey from catch rides to a more business-minded approach, his life-long dreams of the CPKC International, and how he got lucky with Kayenne Z.

Kyle learned to be a horseman while helping his father, Scott King, provide for the family. “My father was a trainer and a horse dealer,” Kyle tells about his upbringing. “We did mid-level horses, but I got lots of good experience riding sales horses. I was pretty much a professional from my pony days. We survived selling horses – and you get good at riding under pressure when you're trying to sell horses for a living.”

I've always had a good skill of riding sensitive horses

“Through my 20s and 30s, I was pretty brave. I've always had a good skill of riding sensitive horses. Therefore, most of my miles in my career have come from horses that maybe weren't working out for other riders for one reason or another.”

Today, Kyle is a permanent resident of Canada, while still riding under the American flag. “I've been residing in Canada for the last six years,” Kyle – whose wife Emily King is Canadian – explains. “We spend winters in California, at Thermal Horse Park, and summers in Canada. Spruce Meadows is one of our usual stops; we normally spend all summer there.”

A team of young professionals helps Kyle run his operation. “They've been with me quite a while now, most of them for three-four years. Michelle Bingham has worked with me for 15 years,” he tells. “In addition to Michelle, Shannon Heathfield – another head groom – has been with me almost seven years, and Althea Salmon for almost four. Rylan Davis is my assistant rider, and he's been with me for two years. He helps me keep the horses fit and going, and is starting to show a little bit as well. In our barn, the mainstay is around 20 to 25 horses, and I compete six or seven of them at the moment.”

It's hard to compete at five-star level without major backers

“To compete at the highest level, you have to have a classy operation, the right people backing you and a strong enough business to support how expensive the sport can be,” Kyle points out. “It's hard to compete at five-star level without major backers. In the last ten years, me and my wife have built a solid business. Now I can afford to compete at this level, as long as I keep horses coming for me – and they're hard to come by. You have to develop them from young horses, which is not so easy in this country, or you have to get lucky and have a horse come along – which is the way it's always been for me. I've always had a horse come along, and this time, I got lucky with Kayenne.”

“My career has been a little side-tracked here and there when it comes to competing at five-star level,” Kyle explains. “I have many miles under my belt, that's for sure. I've always been competitive in the national levels, moving around the East Coast, West Coast, California and Canada. About 10 years ago, when I met my wife Emily, I focused a little more on hanging around one place and not being such a cowboy.”

I would really like to test my skills at the top

“Around the same time, I met Stuart Belkin, who has stood behind me with some nice horses and built a base for me in Langley. My business getting more solid is due to my wife's influence – and maybe I’ve matured. My sales business is not huge; I typically sell 10 to 15 horses a year. A guy in my position has to do all ends of the business. I also do some coaching and clinics. Catch riding is something I used to do a lot, but I've slowed down on that and tried to focus on making a push towards five-star level in the prime of my career. Showing at national horse shows I can always do – I’ve been doing that my whole life and I can be dominant at that level – but I would really like to test my skills at the top.”

At the moment, the 14-year-old gelding Odysseus (Osilvis x Riverman, bred by Patricia Vasey) and the 10-year-old mare Kayenne Z are Kyle’s main two horses. “Odysseus has been with me the longest, I've had him for three seasons now,” Kyle tells. “Kayenne is new to my string – and she was so amazing at Spruce.”

Kayenne Z found her way to Kyle through his good friends Michael Korompis and Kirsten Rombouts. “I've known Michael for over 30 years, and I buy most of my horses from him and his partner Kirsten. I trust their opinion and they source nice horses for my clients as well. One of Kirsten’s closest friends is Ann Carton-Grootjans, who I’ve met when I’ve been to Belgium to look at horses. Ann approached me early in the winter season and asked if I would be willing to ride Kayenne and sell her if they sent her over. She thought Kayenne was a horse with a lot of potential. As Ann herself had had a couple setbacks, she wasn't really doing what she knew Kayenne was capable of.”

I'm very proud of what Kayenne has accomplished in a very short time

“We grew a pretty quick relationship,” Kyle tells about the beginning with Kayenne, who joined Kyle’s string of horses in February this year. “Kayenne suited me and I felt some great potential, so I had to figure out how to secure her for myself. Luckily, one of my good friends, Greg Tomb, was willing to help me out and we were able to put together a deal right before I went to Spruce Meadows. And it turned out to be a great partnership! I'm very proud of what Kayenne has accomplished in a very short time. At Spruce Meadows, she was second in the Queen Elizabeth's Cup and then second in the CPKC International – and those were definitely classes at a level that she had never competed at prior.”

For Kyle, who has never competed in Europe, Spruce Meadows has offered a window to the world outside of North America. “I've always competed as Spruce Meadows, since I was a child,” he explains.

“I've always dreamed of competing in Europe and having a good enough string of horses to go over. I've had good horses throughout my career at different periods, but it never really made sense to go compete in Europe. Also, I've never really been approached by the U.S. team to go do those European tours that many people get experience on.”

“I've always had to make a living at this,” Kyle continues. “About a decade ago, I had a very good string of horses and I was considering going over to Europe. However, there was also very good prize money right at Spruce Meadows, which made more sense at that particular time.”

While Kyle has never had the chance to compete on any national teams, things might look very different in the near future. “I’m in the process of getting my Canadian passport, and I've had some serious talks with Ian Millar about the opportunities that riding for Canada could give me,” he reveals.

“In the U.S., I've never been in any conversation for any kind of teams my whole life. For whatever reason, it's never been a thing. I ride sometimes the more difficult horses and I've just never really been ready for it. Also, I have to make a living, so jumping on teams has never been something I've looked at. I'm very proud to be an American and it's nothing against any of the Americans or the teams – it's just the way it worked out.”

The circumstances are all kind of working out, I feel like it's all coming together now

“When I became a permanent resident in Canada, Mark Laskin was the chef d’equipe and he's been drilling me for years about getting a Canadian passport – and it kind of gives you a goal to get towards. With Kayenne, a horse came into my life that would make team appearances possible. The circumstances are all kind of working out, I feel like it's all coming together now. Especially with a horse like Kayenne, that has potential for big things, next year can be very exciting for us. She's quite green for what she has just done, and I think she's got a bright future ahead of her. I am thankful to the people who believe in me and stand behind us.”

Competing in the CPKC International, presented by Rolex, at Spruce Meadows is something Kyle had envisioned for a long time. “I've competed in the CPKC International four or five times in my life, and I really had a good feeling going into this year’s Grand Prix,” Kyle recalls about the magical day at the Spruce Meadows 'Masters' when he and Kayenne placed second in their third ever five-star Grand Prix-start.

“Kayenne really grew at Spruce Meadows. I don't think most of the world knew what I knew; I had a strong feeling that Kayenne was going to perform well. It has always been a huge dream of mine, probably more than anything, to compete in this class and to be in that circumstance. I truly felt like I've been there before, because I've imagined exactly that scenario. I think in my head, I was maybe going against Nick Skelton or John Whitaker – that's showing my age a little bit. To be going against Scott Brash in the jump-off for the biggest Grand Prix in the world is a dream I've relived in my head a thousand times. It was a pretty surreal moment.”

I had a strong feeling that Kayenne was going to perform well

“Spruce Meadows absolutely takes a special horse,” Kyle continues. “I had trained Kayenne there all summer. We started in the 1.50m classes in June and stepped up into her first 1.60m classes in July during the ‘North American’. She ended up jumping three clear rounds in the Queen Elizabeth Cup, and we were just shy of winning by the smallest of margins. I was pretty confident that if I could get into the 'Masters', we would have a good shot of doing well in the big Grand Prix.”

“It was an especially difficult year to qualify as an individual, because I still ride for the United States and I'm most definitely not on the team,” Kyle points out. “I think I got the one qualifying spot for individuals. To qualify for the Grand Prix during that week was against the odds, because anybody who was in the Nations Cup had a pretty good shot of making it if they went four faults or less in the first round. And then all the pre-qualified riders… it was difficult. However, Kayenne was good; the first night out on Wednesday, she was double clear and we were fifth, which gave us good points.”

“The CPKC International is always something special to walk,” Kyle recalls about his feelings ahead of the competition. “Leopoldo [Palacios] brings out all the natural elements, the jumps are at a maximum size and the tracks are intimidating. Every year, there's something special when you walk that course, and every time, everybody's going, ‘wow, is this jumpable?’ However, when I walked it, I wasn't feeling much pressure at all – it was a very strange day. I was very much in the zone and very confident in the horse I was riding."

I had visualized that moment for many years – and I was ready for it to finally happen

"It was one of those days where it all worked out; never once did I feel like I got nervous, not even before the jump-off, when there was a little blip with Scott's horse. I was prepared, ready to go, and he had to get a shoe back on, which added another five or six minutes. Normally that can get to a rider when you're ready and you are forced to wait. For me, it was one of those days where I felt like it was destiny, that something special was going to happen. I had visualized that moment for many years – and I was ready for it to finally happen.”

“Success breeds opportunities,” Kyle concludes. “From what we showed this summer, I’m manifesting that other horses are going to come along, with new owners who are willing to back me. I have gone to Aachen once with my father, when there was no horse show on. I rode through the ingate on my feet – and it would be an absolute dream to do that on a horse next year.”

15.10.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.