“Nobody in their right mind would start coaching riders again after enjoying such a nice, long career away,” said Cass Kordecki with a laugh as she helped pack her 12-year-old daughter Rachel Strong up to attend the Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials (Iowa City, Iowa). Kordecki, who is in her mid-50s now, began her eventing journey in the ‘80s, but life took her away from the sport for a while until her daughter showed a love for horses at a very early age.
Janice Binkley might have 35 years of coaching experience under her belt, but that hasn’t stopped her from working towards a new goal—becoming certified through the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP). “I want to support the program,” said Binkley. “I believe in the program. I really feel like we need to be like the British Horse Society with their certification program, or like the Germans—they know how to do it right.”