Who is Kyle C. Morton ?

At just 22 years old, Kyle C. Morton is chasing an ambitious dream: to one day win an Olympic gold medal in eventing. Already experienced in high-level competitions, he has competed up to the 4* level in eventing and has also competed in show jumping up to 1.40m.

His philosophy is simple:

Find the best way to allow both your horse and yourself to work together toward your goals. A rider must listen to their horse—its needs and its requests—and when that happens, there isn’t much they can’t accomplish.”

Staying true to this vision, Kyle works with each horse with cooperation and respect in mind. For him, it’s never about forcing the animal, but rather guiding it with patience and kindness to bring out its full potential.

Looking ahead to the next Olympics, Kyle has been selected by the Canadian federation as part of the development squad. Alongside Group A and Group B, the three squads are part of the Canadian National Eventing Team program.More informations HERE

As a NACA team rider, Kyle took some time to answer a few questions so you could know him better. (thank you Kyle for that !)

 

What inspired you to start eventing, and how did you get into the sport?

I started eventing when I was 9 years old, it was after I got my first pony when I noticed some cross country jumps out in the field at my local yard. They were long out of use but I wanted to try jumping something that to me was very foreign and different. I instantly fell in love with the whole idea of Eventing and have never looked back since.

My first coach and mentor was Canadian Olympic rider Michele Mueller. When I was ten, my parents bought my first eventing horse from her, and I stayed by her side for many years as a working student until her retirement in 2018.

Later on, I continued my training with another Canadian Olympic rider, Ian Roberts, who helped me improve my show jumping, and with Karin Davis, an Australian Grand Prix dressage rider.”

 

How did you end up in Germany?

Partly thanks to a chance encounter with German dressage rider Elly Schobel, whom I met in South Carolina in 2019. After a six-week internship at her stables, she encouraged me to continue my training with some of the best eventers in Germany.

I went to work at the stables of Sven Lux, rider of the famous Michael Jung (4 Olympic medals, 3 World Championship medals, 5 European Championship medals). In 2022, I joined Michael Jung’s stable as a home rider for a year. Then in 2023, I opened my own stable, a dream come true.

 

What’s your favorite phase in eventing: dressage, cross-country, or show jumping, and why?

My favourite phase in Eventing would be the cross country of course, an answer which may be cliché but is entirely true. Cross country is the heart and soul of Eventing, it is what truly tests the connection between horse and rider, in my opinion. To ride the big events, a horse must truly trust its rider and vice versa, and that is something beautiful within our sport.

 

Do you have a standout horse in your career? What makes them special?

The special horse in my career would be Shannondale Gambit. What makes him truly special is his heart, he has a drive like no other horse I know. Gambit is a horse that simply loves his job and will do everything in his power to make sure that we are both safe and enjoying ourselves. He is a cross country machine, maybe not the fastest horse in the world no, but he can get us out of anything or anywhere with how quickly

 

How do you prepare yourself and your horses for competition?

My training routine for my horse contains a 6 day week wherein we do dressage twice a week, jump once a week, cross country/hack once a week and condition training twice a week. I like to really try to make sure that my horses get off property in a non-stressful way at least once a week in order for them to have a chance to relax and know that change is not something to stress about. Their mental health is of the utmost importance to me and my training schedule. For myself, I make sure that I am eating healthy, having consistent training sessions and working out to keep myself fit enough for the Three Day Events.

 

What’s your most memorable competition experience?

My most memorable competition experience until now would be finishing my first 4*. The feeling of crossing the line at Montelibretti last year was incredible, it was a culmination of years of work all coming together. I have brought Gambit up since he was 4, through the national levels in Canada and then up the FEI levels in Europe. And that feeling of reaching 4* with him was incredible.

 

What advice would you give to someone starting out in eventing?

Advice I would give to somebody starting out in eventing is, never give up. Eventing can be a very daunting and even scary sport, and sometimes people may not really explain how it all works very well to you. But don’t let this scare you, Eventing is the true test of horse and rider, of the relationship between a person and nature within the athletic world. It’s a beautiful thing, so stick with it and I promise you it will be worth it.

 

What is your ultimate goal?

To represent Canada at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. That’s a dream I’ve had for as long as I can remember.

 

Why did you choose NACA helmets?

The first word that comes to mind when I think of NACA is innovation. These helmets are at the cutting-edge of technology—both strong and lightweight—which is crucial for an event rider.

 

How would you describe your experience with the brand?

My experience as a part of the NACA family has been very much like being in a family. NACA has supported me for years now and have always been kind, giving, and motivational. Whenever I need something, I am always answered within the day and made sure that whatever it was I needed is more than taken care of. I couldn’t ask for a better relationship from a company than I experience with NACA.

 Kyle C. Morton is a shining example of determination and professionalism. With ambitious goals and top-of-the-line equipment such as his NACA helmet, he is doing everything in his power to succeed.

Based near Hamburg with his partner, Norwegian 4* event rider Cécilia Lundberg, he continues to push forward. Together, they form a strong team, driven by the same desire to progress day after day.

 

Copyrights Jasmin Jung https://www.instagram.com/elevengatesagency/
et Alicja Węgrzyn  https://www.instagram.com/a.w.fotografia/

Suivre Kyle : https://www.instagram.com/kylecmortoneventing/
https://kcmeventing.com

Au sujet de Cecilia Lundberg : https://www.instagram.com/_cecilia_lundberg_/