Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/218358
PROFILE Left: Derek Petersen is more than just your average horse show dad—he knows the commitment required to develop a horse from scratch to the grand prix level, having done so himself for the first time a decade ago. Now he's watching his son Jared do the same. "It's very cool to see your own son going out there and doing what you have a passion for, and he loves it," he said. Right: Jared Petersen and Titus 2:11, the first horse he's ever called his own, were both grand prix rookies when they entered their first class in 2012. But less than a year later they were making huge waves at the HITS Ocala winter circuit, winning the grand prix there on three consecutive Sundays. on the back of his very first horse, Titus 2:11 (Coleman—Putina, Cascavelle), a mischievous 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding he came to own—depending on your beliefs—by either serendipity or divine intervention. Jared is trained by his father, Derek, 47, an accomplished equestrian, successful breeder and (somewhat surprisingly) 40 W INTER 2013 U N TAC K E D tarpon fisherman, on the family's Legacy Farm. His mother Anita, 48, juggles the economics and logistics of running the farm while his brother Joel, 20, (who doesn't even ride) works every Sunday in the barn, cleaning stalls and feeding and caring for their 35 horses. It's a busy, busy life—but one rooted in hard work, humility, much laughter and strong faith. Because beyond the four corporeal beings that comprise the Petersen family, there is a fifth presence in it: God. They are not your typical horse show family, but the religious references they weave into their conversations are neither sanctimonious nor boastful, facetious nor forced. It's with the simple weight of fact that MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO; ESI PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO "THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY, AS I DIDN'T OWN A HORSE, I DIDN'T OWN BOOTS, I DIDN'T OWN NOTHING. I TOLD THEM I WOULD BE IN IT ONE DAY, AND I GOT TO DO IT." —Derek Petersen