Talent Agent By Alden Corrigan
Ever wonder how some trainers always seem to have one talented horse
after the other seemingly waiting in the wings? Enter the agent. The agent/
trainer relationship, if done well, can be a beautiful thing, creating a pipeline
of talent just waiting to be tapped. A few lucky trainers who are in the
position to do it, are building “bench strength” much like any professional
sports franchise, so there is no down time for a rider between horses.
The west coast is home to one of the top agents in the show his sale horses for him. His Belgian based partner
country, Ilan Ferder. Much like many talent scouts in the in the horse importing business is his best friend from
entertainment industry, you probably don’t know him, sixth grade, Ilan smiles and adds “We are fortunate to
but you know his stars. Do Ashlee Bond’s Cadett 7, Karl have a really good relationship. He buys the horses and
Cook’s Uno de Laubry, Annie Laurie Cook’s Tucker, or I sell the horses. We only sell top quality horses, mostly
Alec Lawler’s Glen Devon ring a bell? Grand Prix horses. We buy a lot of young horses in
Ilan’s love affair with horses Europe, we develop them, and we
began on a trail ride when he bring them over here to be sold.
was only six years old. Ilan recalls At the moment we have fifteen
“Two months later I had my first young horses. We don’t sell that
horse, and two years later my many every year, but everything we
father built me a barn in Israel. sell has got to be really high end
No one else in the family rides, quality.”
but they really love the horses.” Ilan and his partner have been
Born in Israel, raised in Belgium, selling horses in the United States
and living in United States, Ilan for the past seven years, and in
is a citizen of all three countries. that time he estimates that they
As a teenager he rode jumpers have sold in excess 200 top quality
competitively in Belgium, where horses, largely on the west coast.
he was on the Young Rider team, Asked what he likes best about
before going into the military in Israel. After his tour of what he does for a living Ilan replies “I love watching
duty, he did a brief stint in the diamond business, but felt my horses win” and he smiles a quiet grin. He will
compelled to get back into horses. undoubtedly be on the edge of his seat in Las Vegas,
Ilan still rides, at his own Ilan Ferder Stables in Hidden when Cadett 7 enters the FEI World Cup ring with rider
Valley, but Chris Pratt and Sayre Happy Ashlee Bond hot off her winning streak at Thermal.
Above: Ilan Ferder
(Left to Right): Ilan
Ferder, Ali Niforushan,
Ashlee Bond, Steve Bond
Ilan F
erder
, Jason
& Chris Pratt.
(Left to Right):
McArdle and Max Dolger
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