Courtney Benton

Hi! My name is Courtney Benton, I have been riding for almost as long as I can remember and eventing for the last 13 years. I am a professional equestrian based out of Red Deer, AB and I run a small grassroots program. This is my second year with Alberta High Performance.

My current horse is MJ Samba, a 2014 Canadian Warmblood mare who was bred right here in Alberta. I purchased Samba as a 3 year old from the Warmblood Breeder’s Sale, and she made her eventing debut as a 4 year old. In 2021, we upgraded to training level, and 1.10m in the jumpers. This upcoming season, we hope to move up to prelim with long term goals of FEI levels. Samba is full of personality and is such a fun partner, her nickname is “Hippo” as she will eat absolutely anything – her favourite treats are jelly donuts and chai tea lattes.

I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a member of the Development Team, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us!