About Lauren Hough
Hidden between the green and gold Northern California foothills, Lauren’s riding career began at Sutton Place, her parents’ riding stable. It is no surprise that Lauren was riding before she could walk, as she comes from a long lineage of equestrians. Her father, Charles “Champ” Hough was a Team Bronze Medalist in three day eventing at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Her mother Linda Hough was a top hunter rider and operated a successful hunter/jumper show stable for over 25 years. Lauren’s very early start began in the pony ring. She earned numerous tri-color ribbons with the small pony, Swan Song, but the jumps did not stay small for long. She had numerous successes in the Junior Hunter and Equitation rings and was a member of the 1993 Gold Medal Zone 10 Junior Jumper team. But her true passion was found in the Jumper Ring, and in 1994 Lauren won the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, and was named the Pacific Coast Horseman’s Association Grand Prix Rookie of the Year at the age of 15. This was just the beginning.
A three-time Pan American medalist who is currently ranked among the top 50 riders in the world, Lauren has represented Team USA at the Olympic Games and World Equestrian Games, in addition to seven FEI World Cup Final appearances.
Lauren was a member of the 2000 Sydney Olympic squad. She won the National Horse Show Grand Prix back-to-back in 2001 and 2002, and in 2003 she was a member of the Gold Medal-winning Pan American Games Team in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Demonstrating her tenacity, she rode in the selection trials with a broken collarbone.
From 2004 through 2006, Lauren was a member of successful U.S teams competing in the Samsung Super League. In 2004, the team finished in 4th place; in 2005, the U.S. finished 1st; and in 2006, they were 2nd. In 2006, she was 4th overall in the FEI World Equestrian Games Selection Trials, which qualified her for the short list for the games in Aachen, Germany. Lauren was a member of the 2007 Pan American Games Bronze medal-winning team.
Lauren and her mount Quick Study have had tremendous success together in recent years. Lauren and Quick Study’s accomplishments include: team member of the winning Nations Cup effort at CSIO Rome in 2009; winning the Grand Prix in Hamburg in 2010; member of the winning US Nations Cup team in Rotterdam CHIO, 2010; Show Jumping team member at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky; 1st in the $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup (2011); 1st place in the $150,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix (2011); 3rd place in the $231,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix and 2nd place in the FTI $500,000 Grand Prix Finale (both 2011); 1st place in the Grand Prix of Ireland and the 1st place Saint-Lo Grand Prix in France (again, both 2011).
In 2012, Lauren teamed up with a young mare named Ohlala, and ever since they have been tough to beat. Some of their 2011 victories included winning the Sparkassen-Youngster Cup at prestigious Aachen, Germany; 1st place in the $32,000 International Open Jumper Class at the Washington International Horse Show; 1st place in the $50,000 Chartis Insurance Company International Jumper Speed Class at the Alltech National Horse Show, and 1st place in the $32,000 International Jumper Class at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
2013 was another successful year for Lauren and Ohlala, with many more highlights that included winning the Spy Coast Farm 1.45m class at WEF; 1st place in the $33,000 G&C Farm Speed at WEF; winning the Massimo Dutti Prix at the Longines Global Champions Tour in London and winning the Sky Sport Trophy at the Horse of the Year Show in Birmington, UK. Lauren also represented the United States as a Nations Cup Team member in at Rotterdam, Gijon and at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters.’
In 2014, Lauren garnered many more top placements and wins. Lauren and Ohlala won the Massimo Dutti Prix. Ohlala was second in the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Round 10, second in the CSI3* Horseware Ireland Grand Prix, third in the $200,000 American Invitational and third in the CSI3* Grand Prix of MVV Energie Mannheim. Lauren and Bockman's Lazio won the $25,000 Suncast 1.50 Meter Championship Jumper Classic. Lauren and Reconnaissance finished second in the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 2. Lauren earned the Leading Lady Rider award for the 2014 WEF season, and was named to the 2014 Alltech World Equestrian Games short list.
The highlight of 2015 was Lauren's successful trip to the Pan American Games in Caledon, Ontario, where she put in Team and Individual Bronze medal winning performances with Ohlala, now a full fledged international mount. Lauren spent the summer season competing on the CSI5* circuit throughout Europe, where she garnered several top placings with her veteran partner Quick Study, and developed her up and coming string and Cornet 39, Reconnaissance, Upfront and Royalty Des Isles into top international mounts.
During 2016, Lauren notched several strong finishes during the first few months of the year, including a podium result with Ohlala for the USA in North America’s only Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup competition at Ocala, Florida and a win in the $130,000 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Washington. With Cornet 39, Lauren won the Winter Equestrian Festival Week 11 CSI4* Grand Prix, and was subsequently named to the Olympic Short List for the USEF Show Jumping Team.
Lauren's 2017 season kicked off with multiple top placings throughout the winter circuit in Wellington, Florida as well as another strong performance in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup CSIO4* in Ocala, Florida, this time aboard Cornet 39 contributing to the second place overall finish for the United States. For the past several months, Lauren has also competed along the Longines Global Champions Tour, as well as a rider in the Global Champions League as a member of the new GCL team, Chantilly Pegasus.
Some of the most memorable moments thus far; Lauren's spectacular victory in the Great American $1 Million at HITS Ocala aboard Ohlala and victory in the 1.50m ranking class at Bolesworth International Horse Show CSI4* in Tattenhall, England. Adding to an impressive European campaign, Lauren was a member of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Teams that clinched Nations Cup gold in Sopot, Spruce Meadows, and the history making all-female quartet in Dublin. Most recently, Lauren and Ohlala contributed to the silver medal for the United States at the Longines FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona at the end of September.
Lauren attributes her success not only to her wonderful horses and owners, but to her extensive support staff that makes her accomplishments possible: her grooms, vets, farriers and all the other people who help Lauren and her horses compete at the very top level of competition. Of course, none of this could have been possible without the love and support of her parents. Linda and Champ are her biggest fans and one of them usually can be found in the grandstand waiting nervously for their daughter to compete. When Lauren isn’t traveling the world showing her horses, she calls Wellington, Florida her home. During her downtime, she loves to read and exercise at the gym. She also loves to cook and entertain and enjoys spending time with family and friends.