how we start this journey
About Us
Shannon Cobbs
Shannon Cobbs is co owner of Grandview Clydesdales with his wife Karen Cobbs. They are proud to live here in central Florida with their three sons on the family farm. Shannon was born and raised on a farm in Indiana and has had a special place in his heart for animals and the farm forever. At a very young age he was into helping with dairy cattle, beef cattle, chickens, and pigs everyday but his love was always with the horses. At a very young age it was evident that Shannon had inherited his ancestors horsemanship skills and was truly at home with the horses. To say the Clydesdale horse is in his blood is an understatement. Everyday after school he couldn’t wait to get home and train and work with the family horses. He was blessed to be a natural horseman and took up the family showing at a very young age. In both the Hitch classes and the Halter classes Shannon excelled in the Junior and Amerature competitions and was blessed to win numerous national honors in each. At the young age of 15 he was already competing in the professional classes and driving the Grandview six horse hitch all over the country.
Awards and Honors
- Crowned the Classic Six horse hitch Champion, an honor that only 18 farms as to date has ever won in 31 years and counting, and only 3 being the clydesdale breed is a huge accomplishment within the draft horse industry.
- Crowned Reserve Classic 6 horse hitch Champion two different times!
- Voted Best Driver at The National Clydesdale show numerous times!
- Shown, trained and won 314 National Show Championships and awards.
- Shown, trained and won 238 Regional Show Championships and awards and 36 World titles.
- Served on The National Clydesdale Board of Directors.
- Served as the National President of the National Clydesdale Association.
- Served on the Classic Six Horse Hitch Series board.
- Served as the National President of the Classic Six Horse Hitch Series board.
Karen Cobbs
Karen L. Cobbs was born and raised in Manitoba Canada and grew up on a grain farm. Karen showed draft horses with her family growing up and also spent her school years playing many sports. She was inducted into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame, won the overall Bronze medal at the Manitoba Winter Games in Gymnastics, played on a Provincial softball team for 3 years, winning 2 Silver metals.
Karen has degrees in Physical Education, Multi Media and Graphic Design and Animal Health.
She now lives in Ocala Florida with her husband Shannon where they raise their 3 sons, Hessten, Nash and Stone.
Karen Cobbs is co owner of Grandview Clydesdales with her husband Shannon Cobbs. She is also President and CEO of Grandview Invitational Inc. Which is an elite level draft horse hitch show, located in the horse capital of the world, Ocala Florida.
Karen was born and raised into the draft horse world and is the third generation being involved in the Clydesdale industry at elite show level. Her families line of expertise are within the halter ring but Karen’s passion was to drive. She soon had the best teacher in the industry who gave her the opportunity and knowledge to start her driving career. She started driving in competition at the age of 9 and has earned the titles of National and World Champion in the Ladies Cart and Team divisions.
In the world today the true use of the word farm is dying off faster than the population releases.
Our Farm History
The days of small farms that have livestock and land; not just horses is coming to an end. With less than 2% of the world population producing 100% of the food, a lot of people have zero ties or understanding the farm life that our ancestors thought was just daily routine.
When it was time to go to town 100 years ago you went and got your horse, today people couldn’t comprehend the amount our forefathers depended on horses let alone livestock and land. Shannon and Karen are both proud to say that they grew up on not just horse farms but real working farms. Even though they were 1200 miles apart they grew up doing the same chores, the same work everyday because that is what you do on a farm. This is also the way they are raising their sons. It is a tough, hard life of work but it is so rewarding to do something that your ancestors have done for 24 generations. It doesn’t matter if it’s planting 2000 acres of grain, mowing hundreds of acres of hay, milking dairy cows twice a day 365 days a year, raising 1500 head of cattle, having 10000 chickens, or owning 150 Clydesdales at one time Shannon and Karen have truly done ever aspect of a dying tradition, the family farm. It won’t be long until the word farm is used in passing generations and they truly don’t understand what the meaning is. Come take a tour of a true Clydesdale farm and ask questions about all the other aspects of farming that Shannon and Karen have been a part of, it will teach everyone something. The Cobbs lineage has been recorded back to 1240. So if you get the opportunity to see their beautiful custom designed show wagon make sure to take note of the date displayed on the front. The family crest is also displayed on the competitive wagon as well which dates back to 1240 that was imported from Scotland.
*Please note, all ticket sales are final. No refunds.