By Lindsay Brock Mary Helen Shaughnessy has experienced the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) from many different angles — as a wide-eyed junior rider watching her heroes and as a nervous competitor at the in-gate. She’s also traveled the world exploring various roles in the show jumping industry. All those experiences came full circle in

By Britney Grover Portraits by Kristie Nichols Colleen Brombach knew she wanted to be a horse trainer by the time she was 8 years old — before she ever learned to ride. “As a kid I used to go play out in the open fields, running around pretending I was a horse. I told myself,

By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Kristin Lee There’s no shortage of story lines in Samia Staehle’s book of life. From her childhood riding ponies on foreign soil to chasing leads as an Associated Press television producer and now rising through the ranks as an amateur on the West Coast show jumping circuit, Samia’s is a

By Shya Beth Show jumping throughout the years has changed into a global, larger-than-life sport, and the same could be said about Steve Messenger’s colossal equine paintings. Steve has an uncanny ability to collect emotions together on his canvas, bringing his images to life in ways only a truly knowledgeable and talented artist can. Steve

By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Kristin Lee You would never guess that there was a time when Carly Anthony was a timid rider. The winner of multiple USET awards, a successful NCEA equestrian with a national title and All-American honors and currently finding success across the nation, this forward and fashionable equestrian can still humbly

By Susan Friedland-Smith Portraits by Kristin Lee Taylor Hall experienced an unorthodox introduction to horseback riding, which left her confused at the end of her first lesson. Nevertheless, the young horse lover from Santa Clarita, California, persevered, showing successfully on the A circuit and later earning an NCAA equestrian scholarship. While navigating her early career

By Ruby Tevis The horse is a universal symbol of freedom. Like many equestrians, Shane George of Magnolia, Texas, fell in love with the feeling of freedom from the back of a horse. As a USEF “R” judge, Shane has traveled from sea to shining sea to judge competitions. While each horse show was held