By Lindsay Brock When you catch the bug, it’s hard to get rid of it. That’s what Kevin McCarthy’s father used to tell him about horses. Those wise words, however, did little to dissuade the scrappy young rider from falling head over heels in love with ponies as soon as he was old enough to

By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Shelby Phillips When the Olympic Games roll around, there aren’t many athletes in the world who could say they haven’t imagined what it might be like to compete there. As the ultimate expression of athletic ability and pinnacle of achievement for so many, there are untold numbers of children who

By Britney Grover Portraits by Shelby Phillips Catching the “horse bug” is as unpredictable as a lightning strike — and just as impossible to contain. Elli Yeager first saw a horse when she was 18 months old, and her passion for horses became a force of nature. “The Ventura County Fair was near my house

By Britney Grover Portraits by Shawna Simmons In the show jumping world alone, Georgina Bloomberg’s list of accomplishments is impressive — and nowhere near completed.  She’s both the owner of and rider on the Global Champions League team New York Empire, has a slew of top placings in grand prix and has been instrumental in U.S.

By Britney Grover Portraits by Shelby Phillips To the casual observer, sisters Isha and Raina Swani seem to be a lot alike. When it comes to horses, they are both passionate, dedicated and extremely good junior riders. Between them, they’ve amassed an impressive collection of ribbons and championships, including from Pony Finals, the Washington International Horse

By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Lori Ovanessian What do Spartan competitive obstacle course races, and horses have in common? For one thing, an inventive entrepreneur named Kressa Peterson.  Kressa is a Spartan Race competitor and sporthorse sales businesswoman who has taken her knack for business to the “Shark Tank” stage and walked away with a

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Shawna Simmons Augusta Iwasaki is no stranger to a fast-paced lifestyle. For Augusta, success comes with commitment, and her dedication to riding horses has brought her to competitions in every co rner of the United States. In 2019, at 15 years old, she captured the championship title and her first