By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Melissa Fuller
Oscar Wilde famously said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Dani Waldman has taken this advice to heart and has never been bashful about being unabashedly Dani. From wearing yoga pants when tackling show-jumping courses to having thousands of feathers adorning her hair, earning her the nickname “Flying Feathers,” Dani embraces her own style wherever life takes her.
Equestrian life has taken Dani all the way to the top of the sport. Dani was a member of Israel’s first-ever show-jumping team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
In 2022, Dani announced on Instagram that she was taking a break from the sport to carve a new path. “My identity has been shaped so heavily by one overriding element for almost 30 years—that I’m a professional show jumper. It has been a tremendous journey, but a person isn’t just one thing and it’s time I fully explore my other passions,” Dani said. “Horses will always continue to be part of my identity, but for now, my identity is evolving and I’m owning my truth by following my heart.”
Although Dani didn’t want to compete anymore, she realized she still truly loved being part of the sport and wanted to contribute to the industry. Dani is now a sports commentator and media producer, and supports young athletes’ professional development. This past January, Dani debuted her web show “Horse Bytes,” the world’s first weekly global highlights show for the show-jumping world.
Athletic Ambitions
With parents who were professional squash players—Dani’s father was ranked number one in the world and her mother was a nationally ranked player—Dani was inspired to shoot for the stars at an early age. “I grew up in a very sports-oriented and competitive mindset type of household, so striving for excellence was something instilled in us early. It was inspiring and tremendously helpful during challenging times because I had guidance from people who had been through it and persevered,” Dani said.
Just through leading by example, Dani’s parents taught her an important life lesson. “The main thing I learned growing up in this type of environment was the ability to recognize the difference between needing to push through when things got tough and when to sort of ‘cut your losses’ if something wasn’t working out,” Dani said.
She was able to put this lesson to good use once she found her sport of choice—show jumping. Dani stumbled upon equestrian sports in a random fashion. “I was always an animal lover, but a school friend of mine asked if I wanted to take a riding lesson with her when I was 8 years old. I said, ‘Sure, I love horses,’ and that was that,” she said. “I was introduced to jumpers first and I sort of stuck with it. Dumb luck, I suppose.”
By the time Dani was 16, she competed in her first Grand Prix. That same year she also won both the individual and team gold medals at the North American Young Rider Championships. Dani credits her success in the saddle over the years to being fortunate to be under the tutelage of Olympians Frank Chapot, Norman Dello Joio and Todd Minikus.
It didn’t take long for Dani to set her sights on international competitions. After graduating from college, Dani decided she wanted to be a professional equestrian and made the plan to ride for Israel. “I grew up in a very Zionistic family and it was a sense of national pride and community that inspired me from a young age. I never really even considered representing the U.S.; it was always Israel for me,” Dani said. “Basically, it felt like a wonderful duty to bring pride and positive recognition to the country of Israel.”
In 2010, Dani received Israeli citizenship. Three years later she represented Israel at the European Championships in Herning, Denmark, which made her eligible to represent Israel at the 2014 Alltech World Equestrian Games in Normandy. From there, Dani went on to represent Israel at five more senior Championships and be part of the team that secured Israel’s inaugural invitation to the Olympics.
Flying Feathers
Thanks to her now husband, horse breeder, trainer and dealer Alan Waldman, Dani has taken on the moniker of Flying Feathers. Never one to let traditional fashion box her in, Dani was contemplating putting a single feather in her hair to mix things up when Alan suggested she do a head full of feathers. “I guess you could say I ran with the idea,” Dani chuckled.
It should come as no surprise that Dani is often asked what the feathers mean. “The truth is they didn’t start out with some agenda or deeper meaning; I simply thought they were beautiful, unique and different from anything I’d ever seen before. They eventually morphed into this symbol of individuality that I love,” Dani said. “For me they are a form of performance art. They are fashion and aren’t only beautiful to look at, but they give me a creative outlet to design and make each set by hand.”
Through embracing her individuality, Dani hopes she can inspire others to feel comfortable in their own skin as well. Dani’s courage to be herself comes from within. “I find that being vulnerable, whether that means wearing something daring or voicing an unpopular opinion, is the key to overcoming shame about oneself. I think shame is tremendously debilitating, so I try very hard to be brave and take risks without fear of the consequences,” she said. “What’s the worst that could happen? You get a dirty look? Someone ca-caws at you like a bird? You get ridiculed? Been there, done that—I survived!”
Dani is an example that the only things we have control of in this world are our own thoughts. “When I get dressed in the morning and look in the mirror, if I feel great, that’s enough for me. I can’t control what other people think, but I can embrace something that I love and run with that feeling,” she said.
Horse Bytes
Throughout Dani’s time in the equestrian industry, she’s strived to get more spectator/non-equestrian interest in our sport. “Growing up in a huge sports family, the one thing that’s always bothered me about equestrian sports is the lack of sports-like exposure. Even when I was an athlete, I strived to bring more eyeballs to our sport, but the industry just felt like it was missing a media outlet to help bridge the gap between the spectator hobbyists/enthusiasts and the professionals at the top of the game,” Dani said.
After stepping away from competition, Dani began brainstorming a way to help the sport become more “mainstream” and gain a larger audience. In January 2023, after working as a sports commentator, Dani came up with the idea of creating a weekly global highlights show for horse fans across the globe called “Horse Bytes.”
“‘Horse Bytes’ is a centralized place where fans can get a quick, tangible rundown of the consolidated winners, big moments in the sport, current affairs, new innovations, behind-the-scenes from the top professionals and more. We do it in a way that people can digest quickly and effectively know what’s going on without being bogged down by having to search for the information across various channels,” Dani said. “I want this to be the place where people get their weekly update and hear about the changes and updates in the industry in real time.”
Since “Horse Bytes” launched on January 9, 2024, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “There isn’t anything quite like us out there and I hope we can reach the larger horse audience to bring fans closer to the sport and grow the industry within for those of us heavily involved in it,” she said. “So far we’ve already reached over 17 million people!”
Dani has started a larger equine production business, WHIP Productions, with her business partner Nicol Ramsey. “Horse Bytes” is their first product that’s been released to the public so far.
“We have two other large projects in the works and hope to bring them out within the next year or so. Ideally, we want to become the top source for equestrian-related content production in the world—brought to you by professionals who know the ins and outs of equestrian sport and are best equipped to present it to the public,” Dani said.
Dani may no longer be flying around Grand Prix courses in search of clean rounds and fast times, but that doesn’t mean she’s given up her competitive mindset.
“Broadcasting and content production is a whole other ballgame from high-level sport, but the adrenaline and competitiveness doesn’t change! I continue to strive for excellence and my inherent drive only helps to further pursue my new goals,” she said. “I suppose once a competitor, always a competitor, so pushing yourself, stumbling, getting back up and persevering are omnipresent. It’s been an exhilarating transition, from competitor to content creator, and I only hope it stays as exciting as it’s been!”
“Horse Bytes” airs Tuesdays at 12 p.m. EST at youtube.com/@Horse-Bytes
