By Shya Beth What sets dressage rider and artist Vanessa Whittell apart from the crowd is her ability to paint not just the image she sees, but the feeling of the piece through the paint. It’s one thing to be skilled at sketching the design and composition, choosing the right paints, mixing and blending to

By Amanda Picciotto Feitosa Getting to the top of any industry is a mix of determination, expertise and a little bit of luck. Fellow equestrians know adding horses to that equation makes the climb for success even more unique. That’s the case for Sharn Wordley and Craig Martin, two international show jumping athletes who grew

By Ruby Tevis Mary Choate’s impact within the horse show community stretches far and wide. She’s a second-generation steward—inspired by her father, Tom Brennan, who was a steward for USEF and FEI. Mary was raised in a family of eight children on her parents’ farm in Charlotte, North Carolina. In middle school, Mary began hunt

By Rob Jacobs I remind my students that human error occurs, and mistakes are guaranteed to happen whether a rider is learning how to demonstrate a proper “jumping position” or if that rider is preparing for the Olympics. I have had more success giving my students a true understanding of mistakes that are within their

By Liz Halliday-Sharp The dressage phase in eventing is very tough. Not only does the rider need to be accurate and precise, but teaching a fit horse to be relaxed, trained and rideable in the ring when they are ready to run and jump is no easy task.  I also believe that it’s a challenge

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Hannah Waroway If Kirsten Hannah isn’t riding in the show ring, you can find her on the sidelines behind a camera. Kirsten is a junior at North Carolina State, an accomplished equestrian and the owner of a successful photography business—something she started at just 14 years old. Her life is

Gigi Stetler Wellington and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida RV Sales of Broward How did you become part of the horse world?  I was obsessed with horses from the time I was 11. I would see them in a pasture when I was going to and from school every day. My parents were divorced by the time

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Melissa Fuller Brett Ingram has made a lifelong commitment to his equestrian education. From catch riding as a teenager to training carriage tour horses in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, then across the world to the Westphalian Riding School to earn his German trainer certification, Brett’s desire to learn

By George Williams Another year is here and 2023 is looking to be an exciting year for dressage. Because the Paris Olympics are in 2024, we will have the Pan American Games and the European Championships in early September in Riesenbeck, Germany. These two important competitions will determine what other nations will qualify to send a