Take the Opportunity to Ride as Many Horses as Possible 

By Nicki Shahinian-Simpson  Nicki Shahinian-Simpson had a successful career as a junior rider in the East, where she won both the ASPCA Maclay National Championship and the U.S. Medal Championship. After moving to the West Coast Nicki continued to place well in major Grand Prix events and has competed in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and
Tagged under: ,

Polo for Life: Helping Families Facing Pediatric Cancer

By Britney Grover Pediatric cancer: Anyone would wish it didn’t exist. Some would like to ignore that it does. Even after surviving it, Brandon Phillips tried to forget about it. “It was 1992 when I was sick, and for many years I never wanted to speak about it,” he said. “I never wanted to do
Tagged under: ,

Phillip Dutton and the Family That Fuels His Success 

By Emily Randolph  The far, wood-paneled wall of Phillip Dutton’s barn office is adorned with sizable, framed ribbons — among them, a large green ribbon that accompanied his bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a tricolor award signifying his win in the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Each one is a testament to
Tagged under: , , ,

Junior Develops Her Own Jumpers and Has Working Student Goals

Gabrielle Adams Chardon, Ohio High School Junior How long have you been part of the horse world?  I’ve been riding for 10 years. I started when I was 7 years old at summer camp. I immediately loved riding and decided to pursue private lessons and joined the 4-H club. There, I tried English, Western, contesting
Tagged under: , ,

A Case for Reinstating the Eight-Fault Penalty for Falls 

By Armand Leone, Jr.  The upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo will be the first time since 1968 that show jumping teams will compete in a Nations Cup format with three horse/athlete combinations per nation and no drop score. The decision to move away from a format of four horse/athlete combinations per nation, which in turn
Tagged under: , ,

Sibling Saga: Whitney LaBrie and Frankie Owens’ Heritage of Horsemanship

By Britney Grover To say equestrianism runs in the Owens family is an understatement. Whitney Owens LaBrie and Frankie Owens are simply the latest generation that inherited the horse passion and have chosen to pursue careers in equestrian sport. Their paternal grandmother, Christine Owens, bred Welsh-Thoroughbred ponies for over 45 years in Virginia. Their father,
Tagged under:

Caroline Martin: A New Path to the Same Goals

By Britney Grover Portraits by Melissa Fuller Keeping up with herself is a tall order for Caroline Martin — and not just because she’s an inch shy of 6’. By the time she turned 18, Caroline had seared her name into the future of U.S. eventing by winning gold at the 2013 North American Youth
Tagged under: , , ,

Spreading the Word on the Power of Light 

Dr. Barbara Anne Murphy Sallins, County Kildare, Ireland Head of Equine Science, University College Dublin; Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, Equilume How long have you been part of the horse world? How did you get started? I rode ponies as a kid, exercised Thoroughbreds as a teenager, did a four-year bachelor of science in equine
Tagged under: ,

Contact and Connection: From His Mouth to Her Hands to Her Heart

By George Williams For many, the terms contact and connection are interchangeable. It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and similarly, in riding, a correct feeling can help us fully understand a single word. In dressage, contact and connection, like so many concepts and words, are best understood once a rider
Tagged under: ,

Luis J. Rodriguez: Realty to the Rescue

By Britney Grover Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek As a realtor with the Luxury Division at Keller Williams in Wellington, Florida, Luis J. Rodriguez is always busy. He spends his time dealing with some of the most beautiful residences in the area, such as the Cypress Island estate in the Palm Beach Polo Club listed
Tagged under: , ,