Guy & Sharon McElvain: Hearts for Horses

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Kristie Nichols There’s nothing quite like life when you have love in your heart. From their very first meeting, Guy and Sharon McElvain have let their hearts lead the way in everything they pursue. Together they are not only carrying out the McElvain family tradition of breeding, developing and showing
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Great Coaching From Ring to Rink

Name: Blythe Novick City/State: New Canaan, Connecticut Occupation: Student How long have you been part of the horse world? 10 years What part do you play in the horse world?  I compete nationally in show jumping and regionally in ice hockey. I love that I can experience two completely different worlds. While they may appear
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Reflecting on Retirement

By George Williams Our family recently retired a 10-year-old gelding. These are the moments that tend to make us pause to reflect on why we do what we do. As we get older, one of the many questions we grapple with is, when is the appropriate time to retire? For many of us, especially in
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Unbridled with Shereen Fuqua

By Jan Westmark Shereen Fuqua loves her life — which includes her husband, Jeff; daughter, Kat; their Collecting Gaits Farm and all the horses and ponies that call it home; supporting the horse show world; and her company. “My company of 14 years produces chewing gum for horses, GumBits. It’s a product that makes people
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Kerrigan Gluch: From Working Student to Nations Cups

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Melissa Fuller  When Kerrigan Gluch was 15, she took a leap of faith. The horse-loving teenager left her family and normal lifestyle behind to chase her dreams of dressage success, gold medals and international competitions.  At 23, Kerrigan’s dreams have come true. Though her career is just getting started, Kerrigan
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Coursewalk with Heather Caristo-Williams

What do you consider when suggesting that clients move up a division? When determining the right time to move up divisions, I like to make sure that both the horse and rider are confident. I want them to have had some consistent success in their current division: consistent being the key word here. I’d rather
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Saving Florida Horse Farms

Name: Busy Shires Byerly City/State: Micanopy, Florida Occupation: Director of Conservation Strategies, Horse Farms Forever How long have you been part of the horse world?  My whole life! My twin brother and I were raised on a horse farm near Alachua, Florida, by my mom, Cyndy Shires. In the 1970s, my mom organized the very
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Deborah Ettenger: A Special Horse Changes Lives

By Doris Degner-Foster Deborah Ettenger knows firsthand how the power of horses can help people, as she dealt with both physical and mental challenges. When her late husband was battling cancer and subsequently passed away, Deborah credits horses and riding with helping her persevere. “Going to the barn and focusing on me and the horse
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Everything Eventing with Boyd Martin

There’s a lot of talk about your new conditioning pool. Can you tell us about it? One of the great things about working with US Eventing Team Chef d’Equipe Erik Duvander is he’s a constant source of new ideas. One of the thoughts that he put in my mind last year was how to improve
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Dylan Ryan: Inspiring Riders of All Races

By Lori Ovanessian with Britney Grover Portraits by Lori Ovanessian In the Southern California horse show world, 20-year-old Dylan Ryan is redefining what it means to be an amateur rider. To those who know her, it’s not surprising: She’s spent her entire riding career breaking molds.  As a senior, Dylan has had to fit riding
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