Erin Stewart: Patiently Expanding the Family Tradition

By Britney Grover Portraits by Kathy Russell For some, the fact that Erin Stewart is an equestrian professional seems obvious. After all, she’s the daughter of renowned hunter rider and trainer Don Stewart. She grew up in one of the country’s largest hunter sales and training barns, watching her dad win class after class at
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Kelly Wilkinson Coffin: From Pilot to Painter

By Shya Beth Kelly Wilkinson Coffin thrives off of doing what she loves. From her time as a naval aviator deployed in Operation Desert Storm to taking classes for art and joining her husband, Tad Coffin, in their shared equestrian lifestyle, Kelly brings a vibrant and enthusiastic energy to her projects and passions. Kelly spent
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Hannah Irons: From Surprise Pony to Gold Medals

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Melissa Fuller ‘If you believe in your horse, anything is possible,’ is a lesson Hannah Irons holds to tightly. Since her first ride with Lendon Gray seven years ago, the 2020 USEF Young Rider National Champion has learned what it takes to make it in dressage — a discipline she
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Unbridled With Aaron Vale

Show jumper Aaron Vale entered his first Grand Prix when he was only 14 years old, setting the stage for his life in the Grand Prix ring where he has amassed over 250 wins to date. Aaron, who owns the farm Thinkslikeahorse in Williston, Florida, holds the record for the most Grand Prix wins in
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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,
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