Paige Johnson: Helping Dogs in Need Through Their Voice Rescue

By Julie Unger Portraits by Kathy Russell Eyes are known as the window to the soul, and if you’ve ever gazed into an animal’s eyes, you know this sentiment well. Eyes tell a story, but too often, no one is listening. What happens when you can’t talk, can’t share your story and can’t stand up
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Marissa Degner: One Good Round

By Kathryn McMackin Portraits by Ann Blaine Davidson Many young riders are dreamers. In the mind of an imaginative little rider, a gallop across a field on a pony can become a victory lap at Spruce Meadows. But 22-year-old Marissa Degner describes herself as more of a realist, even as a young girl. “My mother
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Barbara Phillips: The Data Behind a Life Loving Horses

By Britney Grover Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek For Barbara Phillips, living the dream means combining two unlikely worlds: horses and computing. Her passion for horses has followed her through school and a technology career with major companies; now, she’s using her knowledge to advance the horse show industry with Equestrian Connect, revolutionizing paper and
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Jessica Greer: Colorado Dressage Trainer Is Never Done Learning

By Alannah Castro Portraits by Kristie Nichols For as long as she can remember, Jessica Greer has been horse obsessed. Like so many young girls who are born with the horse bug, she spent her childhood looking for any and all signs of horses wherever she went. A surprise on her ninth birthday, however, would
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Connor Husain: Enjoying the Best of Both Worlds – Switching from Eventing to Show Jumping Changes the Course of Hot Horseman’s Life

By Britney Grover Portraits by Shawna Simmons By the time he was 19 years old, Connor Husain was becoming well known as a rising star in eventing. He took the top spot at the 2012 North American Young Rider Championships — his first CCI2* — and became a professional quickly climbing through the levels. Giving
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Kimberly Gatto: Born to Write, Born to Ride

By Kathryn McMackin It’s unusual for Kimberly Gatto to be on the receiving end of questions. An accomplished author and lifelong horsewoman, Kimberly is more likely to be found in the interviewer’s chair, researching for one of her many non-fiction tales. She’s written about the world’s most famous racecourse in “Churchill Downs: America’s Most Historic
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Terri Crowley: Traditional Painting in the Modern World

By Shelby Phillips If you told Monet that you could bring his “Water Lilies” to life without a single paint brush, he would definitely shake his head in disbelief. Mississippi-based artist Terri Crowley does just this, merging two worlds: the old and the new, in an explosion of life at its most colorful. Terri brings
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Ken and Emily Smith: Working and Riding Together

By Dani Moritz-Long Portraits by Shawna Simmons While working and living together can often be a recipe for disaster, that isn’t the case for equestrian power couple Ken and Emily Smith. The owners and trainers of Ashland Farms, which is based in Wellington, Florida, during the winters and Lexington, Kentucky, in the summers, got married
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Amanda Steege: Finding Her Inspiration by Leaving it Behind

By Laurie Berglie Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek While horses have always been a part of Amanda Steege’s life, it wasn’t until her last year of college that she realized they would become her life. Armed with a psychology degree she admits would later come in handy, Amanda set out on a path that would
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Makayla Benjamin: Enjoying Horses From Sweet Briar to Bitterroot

By Carrie Wirth After donning a cap and gown and graduating from Sweet Briar College, 2018 USEF/Cacchione Cup winner Makayla Benjamin packed her bags and road-tripped to Wyoming with her best friend and IHSA teammate Courtney Barry. The two riders hit the trail and headed west for a five-month adventure as wranglers at Bitterroot Ranch
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