Laura and Dan Keen: A Marriage Made in Horse Heaven

By Doris Degner-Foster Portraits by Kristie Nichols A serious relationship between an amateur English hunter-jumper rider and a true professional cowboy may seem unlikely, but for Laura and Dan Keen, it works. Together they run L & D Sport Horses near Austin, Texas. They married last October — but have been together for the last

Juri Ito: Finding Shangri-La

By Britney Grover Photos by Shawna Simmons Juri Ito discovered horses by accident while visiting a nuclear power plant in her home country of Japan. She didn’t know then that horses would not only become her life, but that they would lead her to Shangri-La: a little slice of heaven on earth where animals and
Tagged under: , , ,

CANTER Pennsylvania: The Bridge Between Track and Homes for OTTBs

By Britney Grover Many Thoroughbreds are born and bred to race. Some of them love to run and would finish a race riderless; others never quite hit their stride on the track. But they all deserve caring homes when they retire from an injury, lack of competitiveness or after a long and successful racing career.
Tagged under: , , , ,

Daniela Siberio: The Magic of the Lusitano Horse

By Doris Degner-Foster Portraits by Barbara Bower When Daniela Siberio’s mother suggested a riding vacation in Portugal, Daniela wasn’t entirely enthusiastic at first — partly because it had been years since she had ridden, and also because there would be dressage lessons as part of the riding holiday. Daniela’s teen years had been spent riding
Tagged under: , , ,

Daniel Bedoya: Riding For A Living From Bolivia to Texas

By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Kristie Nichols It began some 3,600 miles away from Houston, Texas. It began, even, before Daniel Bedoya was the proverbial twinkle in his parents’ eyes. You might say Daniel’s love of horses began with his father, Daniel Bedoya Senior, who began riding horses when he himself was 10 years old
Tagged under: , , ,

Chloe Reid: From Family Ties to Finals Teams

By Britney Grover Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek Chloe Reid has been around famous equestrians her entire life. Her first time on a horse was with Olympic show jumper Lauren Hough — but Chloe doesn’t even remember it. “While Lauren was the first person to put me on a horse, I only remember it from
Tagged under: , ,

StableStrides: Equine-Assisted Therapy as a First Choice, Not a Last Resort

By Britney Grover StableStrides has been an active force for good in Colorado Springs since 1981. Though it’s had several different names and has developed and expanded its programs over the years, the mission has remained the same: using horses to help people. Now, StableStrides has multiple locations fueled by more than 20 horses and
Tagged under: , ,

Unbridled With Boyd Martin

By Jan Westmark Eventer Boyd Martin is a fan favorite who draws a crowd wherever he goes thanks to his great riding, quick wit, easygoing personality and charming accent. Boyd grew up in Australia as the son of winter Olympians Toy and Ross Martin and believes it was an ideal environment for him as the
Tagged under: ,

Allen Nabors: Leaving Hollywood for Horses         

By Doris Degner-Foster Portraits by Shawna Simmons Allen Nabors has worked for years in movies and television, the most memorable for many fans being his role in “The Big Bang Theory” as Penny’s brief love interest, Doug. But if you meet Allen at a horse show, it’s not likely that he’ll bring up the subject. “It’s something
Tagged under: , , ,

Allison Kroff: Learning by Watching

By Britney Grover Portraits by Kristie Nichols There are a few unusual things about Allison Kroff and her path to being a professional equestrian: She entered her first grand prix when she was just 15 years old, even though she didn’t ride, travel or show with a trainer — but that didn’t stop her from
Tagged under: , , , ,