Emma Crawford: Standing Tall With the Flag—On a Pony
Thursday, July 13 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Britney Grover Portraits by Aubray Vande Corput Not many 11-year-olds dream of Roman riding—standing with one foot on the back of each of two horses or ponies. Not only is that Emma Crawford’s goal, she’s well on her way to being able to do it. Mostly self-taught, she canters bareback on her pony, standing—and
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Eleese Shillingford: Enjoying Every Moment of the Ride
Thursday, July 13 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Melissa Fuller Walking into the show ring, a typical last bit of advice from a trainers is, “Good luck; have fun.” Junior rider Eleese Shillingford is taking that advice to heart as she completes her last Junior year in the Big Equitation classes and Junior hunters. “I’m lucky enough
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Liza Towell Boyd: From Pony Champ to Pony Mom
Thursday, July 13 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Kimberly Gatto Portraits by Melissa Fuller When Liza Towell Boyd and her husband, Blake, brought their newborn daughter Elle home from the hospital, the first thing they did was stop at the barn. It was a tradition that had begun many years prior when Liza’s own parents, Jack and Lisa Towell, had brought
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Christy Cashman: Author, Mentor, Castle-Owner
Thursday, July 13 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Britney Grover Christy Cashman calls herself a “lazy procrastinator,” but it’s hard to believe. She’s appeared in over 20 films as an actress and has produced five. She’s the founder of YouthINK, a nonprofit mentorship program for teens with an interest in the creative arts. YouthINK provides young people of all backgrounds with the
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Charlotte Babbitt: Jumping Into Two Disciplines
Thursday, July 13 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Alex Banks Charlotte Babbitt displayed her competitive streak early in life when, at 14, she moved away from her family in South Lake Tahoe, California, where riding opportunities were slim, to train with Andrea Pfeiffer at Chocolate Horse Farm in Petaluma, California. The eventing world was calling, and Charlotte
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Donna Smyth: Her Colorful Journey as An Equine Artist
Thursday, July 13 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Susan Friedland Studying to become a dental hygienist seems an unlikely path to becoming an equine fine art painter, but for Donna Smyth of Temecula, California, it has been both a practical and colorful journey. Donna, an oil painter with a soft spot for wild horses, describes her style as realism with some
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Ainsley Lynch: Living the Pony Drea
Thursday, July 13 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Jenna Young Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek Many little girls dream of a life with ponies, and at 8 years old, Ainsley Lynch is living that dream. Ainsley not only has a pony of her own that she shows, but is fortunate enough to ride and show other people’s ponies. Training with Jacob
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Adam Steffens and Wendy Petrik: Partnership Built on Friendship and Love of Dressage
Tuesday, July 11 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Cheyenne Lord Portraits by Kristen Scott-Crocker From an early age, both Adam Steffens and Wendy Petrik had a love for the beauty and brilliance of horses. Adam grew up with his mother’s Quarter Horses just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and spent time trail riding with his mother and his sister, Jenna, before moving
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
Nicole Zardus: Training Thoroughbreds for the Eventing World
Saturday, June 17 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Hannah Fichter Portraits by Pam Jensen Nicole Zardus lives for the adrenaline rush. Growing up in rural South Jersey, she continuously passed horses on her daily routes. Her love for horses grew until her begging paid off and her mom agreed to let her take riding lessons. After that, she never looked back
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature
John Mason: Equestrian Education Even Bigger Than Texas
Saturday, June 17 2023
by Elliette Baker
By Laura Scaletti John Mason was fascinated by horses from the start. Growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas, John saw his fair share of cowboy hats, cowboy boots and Wrangler jeans, so it was only natural that his 3rd birthday party was cowboy themed—complete with pony rides. Giving the birthday boy a pony ride only
- Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature