Samia Staehle: Big Dreams and Stories Worth Telling

By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Kristin Lee There’s no shortage of story lines in Samia Staehle’s book of life. From her childhood riding ponies on foreign soil to chasing leads as an Associated Press television producer and now rising through the ranks as an amateur on the West Coast show jumping circuit, Samia’s is a
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Taylor Hall: Life, Fashion and The Tried Equestrian

By Susan Friedland-Smith Portraits by Kristin Lee Taylor Hall experienced an unorthodox introduction to horseback riding, which left her confused at the end of her first lesson. Nevertheless, the young horse lover from Santa Clarita, California, persevered, showing successfully on the A circuit and later earning an NCAA equestrian scholarship. While navigating her early career
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Boots For Troops: How a Family of Equestrians Is Giving Back to America’s Veterans

By Ruby Tevis The horse is a universal symbol of freedom. Like many equestrians, Shane George of Magnolia, Texas, fell in love with the feeling of freedom from the back of a horse. As a USEF “R” judge, Shane has traveled from sea to shining sea to judge competitions. While each horse show was held
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Kendel Neidermyer: From Front Flips to FWORDS

By Doris Degner-Foster Portraits by Michael Paniccia Kendel Neidermyer has successfully fused couture fashion design with active sports clothing, including riding apparel. Although she doesn’t ride, she considers herself a part of the horse community. “I had this moment in the first recognized show that I attended — it was the Longines Masters in New
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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