Juan Matute Guimón: The Passion to Expand a Legacy
Wednesday, March 28 2018
By Britney Grover Portraits by Shawna Simmons Juan Matute Guimón is one of a select group of riders whose passion and talent for horses was inherited from a successful equestrian parent. Juan’s father, Juan Matute Sr., won the 1982 Young Rider World Championships and was on Spain’s Olympic dressage team three times, even standing as
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Amy Summer Ellison: From Ponies to Punk Rock to Fine Paper Goods
Tuesday, March 20 2018
By Susan Friedland-Smith Portraits by Kristin Lee Photography A degree in political science, job experience as a welder and a stint on the punk rock party scene seem unlikely ingredients for launching a boutique graphic design business, but unconventional is conventional for entrepreneur Amy Summer Ellison. It all started when Amy went to a Photoshop
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Kelli Cruciotti: Like Mother, Like Daughter
Tuesday, March 13 2018
By Dani Moritz-Long Portraits by Shawna Simmons Kelli Cruciotti’s life could be wrapped up in a well-known saying: Like mother, like daughter. While Kelli is the daughter of Serenity Farm’s Cindy Cruciotti and is following in her mom’s footsteps, she is also quickly coming into her own. The ambitious young rider is gaining national acclaim
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Brian Feigus: Succeeding by Being Himself
Tuesday, February 27 2018
By Britney Grover Portraits by Allen MacMillan From his fun-loving side to his determination, Brian Feigus’ personality has set him up for success as a rider and trainer. His attention to detail has earned top awards in the hunter and equitation rings; his love of life and sense of humor make him a favorite of
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Jamie Barge: Hearing Loss Doesn’t Hold Her Back
Thursday, February 08 2018
By Britney Grover Portraits by Kristin Lee Photography Like many equestrians, Jamie Barge’s passion for horses and riding was inherited from her mother, but has turned into something much bigger. “I begged for riding lessons for Christmas,” Jamie recalled. “Santa brought me a package of 10 riding lessons.” Her family moved from Pasadena, California, to
- Published in General, Sidelines Spotlight
Hillary Irwin: Continuing a Thoroughbred Tradition
Thursday, January 25 2018
By Mary McCashin Eventer Hillary Irwin’s love of off-the-track Thoroughbreds is part of the 29-year-old’s DNA. It all started when her grandparents bought a horse out of the newspaper in the 1960s. That horse turned out to be a pregnant Thoroughbred mare, which set her grandparents on a path of breeding racehorses that lasted until
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Jennie Brannigan: The Grit To Stay on Top
Monday, January 22 2018
By Dani Moritz-Long At 22 years old, eventer Jennie Brannigan was poised for Rolex and even the 2010 World Equestrian Games. She had the perfect partner in Cooper, a horse she had started as a 4-year-old, and an impressive track record — winning nine of 10 events in 2007–2008, landing atop the 2008 Adequan/USEA Gold
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Country Music & Mustangs: An Iconic Pairing of the American West – Lacy J. Dalton Uses Her Talents to Help the American Mustang
Tuesday, January 09 2018
By Lauren Mauldin From Nashville to Nevada, country music singer Lacy J. Dalton’s life has been driven by the pursuit of freedom. With almost a 40-year-long career that has touched millions, Lacy now uses her musical talents to help bring awareness to the plight of the American Mustang. Born into a family of musicians, Lacy
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Up in the Air with Rebecca Randall
Thursday, January 04 2018
By Doris Degner-Foster Rebecca Randall joked that she became a pilot because her best friend in high school needed a college roommate, and it’s partly true. Rebecca didn’t have college plans in high school but when her friend urged her to consider going to Kent State in Ohio to be her roommate, Rebecca began to
- Published in General, Sidelines Spotlight
Sara Kirby: It’s Just Good Horse Training – Female English Trainer Wins a Western Man’s Competition
Wednesday, December 06 2017
By Britney Grover Photos by Rebecca Tolman Quarter Horses, rodeos and cattle work are the predominant elements of the equestrian scene in Utah. Western horses and riders outnumber English perhaps 10-1. But last March, hunter-jumper trainer Sara Kirby defied the odds and helped bring a little more exposure to the Utah English equestrian community when
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight