Graceful Transitions in Life and Riding

By Rob Jacobs   Spring is here! Most of us have “hunkered down” for the winter months. Those who flew south are now making their way back north. Many transitions happen this time of the year. My last column was on developing healthy friendships with those who share your equestrian passion. This month I would
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The Value of Instructor Certification

By George Williams   Often, I wonder why the idea of instructor certification doesn’t take off and I was not expecting, “What if I fail?” as the response when I questioned a young professional on why she and her peers were not taking part in an instructor certification program. Aside from my immediate thought of
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Unbridled With Stephanie Lightner

By Britney Grover   Stephanie Lightner grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where she fell in love with riding. After college, she moved to California. “I thought I would just be moving there for a few years, but I started working with Robert Ridland at Showpark of San Diego and never stopped,” she
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TAKE2: Second Careers for Thoroughbreds

By Laura Scaletti   Each year on the first Saturday of May, there’s one thing on many Americans’ minds: Who is going to win the Kentucky Derby? For two minutes, the sports world is transfixed on the athleticism of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. Out of the 20,000 Thoroughbreds that are born each year, only 20 will have
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Priscilla Baldwin: Living for Adventure

By Ruby Tevis   Live life to the fullest—that’s the goal for most of us—and Priscilla Baldwin has taken this mission to heart. From her humble beginnings in West Hartford, Connecticut, to today, Priscilla has followed her passions, taken risks and learned along the way. She’s an entrepreneur, has lived abroad and has sailed to
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Miranda Jones: From the Courthouse to the Show Ring

By Tafra Donberger There are people who are motivated, and then there are people who are driven. And if you needed to put Miranda Jones in one of those groups, she’d break the boundaries and be in a group all her own, because she is both of those things and more. Miranda is a litigation
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Liz Halliday-Sharp and Her Never-Give-Up Attitude

By Kimberly Gatto Portraits by Melissa Fuller   Of the many lessons that Elisabeth “Liz” Halliday-Sharp learned from her father, resilience was perhaps the most important. Liz’s innate ability to overcome adversity has served her well in her quest to become one of the top event riders in the world. Through the highs and lows
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Jim Hagman: Building a Legacy Horse by Horse and Rider by Rider

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Lindsey Long There was electricity in the air as the greatest athletes in the world arrived in Los Angeles, California, to take part in the Games of the XXIII Olympiad in 1984. Forty miles down the road, in Ventura County, California, another lifelong dream was about to come to fruition
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Frankie Thieriot Stutes: One Horse and One Woman Wonder

By Laura Scaletti Photos by Lauren Ann Pace Frankie Thieriot Stutes believes the universe has a crazy way with horses and where it chooses to lead you. This has been evident from her first introduction to horses. Frankie was a self-proclaimed wild child, and her mom was looking for an activity that could tire her
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Casey Lorusso-Smith: A Passion for Horses and Helping Others

By Kimberly Gatto Portraits by Melissa Fuller When Cassandra Lorusso-Smith finds herself having a difficult day, she draws inspiration from a reference to her favorite Bible verse from 1 Corinthians, which is embroidered on her saddle pads. The lifelong equestrian and current Grand Prix rider—known as Casey to her friends—derives strength from the words of
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