Kevin McCarthy Charts a New Path in the Horse World
Thursday, May 28 2020
By Lindsay Brock When you catch the bug, it’s hard to get rid of it. That’s what Kevin McCarthy’s father used to tell him about horses. Those wise words, however, did little to dissuade the scrappy young rider from falling head over heels in love with ponies as soon as he was old enough to
- Published in Weekly Feature
Isha & Raina Swani: Enjoying Sisterhood and Horses Together
Thursday, April 30 2020
By Britney Grover Portraits by Shelby Phillips To the casual observer, sisters Isha and Raina Swani seem to be a lot alike. When it comes to horses, they are both passionate, dedicated and extremely good junior riders. Between them, they’ve amassed an impressive collection of ribbons and championships, including from Pony Finals, the Washington International Horse
- Published in Weekly Feature
Kressa Peterson Jumps From the Show Ring to Success On Shark Tank
Tuesday, April 28 2020
By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Lori Ovanessian What do Spartan competitive obstacle course races, and horses have in common? For one thing, an inventive entrepreneur named Kressa Peterson. Kressa is a Spartan Race competitor and sporthorse sales businesswoman who has taken her knack for business to the “Shark Tank” stage and walked away with a
- Published in Weekly Feature
Augusta Iwasaki: Small Horses, Big Victories
Thursday, April 23 2020
By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Shawna Simmons Augusta Iwasaki is no stranger to a fast-paced lifestyle. For Augusta, success comes with commitment, and her dedication to riding horses has brought her to competitions in every co rner of the United States. In 2019, at 15 years old, she captured the championship title and her first
- Published in Weekly Feature
The Big Impact of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue
Tuesday, April 21 2020
By Britney Grover It only took one ride on a Clydesdale for Christine Hajek to fall in love with draft horses, and one trip to a local auction to realize how many were in need of help. Since then, she’s dedicated her life to rescuing as many draft horses she can. What started as buying
- Published in Weekly Feature
Allyson Hall: Life, Horses and Huntley Equestrian
Tuesday, April 14 2020
By Alannah Castro For businesswoman and lifelong equestrian Allyson Hall, horses have always played the starring role, whether it was behind the scenes of a corporate career or now front and center as the main focus of Huntley Equestrian, a purveyor of equestrian accessories.” Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Allyson was bitten by the
- Published in Weekly Feature
Shannagh-Leigh Hartshorn: Creating Art From Miniature to Life-Size
Tuesday, April 07 2020
By Shya Beth British artist Shannagh-Leigh Hartshorn knows how to fuse her passion for horses and art together. From starting her own art business and adventuring through new media, Shannagh-Leigh constantly evolves and strives to perfect her art, bringing small but noticeable details through each portrait. Born in Bolton, England, Shannagh-Leigh has always been an
- Published in Weekly Feature
Unbridled With Nona Garson
Monday, March 23 2020
By Jan Westmark. Olympic show jumper Nona Garson has competed all over the world, but her career with horses began on the farm she still calls home. Nona owns and operates The Ridge in Florida and New Jersey, and moved to The Ridge Farm in New Jersey when she was 5. On her 6th birthday, Nona got a Shetland Pony named Maple Sugar.
- Published in Weekly Feature
Storybook Farm: A Fairytale Come True for Children
Tuesday, March 03 2020
By Britney Grover Storybook Farm is well-named: Visiting is like walking into a fairytale. But the farm is much more than just a feel-good story. Thousands of children have had their lives enriched and their futures brightened by taking the Storybook journey — children struggling with anything from bereavement or terminal illness to all manner
- Published in Weekly Feature
Weatherly Stroh: Sharing Her Passion Through Art
Monday, March 02 2020
By Shya Beth - Weatherly Stroh weaves together different parts of her life through her paintings, intertwining a piece of her spirit along with the animal she’s portraying. Giving life to her subjects through her paintbrush or sculpting clay, Weatherly has found herself in the “pony mad” Village of Wellington, one of the most equine-centric locations in the world. With so many high-class farms — from polo fields to show jumping and dressage rings — this is an equine artist’s dream location, and Weatherly’s home.
- Published in Weekly Feature