Mary Eufemia: An Eye for Fancy

By Britney Grover Portraits by Shawna Simmons Mary Eufemia grew up successfully showing hunters and equitation in Illinois before becoming a professional rider and trainer in Florida. In 1980, she and her husband, Kevin, founded Ravenwood Farm near Clearwater, Florida, to breed, train and show top hunters. Mary added judging to her resume, procuring her
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Liza Goodlett: Success After Life as a College Equestrian 

By Carter Anderson Liza Goodlett’s four years on the UGA Equestrian team were fast and fun, and she made friendships that will last a lifetime. Now, Liza’s tackling the professional world while holding onto the lessons she learned as a collegiate equestrian. When she accepted her new position at Charleston Shoe Company, Liza said that
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Dudley Macfarlane Will Never Grow Out of Horses

By Britney Grover Portraits by Adrienne Morella Dudley Macfarlane has been a dedicated horsewoman her entire life, even while juggling her Wall Street banking career and raising three boys. In 2013, she and her horse Authentic won the Washington International Horse Show Adult Amateur Hunter Championship, and last fall she and her “horse-of-a-lifetime,” Roland Park,
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Frederique Poulain: “I Always Wanted to Paint Horses”

By Lyssette Williams Portraits by Kristie Nichols For Frederique Poulain, being a professional artist isn’t a job but a way of life. While some people drag their feet getting into the office five days a week, Frederique happily works seven. Her studio, nestled in the coastal town of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is her sanctuary. There
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Jessie Blake Lochrie: Creating Heirloom Fashion

By Sarah Maslin Nir Jessie Blake Lochrie is something of an equestrian contradiction. At night she can be found tearing up the dance floors in Brooklyn’s edgiest underground clubs, taking in a deejay set or discussing the minutiae of electronic music, of which she has an almost encyclopedic knowledge. By day, she can be found surrounded
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Julie Ferris: Painting Her Passion

By Doris Degner-Foster The horses in Julie Ferris’ work look as though they could step off the canvas, especially in her life-sized paintings. Her trademark style of using a white painted background highlights her subject, showing the character of each individual horse through their facial expression and unique physical components. As much as Julie enjoys
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Ali Brock: From Aloha to the Olympics 

By Britney Grover Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek Allison “Ali” Brock doesn’t let limitations stop her. She was attracted to horses from the beginning, despite no family connection to horses; she worked to pay for her own riding from 12 years old, and left home at 17 to pursue equestrian excellence after going as far

Hattie Gilpin: Horses, Tiffany’s and Her Own Jewelry Line

By Alannah Castro Portraits by Kathy Russell As a young girl, Hattie Gilpin took an unconventional route to the horse world: She got involved in competitive swimming at a very young age, and her assistant swim coach introduced her to what would become one of the loves of her life: horses. Once swimming gave way
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Melinda Van Dyck: Life on Stage and on Horseback

By Hope Ellis-Ashburn Portraits by Shawna Simmons Actress Melinda Van Dyck is a lifelong equestrian with Hollywood roots. The daughter of thespian Joan Bennett and screenwriter and producer Gene Markey, she was born in the 1930s and raised in the bright lights of Hollywood, California. While her childhood was unusual for most, it wasn’t uncommon
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Michelle Durpetti: An Old-Fashioned Work Ethic

As Michelle Durpetti waits to jog her amateur-owner hunter, Lucca, at the Kentucky Horse Park, she’s talking animatedly into headphones tucked carefully under her helmet with her cellphone in hand. The 40-year-old Chicago native is on a conference call with part of the Turnkey Hospitality Group team — her family’s company whose brands include famed
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