Dominic Gibbs: National Champion With A Colorado Heart

By Britney Grover Portraits by Shawna Simmons When Dominic Gibbs won the inaugural $100,000 WEC Premier Cup Equitation Championship at World Equestrian Center in February, he won a car. The timing seemed perfect: With his busy show and training schedule, Dominic travels extensively and his current car was in serious need of repair. Dominic won
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Andrew McConnon: Risk and Reward 

By Lilly Steger Portraits by Shawna Simmons Andrew McConnon discovered eventing at the 2004 Olympics. “I saw eventing on TV at the Athens Olympics, and I thought, Wow, that looks cool!” he said.  Seventeen years later, those Olympians are now Andrew’s mentors and colleagues. The William Fox-Pitt-trained eventer was named to the 2021 U.S. High
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Elyse Hart: Horses, Heroin and Hope

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Kristin Lee Elyse Hart owes her life today to hope, perseverance, love and most of all, horses. From her first pony ride at age 4, Elyse ate, slept and breathed all things equine. Simply put, she was hooked on horses. That passion would persist in full force until puberty hit,
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Geoffrey Woolson: Vaulting on the World Stage

By Lyssette Williams Portraits by Lori Ovanessian Most people would find it hard to believe that FEI 3* vaulter Geoffrey Woolson’s first brush with horses left him with a negative impression. “I didn’t like horses,” Geoffrey said. “My first time riding was at the Griffith Park pony rides in Los Angeles, California. The pony bucked
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Erin Stewart: Patiently Expanding the Family Tradition

By Britney Grover Portraits by Kathy Russell For some, the fact that Erin Stewart is an equestrian professional seems obvious. After all, she’s the daughter of renowned hunter rider and trainer Don Stewart. She grew up in one of the country’s largest hunter sales and training barns, watching her dad win class after class at
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Hannah Irons: From Surprise Pony to Gold Medals

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Melissa Fuller ‘If you believe in your horse, anything is possible,’ is a lesson Hannah Irons holds to tightly. Since her first ride with Lendon Gray seven years ago, the 2020 USEF Young Rider National Champion has learned what it takes to make it in dressage — a discipline she
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Phillip Dutton and the Family That Fuels His Success 

By Emily Randolph  The far, wood-paneled wall of Phillip Dutton’s barn office is adorned with sizable, framed ribbons — among them, a large green ribbon that accompanied his bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a tricolor award signifying his win in the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Each one is a testament to
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Caroline Martin: A New Path to the Same Goals

By Britney Grover Portraits by Melissa Fuller Keeping up with herself is a tall order for Caroline Martin — and not just because she’s an inch shy of 6’. By the time she turned 18, Caroline had seared her name into the future of U.S. eventing by winning gold at the 2013 North American Youth
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Brian and Missy Gruber: Love, Life and Horses in Napa Valley Wine Country

By Esther Hahn Portraits by Alden Corrigan Moving across the country to start over is either a dream or a nightmare. For the husband-and-wife trainer duo Brian and Missy Gruber, it was a little of both. The idea of the opportunity first arose at Thanksgiving dinner in 2015. During a visit to Brian and Missy’s

Sara Kozumplik Murphy: Sharp, Strong and Ready

By Lilly Steger Portraits by Melissa Fuller Sara Kozumplik Murphy has had her fair share of setbacks in the equestrian world. When she took a spill at the Millbrook Horse Trials in 2018, she broke her neck and her back — right after she returned to competition following a torturous recovery from a broken knee.
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