FORHORSEPEOPLE • ABOUTHORSEPEOPLE
SIDELINES JUNE 2014 57
pen. I got somuch into the competition side that I lost thepassion
for the horses.”
Asa teenager, Ashleehad focused somuchof herself on riding
that she had a bit of an identity crisis after giving it up. “When I
was 16, I was always the young one, the up-and- coming rider,”
she said. “I’d always been riding horses andwhen I wasn’t doing
that any more I went from being a very happy person to a very
depressedperson for awhile. I needed to findmywaywithout the
horses.”
Ashlee briefly considered a singing career. She wrote a few
songsandeven recordeda songwith singer and songwriterRich-
ardMarx, but reconsidered the choice. “I don’t dowell performing
in front of peopleand I get total stage fright,” Ashlee said. “I shake
andeverything; it’s really not pretty.”
After she decided a singing career wasn’t for her, Ashleewent
to work with her mother’s film production company. She became
Executive Assistant to her mom’s partner, the legendary Frank
Yablans, former headofMGMandParamount studios.Hewas in-
strumental in themakingof such famousmoviesas the
Godfather
series and
MommieDearest
, just to name a few.
“The biggest thing I got out of working there was that I estab-
lishedmore of a work ethic, working for someone other thanmy
family,”Ashleesaid. “I thinkalso thatworkingunder someonewith
that kindof experienceandsuccess, and learningadifferent trade
was invaluable. It really taughtmehow togrowup very quickly as
VictoryGallop: Ashlee andChelaLS
PhotobyBret St. Clair
Comeback Trail: Ashlee’s comeback
startedwhen shewon first and second
place in the $25,000ClassicGrandPrix
at BlenheimEquisports in 2007.
Photo courtesy of BlenheimEquisports
“I fell back in lovewith riding
and rememberedwhy
I loved it as a kid”
