4 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Letter
From The
Editor
Jan Westmark, Editor-In-Chief
Jan Westmark
Editor-In-Chief
S
how jumper Brianne Goutal graces our cover this month,
and I love her happy smile as she spends a moment with
her horse. That’s one of the things I’ve always liked about
Brianne — she’s passionate about her horses and they become
part of her family.
Brianne’s passionate about many things and I enjoyed
catching up with her for our cover story. The first time I
interviewed her was about eight years ago, following her win in
the ASPCA Maclay Finals and her appearance on the Animal
Planet show “Horse Power: Road to the Maclay.”
If you’re like me, you might have followed Brianne’s adventure
on “Horse Power.” I remember watching each episode with my
daughter and several girls from our barn. It was fun being part
of the lives of young riders in a sport we knew about — and on
a reality show! If you’re up for a blast from the past, catch all the
episodes on YouTube. I spent a rainy Saturday afternoon not
long ago watching them and it was the perfect way to spend the
day — and I had some good laughs. Was Nikko Ritter’s horse
really afraid of yellow flowers? Or was Nikko totally crazy? (Yes,
this is a direct quote from the announcer.)
I’m pleased that this issue showcases our Architecture and
Design section, featuring great advice on barn building and tours
of several beautiful farms — which might just make you drool!
And make sure you read funny lady Kathy Serio’s column as she
shares her ideas on barn building — or should I say
what not to
do
when building a barn.
I hope you’ll be inspired by our story on SIRE Therapeutic
Equestrian Center in Texas. So many wonderful horses and
people work hard to make sure that miracles really do come true
in Texas. I know the story inspired me.
Someone else who inspires me is polo player Kerstie Allen.
We did a story on Kerstie in the June issue of
Sidelines
, and now
she’s going to be sharing her adventures with us in a monthly
column called “Passion for Polo.” While we may not be able to
do everything Kerstie does, we can certainly ride along on her
adventures.
The equestrian world lost a great horseman recently with
the passing of Bruce Duchossois — a man who accomplished
so much for equestrian sport. I think you will be touched by our
tribute to this much-loved man who dedicated his life to horses.
The staff at
Sidelines
sends our condolences to his family and
friends.
While my heart was saddened with the loss of Bruce, we
have a story on a wedding in Colorado in this issue that made
me smile. JJ Atkinson, a Canadian jumper rider and trainer, and
Mark Mead, a successful professional from Longmont, Colorado,
tied the knot — at the Colorado Horse Park! This probably won’t
surprise most horse people — I mean who has time to squeeze
in a wedding during circuit? Luckily, the happy couple did have
time to head to Mexico during a week off for a more festive
celebration.
There’s plenty to celebrate in the pages of this issue, and
I hope you enjoy the ride. If you’re a print subscriber, make
sure you download the free app to read our digital edition,
which always features exclusive stories. If you don’t have a
subscription, then it’s time to saddle up, join the party and catch
the
Sidelines
Spirit!
JJ Atkinson and
Mark Mead tied
the knot at the
Colorado Horse
Park — and also
celebrated in
Mexico.
Photo by Cordi Atkinson
Don’t miss
Kerstie Allen’s
new column
“Passion
for Polo.”
Photo by
LuckyIndian Fotos
