Kenner Scalamandre
Originally from Locust Valley, New York, Kenner Scalamandre has traded Long Island for Wellington, Florida, pursuing a balance between his career and his passion for horses. “When I was 8 years old, I had to beg my parents to let me take a riding lesson. Once they did, it was over—I was at the barn 24/7,” Kenner said. “I’m now a real estate agent in the Wellington area, and still get to freelance teach and ride. I love it because I’m not tied down to a round-the-clock horse job so I’m able to travel a little bit more, but still get to do what I love in all parts of my life.”
Most of Kenner’s free time is spent with his dog. “We love going to new restaurants, parks and beaches,” Kenner said. Kenner also enjoys trying new types of workouts. Though he rarely sticks to a routine in his workouts, Kenner does stick to a schedule in his daily life so he can continue to teach riding alongside focusing on his real estate. And some things apply to both areas of Kenner’s life. “I always make sure that I work hard to do the best job I can, with the best attitude possible,” he said. “I’ve noticed that my colleagues feed off this energy, and we can work together to produce the best product or service. Also, nobody is ever done learning. I try to absorb information from as many people and professionals as I can, and I apply the information and practice that works for me to my day-to-day life. As long as you keep an open mind, you are one step closer to success.”
Photo by Melissa Fuller
Evan Holt
Evan Holt is having a successful year so far as a senior on his university’s IHSA hunt seat team. He’s an animal science major at Delaware Valley University, about an hour from the historical farm in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, where he was raised—and introduced to horses by his equestrian parents. Evan began taking lessons from Lori Eberly at age 8 and has been riding with her ever since. “I enjoy hunters mostly because I like jumping, but also because I enjoy the atmosphere that it creates,” he said. “It’s all about the horse, which is what I feel should be the main focus in the sport.”
Evan incorporates lessons learned from horses into his work at a poultry company, a field he finds rewarding. “Patience is very important with horses and I feel like that has transferred over to my everyday life,” he said. “You can’t work faster than who you’re working with or else everything will fall apart. You have to be willing to make concessions, but be firm enough to push when things get hard.”
He has an artistic side, too—he spent years making art by welding old horseshoes together. Now, Evan spends his spare time at the gym with a friend or outside with his dog. Always, the horses and their welfare are closest to Evan’s heart. “Many people are so worried about having a perfect horse and reaching their own goals they may ignore how a horse reacts to the situation,” he said. “Each horse is a living animal who has good days and bad days, and it’s the rider’s responsibility to channel all those emotions toward a positive outlook—whether that means giving him a chance to cool out or a break when things begin to upset him. He’s not a machine, and needs to be treated with respect.”
Photo by Adrienne Morella
Caleb Meyer
Growing up in southeast Pennsylvania, what Caleb Meyer calls “the heart of horse country in Pennsylvania,” meant Caleb was raised with horses—both riding and driving. Between that and his role in the carriage ride tourism business, he’s ended up in front of more cameras than Sidelines’, including “Amish Mafia” and other TV shows. But day to day, Caleb’s life is all about horses. “I don’t remember the first horse I rode or drove; horses were something I always liked,” he said. “All of my business and life choices have somehow stemmed from being involved with horses.”
Caleb began selling horses online about 13 years ago, training and selling beginner and intermediate eventing, jumper, dressage, foxhunting, police, driving and pleasure horses. “I currently own a carriage ride company, sales program, manure removal business, trucking company and, most importantly, an equestrian-focused construction company,” Caleb said. “We can custom blend any type of footing for any discipline, specifically tailored for the horse and rider. We also build custom barns, garages, indoors, barndominiums and more. I’ve been blessed with more business than ever expected up and down the coast. It’s rewarding to see the outcomes and make clients happy.”
When he’s not working, Caleb enjoys traveling as well as relaxing carriage rides with friends as he drives his four-in-hand—lessons of patience, understanding and consistency learned from training young horses help Caleb keep all of his ventures “in-hand,” too! And whatever he’s doing, Caleb believes in positive thinking. “I think an impact I would want to have on the world is the importance of having positivity in every situation,” he said. “Your thoughts shape your reality.”
Photo by Adrienne Morella
Ricardo Romero
This Hot Horseman is rarely found without a four-legged companion—a horse or his “sidekick” dog, Dinky, and commonly both! “She got her name because she was the runt of the litter,” Ricardo said. “Now she’s very sassy and loves visiting barns with me!”
Ricardo discovered his own love of the barn when he began grooming and hot-walking at a track in Maryland, and then at an eventing barn. Originally from a small town in Mexico, Ricardo moved to Delaware with his family when he was 7 years old and made his way to Chester County, Pennsylvania, 10 years ago, where he has since worked at various equestrian facilities. Now, he works for several trainers, including five-star eventer and trainer Missy Ransenhousen and prominent hunter-jumper trainer Louise Serio. “What I like most about my job is, of course, the horses themselves. They’re so beautiful and athletic, I never get tired of watching them,” Ricardo said. “I enjoy taking care of them and getting to spend my days outside. I’m also very outgoing, so getting to talk to people at each barn suits my personality.”
Despite his start at an eventing barn, Ricardo got “hooked” on big jumps watching horses at Devon. When he gets rare time off, he enjoys traveling to his bucket-list Grand Prix—he’s been to Upperville and Washington, and has his sights set on Miami. At home, Ricardo also enjoys riding his own Percheron/Thoroughbred, Mystery, a former foxhunter he purchased for a dollar after she spent years in a field. “She has truly been a diamond in the rough and the coolest horse,” Ricardo said. “We go on trail rides and she’s an amazing jumper, and she just really continues surprising me with everything she’s capable of.”
If you spot Ricardo—and Dinky—don’t forget to say hi: It may just make your day. “I’m a pretty happy, easygoing guy,” he said, “and I hope I tend to leave people happier and smiling more after they interact with me than they were before.”
Photo by Adrienne Morella
