By Jessica Grutkowski
Photos by Sophia Donohue
It’s not every day that you meet anyone—let alone a talented adult amateur equestrian—who spends her weekdays in New York’s Suffolk County Police Department solving real-life crime. But for as long as she can remember, Alexandra Beyrer always dreamed of becoming a police officer. “Even as a little girl, I was brave—nearly to a fault,” Alex said. “I loved to problem solve and had a strong sense of right and wrong.”
When her family moved from the Bronx to Pelham Manor in Westchester, a suburb of New York City, she discovered her second passion: horses. There was a riding stable down the road from their new house. “We passed it every day and I begged my parents to go,” Alex said. “Everything about horses felt magical to me—their eyes, their scent, the sound of them eating hay, the view from between their ears.”
Her parents worked hard to provide her with as many lessons as possible. Over the next several years, Alex spent nearly all her free time at the barn. “I had no fear, and loved riding the ones that misbehaved,” she said. “My goal was to win them over and make them like me.”
Her success with challenging mounts didn’t go unnoticed. “People began to trust my ability, and would seek me out when they couldn’t ride, or needed help,” she said. “There were a few different trainers at that stable. Eventually, one suggested to my mom that I ride with a more experienced trainer who showed on the circuit year-round.”
Unlocking the Next Level
When Alex was 13 years old, she began riding with Cynthia Williams of New England Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut—a move that forever changed her riding trajectory. “It was a bit of a rude awakening!” Alex said. “I went from a laid-back, backyard barn to a more disciplined environment. We regularly rode without our stirrups and were quizzed on horsemanship.”
Initially, Alex struggled with the change in structure, but she persevered and grew in leaps and bounds. During high school, Alex’s parents purchased her a grey, off-the-track Thoroughbred named Georgetown. “He had no business being among the seasoned equitation horses in Cynthia’s program, but luckily she saw something in me,” Alex said. “We were included in group lessons with the other top Juniors in her program; it was hard work, and I never felt outclassed.”
Eventually, Cynthia recommended that Alex take Georgetown to an eventing trainer, where he would be better suited. “I went to train with Bill McGinness at Cedar Lodge in Stamford, and together, we learned about the eventing world,” Alex said. “Cynthia was right—Georgetown thrived! Together we became braver than ever, until eventually it was time for him to retire.”
Alex continued to take lessons with Cynthia while she trained with Bill. “Cynthia knew my finances prevented me from having another horse and showing on the circuit,” Alex said. “But she made it a priority to always have horses for me to show and ride throughout my teenage years. Her door was always open to me, and I’ll forever be grateful.”
After graduating from Harrison High School, Alex spent four years studying at Manhattan College, after which she applied to several police agencies across Westchester County, as well as the New York State Police, Connecticut State Police and Suffolk County Police (SCPD). “I scored well on my written exam,” Alex said. “Ultimately, I chose SCPD. My father said it was one of the highest-paid police agencies in the country, which would enable me to afford my passion.”
Alex moved to Long Island only to find out the SCPD training program was postponed. With no start date in sight, a friend suggested she reach out to Ralph Caristo of Glenview Stables to see if he had any horses she could ride. “It was at Glenview Stables that I met my soon-to-be extended family,” Alex said. “The Caristos gave me many riding opportunities, for which I am so thankful. We broke bread together; we laughed; I spent most of my time with the Caristo family. Most importantly, I gained a lifelong friend in Ralph’s daughter, Heather.”
SCPD training finally began in June 2001. “It was a grueling six months of physical and academic training,” she said. “I went to Glenview on the weekends, where I rode incredible horses, decompressed and reset for my Monday boot camp all over again.” Alex graduated from the academy in December 2001, and rode daily at Glenview up until 2005, when the Caristos sold their Long Island farm and moved to Saugerties, New York.
A True Partner
With her barn family now hours away, Alex longed to connect with other local equestrians. “I was thrilled when one of Glenview’s clients, who couldn’t make the move to Saugerties, asked if I could come help her ride some of her horses,” Alex said. “She had moved her horses to a nearby barn, and that’s where I reconnected with Coastal.”
Coastal was a former Grand Prix horse—a fiery grey gelding that recently stepped down to do the Children’s Jumpers. “Coastal’s owner was off to college, and her father approached me with a unique opportunity,” Alex said. “Apparently he enjoyed watching Coastal dominate the jumper ring—with or without his daughter—and asked if I wanted the ride.”
Alex began taking lessons at Dutch Manor with Marty DeLeyer, who was training Coastal and his rider at the time. “‘Fun’ took on a new meaning,” Alex said. “Coastal had a gear I didn’t know existed in a horse, and Marty put us to the test.”
Coastal came with a caveat: He wasn’t a fan of jumping the liverpool. “That was all I needed to hear,” Alex said. “I was determined to get him over his fear, and we went to our first show in mid-2007. By the end of 2008, we moved up to the 1.10m jumpers—a height that was brand new to me—and Coastal’s fear of the water was soon behind him.”
Alex piloted Coastal to tricolors at nearly every single horse show they attended, including top venues like the Hampton Classic, Vermont Summer Festival and HITS-on-the-Hudson for Marshall & Sterling Finals. Coastal finished year-end champion in the USHJA Horse Of The Year Adult Jumper 1.10m Division. “Before Coastal, I’d never had a consistent partner in the show ring,” Alex said. “He was a force; our winnings paid for nearly all of my show expenses that year.”
Whatever it Takes to Ride
After a banner show year, Coastal retired, and Alex dove back into a demanding work schedule of long shifts, some of which lasted all night. “Stepping away from the show ring was never an option,” she said. “I bargained with colleagues and worked overtime in exchange for compensation time to have extra days off. I did whatever it took.”
Alex trains with several different professionals to hone her skills in the hunter and jumper rings. “I am effectively an adult catch rider,” she said. “I’m lucky to have people who believe in me and trust me to show horses in their program.” Alex regularly trains under Heather and Ralph Caristo, Marty DeLeyer, Meghan Knapic and Jenna Weinfurt of First Blue, LLC, Alex Hamer of Buxton Farm, and, most recently, Hannah Isop and Tracey Freels of Harkaway Farm.
Her unique partnership with Coastal left Alex wondering if she would ever connect with another horse in such a meaningful way. In 2017, Alex began showing Holly Caristo’s paint mare, United Colors, aka Fala, a 2011 Holsteiner by Carpaccio. “She was recently imported, so we started off in the jumper ring,” Alex said. “The following year, Fala was in the hunter ring strutting her stuff.”
Alex continued her winning streak on Fala, earning champion at nearly every show. “I’m a sucker for a paint horse—it was love at first ride,” said Alex. “Fala had an incredible jump. I’ll always treasure my time with her.” Alex also enjoyed success in the Amateur Adult Hunter division at Wellington with Caytano, a 2011 chestnut gelding by Cianco’s Son and owned by New England Farm, and MTM Bali, a full brother to hunter superstar Babylon.
Throughout her career, Alex has been lucky to show at iconic venues up and down the East Coast. “Nothing tops the Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami,” Alex said. “Having the Atlantic Ocean as your backdrop while sitting on top of a horse is unmatched.” Alex also had the opportunity to compete in the Great Charity Challenge at WEF. “I’ll never forget the feeling of riding in the International Ring under the lights!” she said. After three years of competing on Team Postage Stamp Farm, they finally made a third-place podium finish in 2022.
Marrying Her Passions
Though balancing riding with her career means Alex is generally a catch-rider, it doesn’t make her less effective at either. “Alex is incredibly dedicated to her line of work. I am in awe of how she can balance her day-to-day and also be so competitive in the show ring on many different types of horses,” Heather said. “We showed in Spain together and, impressively, she hopped on a new horse to her and rode to second place!”
After years of being sought out by friends to help with equestrian-related investigations involving trainers, grooms and brokers, Alex decided to establish Hold The Line (HTL) Equestrian, a boutique concierge-level investigation company that caters to the horse world. “I have a unique skillset in that I understand the law,” Alex said. “I have decades of experience collecting evidence, interviewing, surveilling and analyzing data, and am also fluent in Spanish. My certification as an FBI crisis negotiator allows me to effectively resolve disputes in all facets of the equine industry.”
HTL conducts background investigations for trainers and grooms, reputation management for riders or high-wealth individuals, standard private investigation services such as theft or fraud, and light personal protection services. Of course, Alex’s work is not limited to equestrian clients, but it’s definitely the sweet spot. “I’ve done several pro bono investigations and can act as a third-party intermediary to resolve conflict between two parties,” she said.
Alex is excited about this next chapter. “Balancing a career and riding is challenging, and not without sacrifice and compromise,” she said. “Always prioritize what brings you joy. Ultimately, it’s all worth it to be able to ride horses.”
Follow Alexandra on Instagram @Alexxandra.Nicole and visit her website at HTLequestrian.com
Photos by Sophia Donohue, sophiadonohuephotography.com
