By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Emma Claire Stephens
When Ali Potasky was in elementary school, her parents sought out an activity where she could keep busy and channel her energy in a positive way. As luck would have it, Ali’s parents signed her up for weekly riding lessons at a nearby barn. “Presumably they chose riding lessons because I loved horses and they could use it as bribery to keep me out of trouble,” she said.
That decision didn’t just keep Ali on the right track as a child, it also put her on the path to find a career she loves—riding and training dressage horses. Today, Ali is the assistant trainer at Kathy Priest’s Woodspring Farm.
From those early days to now, Ali has had the opportunity to meet incredible mentors and horses, create connections and take something from each interaction to become the horsewoman she is today. After those initial riding lessons, when it was evident the barn was where Ali wanted to spend all her free time, her parents sent her to a summer camp on a Fjord horse farm.
“My time there was without a doubt the best start I could have had with riding and horsemanship. I was a wild child, and looking back, I’m so thankful I found a program that fostered my individuality. I progressed from being a camper to counselor to complete barn rat there. One of my favorite memories was being part of a Norwegian Fjord breed demonstration at the 2003 Equine Affaire, where we dressed in traditional Norwegian costumes and performed a true three-ring circus,” Ali said. “We demonstrated jumping, driving and draft, and I performed the grand finale of the demo with Roman riding!”
Dressage Commitment
As a committed barn rat, Ali worked off lessons on school horses at her local barn while in middle school and high school. It was there that she met dressage rider Chris Hickey in 2004 and began helping him when she could.
“At that point I still wasn’t completely focused on dressage and rode with Carolyn Fuller and Samantha Williams, where I started dressage lessons but also jumped, rode bareback and competed low-level hunters. It was through watching Chris work upper-level horses that I was inspired and curious to narrow my focus,” she said. “When I graduated from high school, I followed Chris to Hilltop Farm to take a gap year working as a groom before college to see if being completely immersed in dressage was something for my future.”
Ali was accepted into a few colleges and even deferred admission to an art program. However, that gap year kept getting longer and longer. “One opportunity led to another and after getting a job with Pam Goodrich in 2009, I decided to commit to the dressage life until I wasn’t happy anymore,” Ali said. “The rest is history!”
During her time with Pam, Ali started showing, competing in her first FEI classes, Prix St. Georges tests, Young Riders and up to the Grand Prix level. “Pam taught me everything about showing at the FEI level, riding all of the movements and really gave me the whole young professional experience,” she said.
Ali’s Young Riders horse, Chackomo M, was a tricky ride both mentally and physically. Although Chackomo could be frustrating at times, looking back Ali realizes that she learned so much more from him than just how to ride a Prix St. Georges test. “On a cold morning in Florida, he bucked me off because he was tense, and I wasn’t tactful in warming him up! I was scared to ride him for a few weeks, but once I got through that, I was eager to figure out how to put him on the bit, ride a Prix St. Georges test and finally get to a horse show,” she said.
Ali’s hard work and persistence paid off and they were part of the bronze-medal team at Young Riders in 2011. “I was so excited when I heard we won a team medal that I ran full speed to hug Pam. To this day, she tells the story of how she would rather be charged by a horse than me,” Ali chuckled.
Under Pam’s guidance, Ali also had the opportunity to ride Jocelyn Wiese’s Lamborghini. A true schoolmaster, he helped Ali learn how to ride a hot, sensitive horse and practice the Grand Prix movements. “He gave me a lot of confidence in the competition arena because he was a showman who never faltered,” she said.
Skills Development
While Ali was riding with Pam, Morten Thomsen came to the United States to teach a clinic with Chris Hickey. “It felt like we were keeping it all in the family. Chris reached out to us asking if I wanted to participate in the clinic with Morten. I ended up having a lesson with Morten on Lamborghini,” Ali said.
After that lesson, Morten offered Ali a job at his Dressage Arvé in Denmark. “I hadn’t sought it out, but when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it. Pam really encouraged me to go for it as it was the next step in my riding education and a great opportunity to work with Morten,” Ali said.
Ali packed her bags and began her European equestrian education. “I didn’t have a plan for how long I would stay in Denmark. It ended up being four years, which was awesome because I felt like I got past the tourist part and really got the full experience of working with horses and living in another country,” she said.
The four years Ali spent with Morten in Denmark provided great memories and a significant amount of growth in her riding and horsemanship. “During my time with Pam, I had learned how to do the movements and rode horses that were trained and some young horses. Then with Morten, I was part of the whole process of training horses from groundwork to breaking to training flying changes to hand piaffe training. It was so important to see everything it takes to train a horse to the Grand Prix level,” Ali said.
When Ali was ready to return to the United States, Morten helped connect her with Kathy Priest, whom he was training at the time. However, before Ali began her job at Woodspring Farm, she took a break and spent much-needed time with her family. “The timing worked out perfectly, as my family had just relocated from Massachusetts to Utah, and I felt I needed a brief sabbatical. I taught skiing and lived with my parents for a winter before moving to Woodspring Farm in Kentucky,” Ali said. “I’ve been there almost nine years now!”
As the assistant trainer at Woodspring, Ali’s responsible for developing and showing the young horses and sales horses. “Part of Kathy’s program is to have horses at all ages and levels, both to sell and to develop for future sport. I love every stage of training, and with the young horses, the progress can be so unmistakable and rewarding,” Ali said. “I think it’s vital for the future of the sport to have riders who can produce horses from the first ride to international Grand Prix.”
Some of Ali’s favorite moments come from her early days with Kathy when she competed at the Young Horse Championships at Lamplight. “There’s nothing like moments when a young horse gives you glimpses into how they will feel in the future when they are stronger and more trained. It keeps me searching for that feeling again and again, finding the best way to educate and develop their minds and bodies,” she said.
INXS
Two years into working at Woodspring Farm, Kathy encouraged Ali to buy an investment horse for herself. “I thought it was so nice of her and unusual for a boss to be that considerate, but I told her that I didn’t have resources to put down a large amount of money to buy a horse from Europe. It turned out we didn’t have to go that far: We found an inexpensive investment horse right in Kentucky,” Ali said. “I ended up keeping her for a year, reselling her and using the money to buy INXS.”
The goal was to start off with an investment horse to use as a stepping stone, to buy a higher-quality horse. It turned out that it only took one stone for Ali to reach her goal of owning and developing her own Grand Prix CDI horse, INXS. Now Ali’s partner for the past six years, INXS has surpassed Ali’s initial goals for him. “In the beginning I just wanted to train him up, have both of us improve and go with the flow to see what the plan would be. My end goal wasn’t that he would be the first horse that I did the Grand Prix CDIs on, but as he kept improving and we really connected, I knew I wanted to invest long-term in his future,” she said.
Kathy’s partner in Holland, Egbert Kraak, connected Kathy and Ali with INXS, whom they own jointly. Together it has been a labor of love developing their horse, resulting in an emotional connection and commitment that isn’t usually felt with the sale horses they work with for a short period of time.
All of that hard work paid off at the 2024 Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon, when the duo won the Grand Prix Special CDI3*. Not only was it INXS’s first time riding down the centerline in the Dixon Oval, but it was also Ali’s first time. Their debut win was something dreams are made of.
Ali credits part of her success at Dressage at Devon to her winning the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage prize, which enabled her to travel to Holland for three months to work with Egbert. “Having him find us INXS and then help me put the finishing touches on him to make him a Grand Prix horse was everything to me. I’m so appreciative for the time I spent with Egbert, making another connection and getting to experience the system of a true horseman. That, combined with Kathy and I putting so much consideration into building INXS up and choosing the right time to make our debut in the CDI ranks, was key,” Ali said. “We spent a lot of time doing test rides and practicing at smaller shows to prove that we were ready to walk into the CDI ring.”
Ali’s goal walking into the ring was to have a positive experience for both her and INXS. Hearing her score and knowing that she was the winner was icing on the cake. “Both Kathy and I were pretty teary when I walked out of the ring day one, which is not normal. Usually we’re more reserved, but we were really taken aback by the performance knowing how much we had put into getting to that point,” Ali said.
Kathy was thrilled to be along the rail to cheer Ali and INXS on. “Ali is a very special gal and has not gotten to this point in her career with anything being handed to her. I felt that she was ready, and pushed her a bit to go to Devon. I was quite happy when it didn’t backfire, as that experience helped to be a catalyst for her confidence in her ability to ride competitively and comfortably at that level,” Kathy said. “She is so deserving of all her successes, not only with INXS but with all the talented horses she’s helped produce for championships. I’m happy to be part of her journey through thick and thin.”
Dressage at Devon was just the beginning of Ali and INXS’s Grand Prix winning ways. In November, the duo won the Open Grand Prix Championship at the U.S. Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan. For the 2025 show season, Ali and INXS will continue to compete in the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Freestyle classes. “I’m really excited to do the Friday Night Lights class at the Global Dressage Festival this year. I hope to compete in a handful of CDIs this year and my big goal is to go to Europe again and compete over there,” she said.
Lasting Connections
As Ali looks toward the future, she’s thankful for the connections she’s made along the way that helped her become the professional she is today. “From the time I finished high school, one opportunity led into another for me and I inadvertently found my path. I’m so grateful that every one of my previous employers/mentors is still just a phone call away and supports me wholeheartedly to this day,” Ali said. “Knowing I have that backing is more important to me than any high score in a dressage test!”
In addition to continuing to develop INXS, who is part of the USEF Dressage Development Program, Ali and Kathy have a group of horses from 3 to 8 years old they are developing. “The plan for them is like the plan we had for INXS. If they stay with us for a little longer and work out for us to develop to the highest levels, that’s great, but if not we’ll sell them to someone who can really enjoy them,” Ali said.
Ali’s especially excited about their 4-year-old KWPN stallion, Raf. “He has a really nice temperament and a really super canter. I’ll do the 4-year-old tests with him,” she said. “He’s an exciting prospect for the future.”
Creating connections with horses and horsemen is what makes the sport fulfilling for Ali each day. Every horse, horseman and test ridden along the way has made a lasting impression on Ali. “Every day I try to develop my skills around horses and train them the proper way. I never look at a competition and make my end goal be a particular result,” she said. “However, when the lead-up is right, the training is there and you have a successful show, that’s the tangible validation for all the consistent and correct work you’ve done behind the scenes. It’s a fun payoff when it all comes together at the right time.”
Follow Ali on Facebook at ali.potaskydressage
Photos by Emma Claire’s Photography
