Portraits by Melissa Fuller
At just 15, Audrey Haywood’s show record already tells a story of talent and determination. But behind her collection of ribbons, top rankings and rated circuit championships, Audrey is a young rider who loves the process—and the horses.
While Audrey is competitive, her success is not what has shaped her most. It’s the way she keeps showing up after the hard rounds, the young-horse moments, the imperfect rides, the days that test her resilience—while never giving up.
“The more I’ve believed in myself with horses, the more I’ve been able to accomplish in every part of my life,” she said. “I made the top honor roll at Benjamin this year with all A’s, which was not easy. Horses are my happy place, and I’m honestly not sure what I would do without them.”
Growing up in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Audrey was introduced to horses early through her father’s British roots and visits to her grandmother in England. Although Audrey tried other sports, including gymnastics and ice skating, horses were something she always loved.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was 10 years old, that early fascination with horses grew into something more when friends introduced her to beginner lessons at Desert Rose Ranch, which quickly became the center of her world.
“I really loved taking care of the horses and just spending time with them,” Audrey said. “I would take group lessons with my friends on weekends, or after school, and after a while, my family decided to lease a pony with another girl. We would go to local shows sometimes, but honestly, I mostly just loved being at the barn.”
Audrey later moved to Jupiter Farms, Florida, and began training with Terry-Jean Rautenbach at Sapphire Creek, where she continued to strengthen her riding foundation. Along the way, horses like Huckleberry, Audrey’s first owned pony, and then Andy, shown as Boca’s Anarchy, her first heart horse, helped deepen her love for the sport and build her confidence in the saddle.
Audrey and Andy continued to grow their partnership: He was an athletic show horse and quite different from the beginner lesson ponies she had ridden before, which helped Audrey become a stronger, more confident rider.
“Andy was my horse for a very long time,” Audrey said. “I was this tiny little girl on a really big horse, and we had to learn to trust each other over time. He helped me relearn my riding foundations and really taught me how to control my body.”
From 2022 to 2024, Audrey competed in IEA alongside a close group of friends. During her IEA years, she earned high-point flat rider honors and later qualified for Zones in North Carolina, both individually and with her team, in eighth grade.
Around that time, she and Andy also began showing in the 2’6” hunters and equitation divisions, where Audrey steadily built her experience in the ring.
Growing as a Rider & Carrying Gary’s LegacyBut in a full-circle moment that led her to her current trainers, Audrey’s connection to Little Brook Farms actually began years prior. Kelsey Duffy and her late father, Gary Duffy, were originally the ones who helped Audrey find Andy. Years later, while preparing to sell him, Audrey competed in a few shows with the Duffys as her trainers and immediately caught their attention.
“My first time showing with Gary as my trainer, I swept the entire division,” Audrey said.
That experience led to a natural transition into the rated show world with Little Brook Farms around age 14. Gary was Audrey’s mentor, and he pushed her to reach farther than she even knew she could. But growing as a rider under his guidance also came with challenges, as Audrey learned to accept constructive criticism, trust the process and rise to the potential he saw in her.
“The first time I trained with Gary, I was honestly pretty nervous,” Audrey said. “He was a well-known judge with such a big reputation, and I felt that pressure. But eventually, I started to understand him. He saw potential in me, even when I didn’t always see it in myself. I know he wouldn’t have taken that much time with me if he didn’t believe I was capable of more. Instead of overlooking the small things, he cared enough to help me with them. He understood what I could become, and that changed the way I looked at criticism. It wasn’t just about riding better. It helped me grow in a lot of areas of my life.”
Audrey has now spent more than a year and a half training with Kelsey Duffy, Augusta Duffy Levendorf and Donna Duffy, whose program has helped guide her rapid rise in the hunters and equitation rings.
“I think the Duffys have such a gift for finding the right horse for each rider,” said Audrey’s mother, Kendra Haywood. “Once Audrey started working with them, everything really took off for her. She also had the opportunity to ride MTM Wheels Up, a horse in the Duffys’ program who helped her move up to the 3’3” Junior Hunters in 2025.”
But riding has given Audrey more than goals in the show ring. It has given her confidence, purpose and a community where she feels understood. “I’m an introvert in a lot of ways, especially socially, and horses have helped me find a community of people who are like me and really understand me,” Audrey said. “My entire life changed after I started riding and after Gary became my mentor, as I think my connection with my first heart horse, Andy led me to where I am now with Little Brook Farms, who feel like family to me.”
That commitment has required sacrifice, but for Audrey, the tradeoff has never felt like a loss. Riding has become the place where she feels most grounded, and the confidence she has built in the barn has followed her into every part of her life.
“I put in hours and hours of work, and a lot of the time that means missing big school events, birthday parties, and other normal things people my age are doing,” Audrey said. “But I would give all of that up for the way riding makes me feel. When I’m with the horses, everything is better. I feel calm, and I feel more like myself.”
Today, Audrey rides several young horses even though she is just 15 years old and has only been riding a little over five years. Her mounts include Game Day, aka Flash, in the 3’6” Small Junior Hunters, and London Boy, aka Climo, in the equitation.
London Boy, a 7-year-old former dressage horse, has become Audrey’s main equitation partner and has helped her earn some of her biggest recent wins. Audrey and London Boy first began showing together in the equitation in Wellington, steadily moving up from the 2’6” divisions into the competitive 12–14 Equitation classes.
As the pair developed together, Audrey says their flatwork quickly became one of their biggest strengths. Now competing in the 3’3” classes, Audrey is ranked eighth nationally in the THIS Children’s Medal standings with London Boy. “I think we really thrive together, especially on the flat,” Audrey said. “We learned all the technical equitation moves together, and recently I had some of my best rounds ever with him—I was lucky to work with Donnna Duffy, who trained directly with two dressage Olympians!”
Game Day has helped Audrey step confidently into the 3’6” Junior Hunters, where they are currently ranked first nationally in the 3’6” Small Junior Hunters 15 & Under.
Although the move up initially felt intimidating, the Duffys encouraged Audrey to trust herself and believe she was ready. She made her 3’6” debut on Game Day during the 2025 winter circuit in Ocala, where the pair quickly earned scores in the 80s while Audrey balanced both the Junior Hunter and equitation rings.
“The 3’6” division is tough, especially on a young horse,” Audrey said. “It was nerve-wracking at first, but now the nerves have mostly disappeared and it’s a lot of fun! There is a lot going between all the different heights and horses, but once you settle into the rhythm with each one, it all falls into place.”
Audrey has had to learn not only how to succeed in newer disciplines like equitation, but also how to develop younger, greener horses and ponies.
Coming from a hunter ring background, where things once felt more straightforward, adding equitation classes and young horses challenged nearly every part of her riding while also teaching her patience, adaptability and resilience. “The biggest difference was learning to control everything—my upper body, my hands, my legs, my reins,” Audrey said. “I’ve learned so much from Gary, Donna, Kelsey and Augusta, and a lot of it has just been training, showing and learning from mistakes.”
Much of that growth has come alongside young horses like London Boy, where Audrey often found herself competing against riders on older, more experienced mounts while navigating the natural learning moments that come with greener horses.
Kendra believes mindset is a big reason the Duffys trusted her with young horses so quickly. “They saw she had the patience and attitude for it,” Kendra said. “Some riders get frustrated and quit when a young horse has a difficult day, but Audrey just keeps working through it, and I think it’s made her a much stronger rider.”
One of the biggest lessons has been learning how important it is to protect a horse’s confidence, even on the hard days. “The biggest thing I’ve learned with green horses is never to have an emotional breakdown on the horse,” Audrey said. “Even if I make a mistake, I come out of the ring kissing them and telling them they’re the best.”
Balancing a demanding show schedule with school has required significant commitment from Audrey, who maintains honor-roll grades while traveling, training and competing throughout the year.
Although it comes with sacrifices in other areas of her teenage life, Audrey remains equally dedicated to her academics and her riding. Her goal is to continue developing as a student-athlete and eventually earn a place on a Division I equestrian team, with Cornell University at the top of her dream list.
“I’m always trying to get my schoolwork done early, so I never fall behind,” Audrey said. “There are definitely things I miss because of horses, but this is what I love to do.”
At the WEC Ocala 2025 Summer Series, Audrey earned the Circuit Championship in the 12–14 Equitation with London Boy and claimed the 3’3” Junior Hunter Circuit Championship aboard MTM Wheels Up.
She has also found success in the medal and equitation rings. Audrey was 2026 Reserve Circuit Champion in the 12-14 Equitation during the Winter Equestrian Festival, and had top placings in the 3’3” NHS Hamel, NCEA and Jumping Seat medals throughout the year. Audrey is also ranked first in three separate divisions in the South Florida Hunter-Jumper Association: the Junior Medal, 12-14 Equitation and Small 3’6” Junior Hunters.
In 2025, Audrey catch rode King Louis, a green medium pony, at Pony Finals in Kentucky and placed sixth out of 66 riders. This year, Audrey helped develop a large green pony named Won To Love, aka Honey, and qualified her for Large Green Pony Hunters at Pony Finals, while qualifying as an individual in the Pony Medal division along the way.
As Audrey continues to gain experience, she is also hoping for more catch-ride opportunities to keep learning from different horses and ponies. She’s setting new goals for herself in the jumper arena, too, after making her jumper debut at WEF this year, and is enjoying modeling her favorite equestrian wear for JODS.
But while the rankings and championships are exciting, the most meaningful part is watching Audrey find joy in the work it takes to reach the top and continue showing up for the horses she loves. “She is competitive, but it’s not really about the win for her,” Kendra said. “It’s doing what she loves. She keeps trying and trying, and she never gives up.”
Follow Audrey on Instagram @eq.audrey11
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
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