Portraits by Chelsea Lothrop
Seventeen-year-old Baylee Rowan, like any true horsewoman, knows that those shining moments in the ring are hard-won through the unglamorous, day-in-day-out routine and the labor of a synergetic team of people who love the process more than the result. Baylee is a rising competitor and working student at Missy Clark and John Brennan’s North Run Farm, based in Warren, Vermont, and the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.
Baylee grew up riding whatever horses she could get her hands on. She rode on an IEA team, where she was given a horse and allowed only two warm-up jumps to familiarize herself with them before competing. She’s an advocate for taking every opportunity you can get in the equestrian world: Every horse will teach you something. Every moment in the saddle led her to where she is today.
In the equestrian world, North Run is something akin to Disneyland: Between its prestigious reputation for training and competition and esteemed working-student program, Baylee considered this position a realized dream. She first joined the team in February of 2024 and never looked back.
Each of Baylee’s days at North Run holds something different. She always, however, gets up early. Baylee never arrives at the barn later than 7 a.m. on weekday mornings, and 5:30 on show mornings. At North Run, each working student is paired with an equitation horse to school and compete, referred to as that student’s “care horse.” In exchange, the working student is responsible for cleaning the horse’s stall, filling their water buckets and grooming them. Baylee’s “care horse” is a gelding named Watermelon. After she checks in on Watermelon and does his morning chores, she helps everyone else with whatever they might need around the barn. Then it’s time to get in the saddle.
Baylee typically rides three or four horses a day. The afternoon is a flurry of getting horses ready and putting them away, cleaning tack, filling water buckets and doing anything that needs to be done around the show grounds or stable. She tries to be helpful wherever she can. “I look for any task that will just lessen someone else’s to-do list,” she said.
Amid the busy atmosphere, Baylee likes to seek out a few quiet moments with the horses whenever she can, whether that’s a bit of extra grooming or doing body work like the hot laser or magnetic blanket. In the evening, she helps with the feeding. Once the horses are taken care of and she’s made sure everything in the barn is organized for the next day, she’s ready to go.
As a working student, Baylee understands the grit it takes behind the scenes to make it to the top of the sport. “Most people see the few minutes in the show ring, but they don’t see the hours that go into getting there: the early mornings, the late nights, preparing horses, grooming, cleaning, the sacrifices made, taking care of horses even when you’re exhausted, trying to better myself every time I get in the saddle,” she said. “I’ve given up a lot for this sport; but I know for a fact that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I plan to work every day to get to the top.”
This sport can be stressful and demanding. Baylee is thankful for the positive energy of her North Run family to keep the day light. She acknowledges that it’s a rare gift that her job and her passion can exist at the same time. “Some days are harder than others,” she remarked. “But I’m always grateful to be a part of the team, and work while also doing something I genuinely enjoy.”
Though Baylee knows that riding is her calling, there have been times throughout her journey when Baylee doubted herself and her progress. “It was definitely easy to feel behind when my friends and peers were all moving up on new horses and I was bringing a younger horse along or helping a nervous horse gain confidence at a smaller height,” she admitted. “I always remind myself that it’s a blessing to have gotten as far as I have without buying all of my horses.”
Baylee has only owned one of her horses: her very first pony, named Grommet. She did her first full WEF circuit at 11 and was trained by her mother and until getting the working-student position at North Run at 14—sacrificing “normal” teenage years to pursue her passion at a higher level. “I remember feeling like I had finally made it to where I always wanted to be,” she said. “If I ever get tired or feel behind, I give myself a reality check. I remember where I came from and how I got to where I am now. I’m forever thankful for everything I have, and the horses I have the privilege to ride and show.”
Learning to rely on herself and trust in her own ability has been crucial to Baylee’s success inside and outside of the ring. She has learned that adapting her attitude is key in the high-pressure, fast-paced world of equestrian competition. “The sport is so physically demanding, but I think it’s just as mentally demanding as it is hard on the body. I used to put tons of pressure on myself to win. I got in my head about the result instead of participating and riding effectively,” she admitted. “I remember talking to Missy, and she helped me change that mindset. She taught me to go into the ring and focus on my plan, believing in it 100%—I go over it in my head and imagine exactly how I want to ride it. All I let myself think about is doing my job and being there for my horse, not the result. That shifted everything for me and helped me navigate my horse under any circumstance.”
She is proving exactly that: A few of her most recent accolades include coming in third place overall at USET Finals last year and winning the flat phase. She was also sixth overall at Washington Finals, winning the jumper phase. She came in fifth place at Maclay Finals and won the Regionals for Zone 1. This year, she came in first in three classes at Devon. She won the USET, USEF medal and the William Cooney Jr. Style and Sportsmanship Award. Baylee also earned her silver medal for the USET and is currently working on achieving her gold.
Baylee credits taking an active role behind the scenes in horses’ lives with helping create a strong relationship between horse and rider. “They know you care for them, and it builds a trust that shows in the ring,” she said. “I’ve been Watermelon’s prime caretaker for almost two years, and we know each other so well. I can always tell what he’s thinking, and I think he can tell how I’m feeling, too. He’s like my best friend. I will always believe our success together comes from the relationship we’ve built just spending days on end, countless hours together.”
Baylee quickly earned a name for herself both in jumping and in equitation. She loves them both for different reasons, and both disciplines have given her a different set of skills. “Equitation teaches me to be precise, organized and intentional with my decisions, while jumpers teach me to be adaptable, trust my instincts, how to react when things don’t go exactly as planned, to think quickly and how to ride a hotter horse. I think having both sides makes me a more complete rider, because you need to be able to have a plan, but also know when to let go of that plan and adjust,” she reflected.
But there’s something about equitation that particularly draws her in. “I think it’s the pursuit of perfection that I love so much. Equitation is so much more than just getting around the course; it’s about making every decision look intentional and every movement seamless. I like that there’s so much to think about: track, pace, time allowed, distances, turns, my own position! I like that there’s so much strategy involved, and that even when you have a great round, there’s always one more detail you can make better for the next time.”
It’s hard for Baylee to imagine a life without horses. “I don’t really know what I would do if I wasn’t doing this. I don’t really have any hobbies outside of riding,” she joked. “I like playing pickleball with my friends or going on drives with them. I love the beach. I live in Rhode Island near the water and I love spending time there walking around listening to music, swimming, hanging out with friends there or just relaxing.”
Baylee also grew up skiing and surfing with her family—although admittedly she’s not an expert at either. No matter what she’s doing, Baylee loves spending as much time with her dad and her brother as she can when she has a break from showing and working.
In addition to being a working student at North Run alongside her sister, Blake, Baylee rides for the Oklahoma State University’s D1 Equestrian team. Between the demands of the barn, the hustle and bustle of the show grounds, growing as a rider, staying on top of school and maintaining relationships with friends and family, it would be easy for anyone to get swept up in the busy schedule. She’s navigated this by cultivating the right kind of community around her. “I learned to surround myself with people who want the best for me just as much as I do. Having the right people in your circle can change everything for the better.”
Baylee also looks for the little moments to center her and remind her why she does what she does. “This year, I was bored at the hotel and decided to visit my horses before picking up some dinner. When I walked in, Watermelon was asleep in his stall lying down. I went in and sat in his shavings with him for a little while. I was just petting his neck and talking to him a bit. A couple of minutes passed and he laid his head down on my lap and closed his eyes to fall asleep. It was the sweetest moment because knowing he trusts me enough to fall asleep on me means more to me than any ribbon.”
Follow Baylee on Instagram @bayleerowan.eqq
Photos by Chelsea Lothrop Photography, chelsealothrop.com
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