Portraits by Melissa Fuller
From swing dancing to school bus driving, motherhood to blue ribbons, Claire Martinez’s path in the equestrian industry has certainly been eventful. Claire grew up in Long Island, New York, graduating from Elon University before moving to Los Angeles, California, where she organized country music awards shows, then subsequently worked in event planning for the L.A. County Museum of Art. That was also where she met her husband, Frank, in a swing-dancing class.
The pair later moved back to Long Island to take over their long-standing family bus transportation business. “My husband and I are also CDL-qualified school bus drivers so we are on the road as much as we are in the office,” she shared.
The business is not the only thing that runs in Claire’s family. “There is not a time I can honestly remember where I didn’t love or want to be around horses. But it took my grandfather, who always loved horses—he wanted to be a cowboy as a kid—to convince my mom to give riding a try,” Claire remembered. “They took me for a leadline lesson at 4 and that was it. I was completely hooked. By age 5 I had my first pony: a chestnut mare named Sunrise.”
Claire and her sister both grew up riding and competing at the same time. Once, Claire rode Sunrise in Short Stirrup at the Hampton Classic in the same year that her sister competed Sunrise in a Western pleasure competition. “I rode anything anyone would let me ride,” Claire said. “Unbroke ponies, dressage, Western—I never turned down an opportunity. I was always the kid who was up for a good challenge and never minded the work. Each horse gave me such an education and I had to figure out quickly how to puzzle them out. I rode consistently through college on the Elon intercollegiate riding team and once I graduated and moved to L.A., I could only ride when I could afford it. I never could fully give up the horses.”
When Claire moved back to Long Island in 2016, she wanted to prioritize that passion as much as she could. She found Laura Beth and Jay Strong, who helped her ride into the next stage of her life, at Laurel Crown Farms.
Things changed when Claire had a son, Maxwell, and his brother, Hudson. “After Hudson was born in 2021, I was struggling with my mental health with all the pressures of being a mom to two young boys, my body going through all of its changes, still coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing to operate a business through it all and just navigating my life,” Claire explained. “I suppose most sane people would take a step back and try to get some things off their plates. I instead made the decision to add a horse to the mix. I went back to Laura Beth and told her I needed something, anything, to ride that I could afford. I made a promise to myself that I was going to figure this out and make the most of it in whatever way I could. Brian Feigus leased me this wonderful horse, Monarch, at the beginning of 2022 and once again, I was back at it.”
Like Claire, Monarch was learning to find his way, too. “Monarch was green at the time, and that was the best thing for me. I threw myself into getting back in shape for riding, for moving through my new phase of life,” Claire reflected. “This horse gave me my drive back. I had zero expectations going into the show season, but Monarch qualified me into my very first finals season and took me around like a pro.”
Claire and Monarch earned top ribbons at Marshall & Sterling Finals, Zone 2 Finals, Reserve Champion in the Adult Eq at Capital Challenge—which was Claire’s first time ever showing there—and top ribbons at the National Horse Show. “For me, I was finally living the dream,” she said.
In 2024, another one of Claire’s dreams was realized when she bought her first horse as an adult, Mandalore. But at the time, Mandalore was 5 and not ready for the competition ring. In the meantime, she was introduced to Cabo Frio DV Z. “That horse gave me what I felt was my Cinderella year,” Claire said. The pair secured major wins at HITS, Hampton Classic, Saratoga, NHS Regionals, qualified for Ariat Finals with only five shows, and culminated in the Championship at the National Horse Show in the Adult Equitation. Now, Claire is excited to be developing Mandalore, who debuted in the USHJA National Derby and the Amateur-Owner Hunter this year.
Claire loves competing in equitation for the reward of the challenges it demands, but also for the comfort of those who ride alongside her. “Horse people innately understand everything that goes into the management of that crazy horse-girl passion, raising their families, working a job, managing all aspects of their lives,” Claire said. “The horse shows may be the only time I see some of them; it doesn’t matter. They greet you and treat you like an old friend. They cheer for your success and pick you up when things don’t work out how you hoped. That camaraderie is invaluable.”
Claire jokes about how she never wanted to play team sports growing up, but she found herself in “the biggest team sport there is.” She attributes her success to her horses, of course—but also to her farriers, vets, trainers, grooms and her family. “While my husband and sons are not necessarily ‘horse people,’ they show up to horse shows, come on horse trials with me and share in all the joy and heartbreak this sport can bring,” Claire reflected. “They understand how important it is to me to have horses as a part of my life and just take it all in stride. It’s not lost on me just how special it is to have that kind of support.”
Claire also sees her work with mindset coach Nancy Dye as invaluable to her life in and outside of the arena. “I decided to work with Nancy after a recommendation from a fellow Adult Amateur,” Claire said. “I had a lackluster season and felt myself losing my spark. I knew that my mental game needed some serious help. On paper, I didn’t have anything you associate with people who have success in this sport. I didn’t grow up competing at a national level, didn’t have a background of top trainers or Junior championships on my resume, didn’t come from an equestrian family, I don’t have a string of horses, can’t afford to show all year round or spend winters in Florida. The list of my disqualifications went on and on. But there was always this stubborn little voice in the back of my head that just refused to let up on the dream of wanting to prove what I knew I was capable of achieving.”
Nancy helped Claire focus on that voice that persistently believed in her. “Nancy worked with me on completely transforming my outlook on who I thought I was, my attitude, how I prepare myself to show, how to handle that old rider identity that wants to take over when you do end up having a bad day,” Claire recounted. “And all of her advice and teachings are so transferable to just about every aspect of my life. I saw improvements not just in my riding but in my marriage, how I parent my kids and how I conduct my work.”
Thinking back to the National Horse Show, Claire remembered she was starting to get anxious, which is never a good thing for her. “One of the things I learned from Nancy was that the quickest way to change your mindset and how those feelings can manifest is that you need to physically move your body,” Claire said. “So I swapped out my tall boots for a pair of sneakers, put on my headphones and went for a run around the eventing field at the Kentucky Horse Park. I joke that my horse and I were so connected that day that both of us needed a lunge before we showed.
“Between the music and the physical activity, it just helped clear my mind, kept things positive and rid my body of all the damaging anxious energy,” Claire said. “Now, it’s a part of my pre-show ritual. If my brain and body start to get that tingly anxious buzz going, I run and I either listen to music that pumps me up or even motivational/positive-mindset YouTube videos. It’s amazing how this simple tactic can totally transform everything.”
Mindset is clearly key for success in Claire’s demanding schedule. Having patience for herself is, too. “My natural tendencies are to gravitate toward all or nothing and I’d rather do tasks myself than ask for help,” Claire admitted. “I detest doing anything halfway, and giving up control over something I feel I should be responsible for is incredibly challenging for me. I struggle with the guilt of feeling like I’m letting people down or I’m not there for my kids or my husband. The mom and wife guilt is real!”
Claire learned to set priorities. She established that first and foremost were her kids and her husband. From there, she would make work what she could. “I have a planner that I never leave home without. Whether it’s riding time, work meetings, office hours, dinner with the family, date nights—if it ends up written down in the planner, it has to get accomplished. Full stop, no excuses, even if that means I’m up extra early and not going to bed until late. Obviously things come up, but I prioritize grace for myself in moments when the plan goes sideways and remember I will work through the chaos and it will not last forever. Then when the chaos has subsided I get to go back to my written plan,” Claire explained. “Outside of those big principles, I will say that having honest conversations with both my husband and my kids is key. We all have an understanding that there are seasons or times of the day where we have our turns to be in the spotlight. No one’s hobbies are allowed to be the sole focus of our family because we are all passionate about something and should have time to follow that.”
Claire also recognizes the importance of taking time for herself when she can. She is a self-proclaimed “huge fantasy and science fiction bookworm”—which is also how she picks the names for her horses, such as “Mandalore,” a “Star Wars” reference. Claire’s new horse, Wingleader, is so named as a nod to the hit novel “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros.
Claire has learned many lessons over her 35 years of riding, but there are a few pieces of advice that stand out most. “I always want things yesterday,” Claire admitted. “That has become even more difficult in a world where we now get to experience instant gratification on the regular. At a time like this, having patience is a virtue I just cannot emphasize enough. Anything in the horse world will likely take much longer than you’d like or expect. But have faith. The universe has a funny way of rewarding your patience when you consistently put in the work, go on the journey and have unwavering belief in yourself that you will get there.”
Ultimately, Claire rides with the horse-crazy kid inside of her in mind. “If I could tell my younger self something, it would be to never stop listening to that persistent little voice telling you to never quit and to never listen to the people who told you your goals and dreams are too big,” Claire said. “While yes, your Junior horse career will never be what you want it to be, it is not the end of your journey. You will love the journey. You will find your people. You will ride horses you could only begin to dream of. You will absolutely get to where you have always wanted to be. Keep your work ethic and never accept ‘no’ as a final answer. When you finally lead your first victory gallop, you will do it with tears in your eyes and absolute unfettered happiness because not only is that little pony kid inside you smiling, your adult self has nothing but the deepest appreciation in achieving the moment you have worked your entire life to achieve.”
Finally, Claire believes her story is a reminder that anyone—regardless of background—can make it in this space. “This has been a decades-long path and sometimes I still have to pinch myself that this is my life,” she revealed. “It’s surreal that my experience with horses would be worth sharing in a magazine. I hope that there is someone out there who reads this and can find solace in knowing there is someone else who has a similar story. There are more of us out there than what you may feel. I hope for those who feel that they are being priced out or don’t come from equestrian families or who think they can’t compete against those who are fortunate enough to have exceptional trainers, strings of horses and the time to chase their dreams, or even to those working moms who are just trying to balance it all and feel like they may never find their way back in,” she shared. “Please know that I’ve been where you are. I’ve felt the helplessness, heartbreak and frustration. But you just never know the path life is going to take you down, so make that little kid who first fell in love with a horse proud and ride on! I hope to meet you ringside for many years to come.”
Follow Claire on Instagram @claire.marie87
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com, unless noted otherwise
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