Part two of our annual Hot Horsemen — Don’t forget to read part one!
Will Mitchell
Will Mitchell didn’t ride in college—he played football. Will, who has lived in Texas since he was a child, is a self-proclaimed “avid football fan.” So how did he get involved with horses? “A girl, of course,” Will chuckled. “I was dating a girl, and she and the other girls said, ‘Hey, you look like you can move some stuff.’ So I started out jump crew about 25 years ago, and I just gradually progressed through the ranks.”
As an independent contractor, Will now covers a wide range of behind-the-scenes horse show roles from in-gate and announcer—whatever is needed at shows coast to coast—and is the technical coordinator for Princeton Show Jumping in New Jersey. He’s done some Quarter Horse and dressage but mostly hunter-jumper shows; the jumper ring is his favorite. “That’s the truest competition: I’m faster than you and that’s that,” he said. “So I enjoy the jumper ring the most.”
He loves the competition, but Will knows what should come first, especially for kids. “When they’re competing I tell them, ‘Go out there, you turn it loose have fun, because that’s what you’re here for,’” he said. “There are cheaper ways to be miserable.” It’s the same message he shares with the youth football players he coaches when his schedule allows. In the meantime, Will enjoys everything that comes with football fandom, including cooking, grilling and tailgating.
Will’s goal in life is simply to leave the world better than he found it—and he’s succeeding, alongside his wife, Lesli. “That girl who got me involved in horse showing, I married her,” Will said. He and Lesli work at shows together whenever they can. Their two sons, Grant and Cameron, are both teachers. “I tell my wife I don’t know what we did to deserve them, but we are truly blessed in that regard,” Will said. “We’ve been married over 25 years. It’s the dream—the goal. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.”
Photo by Kristie Scholten
Nicky Galligan
“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is more than a cliché to Nicky Galligan. He’s living it. “I feel so privileged to combine my competitive nature and my burning passion for these incredible animals,” Nicky said. “Spending my days around horses is the magic that keeps me motivated and loving life.”
Nicky grew up in the small town of Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland, where his parents own a horse farm—but that didn’t pave the way to being the five-star show jumper he is today. “I was just a little boy that fell in love with a pony and dared to dream,” Nicky said. “While I grew up in a ‘horse family,’ it was primarily in the leisure market—we are a hard-working family with all the love and support in the world, but not tremendous means. I’m lucky to be one of the few that has found a path in this sport and enjoyed some success! The first horse I ever jumped in a Grand Prix or trotted up at an FEI show was my own Javas Miss Jordan that I had brought to the U.S. from Ireland, having been the first person to ever sit on her back. So while the sport is tough and expensive, there really is a chance if you love it enough and, most importantly, are comfortable being different. You have to do it a little differently than everyone else to create that chance.”
For Nicky, “home is where the horse is”—currently Wellington, Florida. He starts each day quietly working in the stables with his team, and takes a breath before every big class by riding around bareback—both ways he savors time with horses. Javas Miss Jordan recently retired, but Nicky is excited about two mares that just began jumping at the five-star and FEI levels. “I really do enjoy building the relationship at home and growing with each individual horse, then going to the show to test where we are,” he said. “While every day has its struggles and presents us with mountains to climb, what we can control is the perspective we approach it with: Enjoy the challenge, surround yourself with great people and find happiness in every day.”
Photo by Sophia Donohue
Matt Martin
Matt Martin fell in love with horses after first saddling up at his 5th birthday party in Atlanta, Georgia. “I had pony rides with friends every birthday for more years than I probably should have,” Matt admitted. “Eventually that led to just riding the ponies loose around the downtown Atlanta area.”
Now based in Ocala, Florida, Matt has no need for birthday parties to ride any time he wants to: He owns and operates Marketmoor LLC, a hunter-jumper training and showing business with an on-the-road show team and at-home consignment sale business, and Cane Creek, producing young stock “on a small but fun scale.” “I’m fortunate to have a dedicated and talented group of professionals supporting me, and in turn I’m trying to promote them as much as possible,” Matt said.
In addition to supporting the young professionals that work for him, Matt enjoys supporting his family. “Family time is so important to me,” he said. “As my nephew and nieces grow up, I want to spend as much time with them doing ‘normal’ things as possible. We recently went to the zoo, and I can’t wait to take them to Disney World in a few years.”
Matt’s life with horses has included some “not so normal” things even by equestrian standards, such as riding a mounted police horse around during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and consulting on and riding, jumping and acting in “The Sunday Horse,” a movie inspired by Debi Connor and her journey with Joe Fargis’ Olympic mount Touch Of Class. But Matt loves simple things like the style, symmetry and brilliance of a good jump in the hunter ring and the intensity and athleticism in jumpers. “I try to enjoy every day and recognize how lucky I am to spend my days with horses,” he said. “We are all very fortunate to get to do what we love for a living.”
Photo by Gary L. Howe
Malcolm Dilley
Since his parents purchased countryside property when he was 4 years old, Malcolm Dilley has spent his weekdays in Washington, D.C., and his weekends in Middleburg, Virginia—when he can get away, now. “Real estate has been the perfect next step for me these last four years after nearly a decade in hospitality, allowing me to stay connected to and promote a city I love, constantly meet interesting people and maintain some flexibility to fit in my horse hobby!” he said.
Malcolm’s mother is from Nicaragua—which means frequent visits to enjoy the beauty, culture, food and family-orientation of the country—and neither she nor Malcolm’s father had any connection to horses before they all began taking lessons in Middleburg. Malcolm attributes his love of horses and riding to his years spent with iconic equestrian Nancy Dillon, “foxhunting, riding countless ponies and learning every farm chore and horse care task imaginable,” he said.
From there, it was a natural progression to Amateur eventing—up to the three-star level—until Malcolm chose to step back. “I learned at a very young age the importance of responsibility and commitment from horses. I now cherish my time on horseback or in the barn as my escape from hectic city life, where I can truly relax and enjoy life,” Malcolm said. “Those values resonate throughout the rest of my life. Whether I’m selling a house, cooking a meal with friends or cleaning the barn, I’m all in—fully committed to doing it to the best of my ability and working hard to enjoy the process.”
And Malcolm may not be done competing just yet. “At the time, the plan was to ‘retire,’ sell my competition horse and focus on other life responsibilities, but I miss those days—the dedication, practice and goals that came with the sport,” he said. “I’m now in search of my next horse and excited to get back into it!”
Photo by Kelly Mudd
Mikey Andrade
Mikey Andrade went to watch his cousin take a riding lesson every Friday after school growing up in Duchess County, New York. “One day her trainer, Kristin Lloyd of Old Dalton Farm, asked if I wanted to get on. That day changed my whole life!” Mikey said. “I quickly went from a riding lesson a week to working off a half lease for a pony.”
Today Mikey lives in Westchester County, where he works alongside Jenny Dunion and Holly Orlando as a trainer at Evermore LLC. “There’s such beauty in watching a well-turned-out horse be guided around a course seamlessly. Watching Holly is a riding lesson in and of itself,” Mikey said. He recognizes many lessons that come through his involvement with horses. “One lesson that I’ve learned—and am still learning—is patience. Things take time and great results are not immediate: Just take a breath and keep going. A skill that I’ve also sharpened is time management. Horse showing is busy; being able to make a plan with your team, relying on one another and being held accountable are crucial.”
Mikey uses his spare time to stay physically fit off the horse as well and he also prioritizes spending time with loved ones. “I’m lucky enough to have family close by, and a great group of friends that live locally,” he said, but his friendships extend to the horse shows too. “I’m a very competitive person but am well aware that this also has to be fun. Take a minute and remember you’re surrounded by friends; we’re all in a similar boat. Watching others I care about succeed brings just as much joy as if it were happening to me.”
Photo by Sophia Donohue
Stay tuned for part 3!
