By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Lindsey Long
On an ordinary night in 2018, Irish show jumper Mark Kinsella met his now wife, Sophie, at the White Horse Bar and Grill in Wellington, Florida, and made an extraordinary connection. “It was just happenstance that we both ended up there, but we immediately connected,” Mark said.
“Mark was this adorable guy with an Irish accent; who wouldn’t have wanted to chat with him? I think he made the first move, then we never looked back,” Sophie said.
Shortly after meeting, the duo found themselves working in Canada. “She and I just ended up doing everything together. At the time, Sophie was a professional, after a successful hunter/equitation career, and had worked for a few top barns in Wellington,” Mark said. “We had an idea to open our own barn, which got extremely difficult when the COVID-19 pandemic happened.”
The idea to open MK Equestrian became a reality in December 2020. Based in Los Angeles, California, MK Equestrian is a jumper-focused sales and training barn.
Irish Roots
Growing up in Ireland, Mark always had a fascination with horses. “It’s very common to start riding as a kid and there were a few different yards around me,” he said.
Mark believes the horse scene in Ireland, and in Europe in general, is incomparable to anywhere else. “Horses were so accessible, and as long as you’re willing to work and learn, there are so many opportunities. I was in a riding school to begin with and learned all the basics. Then I went to Broadmeadows Equestrian Centre with Brian Duff,” Mark said. “It was at Broadmeadows that I learned to really hone in on my skills as a jumper and learned about proper horsemanship.”
Although Mark was around horses from a young age, he didn’t get his start competing until he was 15. “I missed doing all the Irish pony classes, which is a big thing for us,” he said.
Mark may have missed out on the traditional rite of passage for young Irish equestrians, but he ended up making a connection with a fellow countryman and Olympian who would change his life’s trajectory. “Cian O’Connor moved to Broadmeadows, rented stalls and began running his business out of the Centre. I met him while riding there and his interactions with horses interested me a lot,” Mark said. “I had no idea what my career path would be at the time. I hadn’t really considered horses. I actually liked hurling, an ancient Irish sport, and was quite good at it, but wasn’t sure what path I’d take in the future.”
Eager to learn as much as possible from Cian, Mark began working for him when he turned 16. What started as a summer job turned into Mark spending the next eight years learning the trade from Cian. Over time, he was given more and more responsibilities and opportunities. “I started out as a groom for him. I flatted any horses I could, but I groomed, shined his boots, cleaned stalls and tack. I would do anything I could to learn from Cian,” Mark said.
Eventually Cian started giving Mark horses to ride. “I developed my own string under him. He was extremely generous. My favorite horse Cian gave me to ride was called Irish Independence. I won a few Grand Prix on her,” Mark said. “She was a very hot chestnut mare; she taught me how to win.”
Making Moves
With eight years of Cian’s help and support under his belt, Mark decided to start his own business in Ireland, spent some time working in Belgium and eventually made his way to North America in 2017. “After several years traveling to top shows and training Nicole Walker of Canada, we achieved her goals—jumped countless CSI5* Grand Prix clear and Teams clear,” Mark said. “We had much success, but I realized it was time I focused on my own goals.”
Meeting Sophie and subsequently getting engaged helped influence Mark’s decision to make the move from Canada to California when it came time to open MK Equestrian. “I wanted to make one last move. Sophie’s family had recently moved from the East Coast to Napa Valley,” he said. “I love California. I love the quality of life, the weather, the horse market and the dedication to developing the horse shows here as well.”
Pandemic travel restrictions put a wrinkle in Mark and Sophie’s plans. “Our plans got put on hold. We were recently engaged and COVID kept us separated for six months. As I awaited my visa, Sophie was in California with her parents,” Mark said. “It was difficult.”
A successful rider in her own right, Sophie grew up showing in the Junior Hunters and equitation competing at shows like Devon, Lake Placid and Saugerties. When Sophie went to Texas A&M, where she majored in communications and was a member of the equestrian team, she took a special memento with her.
“I did a Sidelines interview in probably 2007 with this backyard pony I half leased. I kept the photo with me through college because I felt so special,” Sophie said. “It’s so funny how full circle everything comes in this industry. One of my very close friends, Nick Haness, was on the cover of that issue.”
Once MK Equestrian opened in 2020, Mark and Sophie hit the ground running as a dynamic duo. “After we started, Sophie helped me with teaching and with the jumpers, but she didn’t enjoy the jumpers. She’ll be the first to tell you that,” Mark said.
After a few too many falls and MK Equestrian becoming a bigger jumper brand than they expected, Sophie got her amateur status back in 2022. “I became a classic terrified amateur. Now I make my husband ride any and every single horse before me. I’m not a jumper queen like the clients here, so I stick to the amateur hunters and derbies whenever I can show and I have so much fun,” Sophie said.
“Sophie wanted to have fun in the hunter ring again. I support anything she does and have learned to whoop with the hunter pros for her,” Mark said.
Although she no longer has a professional riding and training role, Sophie is still an integral part of MK Equestrian. “She does all of our social media and marketing. She helps a lot behind the scenes with big-picture stuff, like all of my sponsorships, client relations and more,” Mark said. “Sophie is much better with technology than I am. I don’t even have Facebook anymore!”
MK Equestrian
Today, MK Equestrian consists of three main trainers—Mark, Liam Deery and Lorcan Gallagher. “We’re all Irish. Liam and Lorcan demonstrate the same horsemanship and way of training that I believe in. We also always rotate in an intern/working student Irishman every three months,” Mark said.
Mark has hung his own shingle but he’s still learning from Cian as he develops his business stateside. “I work 24/7, my wife will agree that I don’t stop; but I have big goals. Cian works backwards from his goal and is very big planner. I took those skills, and I’ve really put them into my own career and for each of my clients,” Mark said.
Learning to look at the bigger picture is one of the valuable skills Mark learned from his time with Cian. “I don’t try to go win every class with every horse. Instead, I focus on their development and aim them for specific classes and long-term goals,” Mark said. “Every client I have has different goals. I work backwards from their big goal each year to ensure they get to it, whether it’s being top 100 in the FEI U25 rankings, gaining ranking points, winning a first Grand Prix or simply doing their first 1.20m!”
While working towards his own goals, Mark still enlists the help of Cian. “I also have a partner in Europe named Tal Mistein. I do several horses a year with Tal, and we’ve worked together for several years now as I grow my sales string,” Mark said.
In 2023, Mark checked a big goal off his bucket list when he represented Team Ireland at the Longines FEI Nations Cup in San Juan Capistrano, California, aboard Quality H. “Wearing the Ireland green coat is something I don’t quite think I can adequately put into words. I grew up with Cian jumping on the biggest teams, so I witnessed his preparation and his mentality to handle pressure,” Mark said. “I tried to do everything in a similar way, but also in a way that benefited my horse.”
Mark admits he was nervous for his Team Ireland debut, but thanks to his incredible mount, he had a great first experience. “We went right into a CSIO5* Nations Cup that was every bit of 1.60m. It was pretty eye-opening, and we finished round one with one down: just a rub on the plank and it came down,” he said.
Several fantastic horses have shaped Mark’s career so far, including Irish Independence and Echo Beach while he was with Cian, and Quality H. “He was a horse of a lifetime. He had so many quirks and so many different opinions, but when he gave you his all, there wasn’t anyone that had a bigger heart. We jumped Major League Show Jumping together, we represented Team Ireland, we took on Spruce with much success. We won a lot, and I learned so much on him,” Mark said. “He is happily retired now, and I’m sending him to Ireland at some point to experience the best grass there is!”
As Mark was retiring Quality H, he began riding a mare, Casira, owned by Marissa Metzger and Laurie Jueneman of Snowfield Farm. “She came into my life at a time when I really needed a horse. I was retiring Quality, which was a difficult decision. Casira has exceeded any expectation I’ve had for her. We’ve jumped the CSI4* clear, several CSI3*s clear, were second in a National Grand Prix, and now have Nations Cup goals to work towards,” he said. “I’m extremely grateful for her; she’s one of the loveliest mares you’ll ever meet.”
Family Focused
Being a professional and running MK Equestrian is a labor of love for Mark. That’s why it’s important to him to be surrounded by people whom he loves to work with—whether it’s his grooms, trainers or clients. “My team is my family, and loyalty means everything to me. This sport and this industry are very time-consuming and it can be very lonely, so I make sure that our clients and staff know they’re family. My staff contains some of my closest friends, like Lorcan and Liam, and my grooms are the backbone of any horse’s success,” he said.
Sophie agrees that having a barn family is a non-negotiable requirement. “For us, our barn requires so much of our time and energy that if it isn’t a fun and family environment, it isn’t sustainable. Our barn is fun,” she said. “Our clients come over for dinners; we go on adventures. The other moms give me advice, and our Junior clients make sure to keep me in the loop of what’s in and what’s not.”
Mark and Sophie welcomed their son Cooper to the Kinsella and MK Equestrian family in 2023. Since then, the grooms have embraced the newest member of the team with open arms. “They’ve seen Cooper since he was an infant and they now throw him around and put him on horses—supervised and holding him—and they’ve gotten him mini wheelbarrows and shovels,” Sophie said.
Since moving to their new barn in February 2025, Mark and Sophie added an “asada” area for barbecues at the farm. “You have to love those you work with; if you don’t, then what’s the point? I’ve learned a lot from every person who has worked here, good, bad or indifferent, and I continue to learn how to lead. My grooms, my manager, my flat rider, my riders, my assistants, my clients all give 100%; the least I can do is provide an environment that gives back,” Mark said.
Adding Cooper to the mix has completely changed Mark and Sophie’s lives for the better. “He’s a ray of sunshine, and when he’s not acting like a toddler causing havoc, he’s my best buddy to cook with. Coop taught me how to be present, how to slow down and just enjoy the now, as cliché as that sounds,” Sophie said.
Mark has also changed his perspective since Cooper’s arrival. “Cooper has changed my life entirely! I make decisions around my family now and work everything towards bettering things for them. In this industry, it’s difficult to balance your professional and family life; I make an effort to be there each night to put Cooper to bed,” Mark said.
Cooper is no stranger to barn and horse show life. “I walk courses with him when I can, he has a mini pony that we help him ride, and especially during our fall and winters in California, I’m able to spend a lot of quality time with him. If Cooper decides to follow in my footsteps with horses, I will support him however he needs—but I hope he becomes a golfer,” Mark chuckled.
Next Chapter
Cooper is no longer the baby of the family: Mark and Sophie just welcomed their daughter, Poppy McLean, in August, and Poppy’s childhood at the barn will certainly look like her brother’s. In the meantime, Sophie is looking forward to getting back into the saddle in the coming months. “I haven’t been able to consistently ride for nearly three years. I miss riding more than I can put into words; there’s nothing like being in the ring in between two ears that you just trust and know no matter what, you’ll have fun! Good—and mom-proof!—hunters are quite pricey and hard to find, so I’m just hoping we can find me something that I can get back on and really get going again,” Sophie said. “Nothing would make me happier than having some time in the saddle and setting goals again.”
While they search for Sophie’s next horse, she has a solid set of plans. “My future looks like a lot of nap time, some tantrums, keeping Cooper from riding our dogs, and enjoying every day,” she said.
Mark is also taking things one day at a time. He’s looking to add more clients to his team and take them up the ranks, while continuing to ride at the bigger levels himself and hopefully adding more horses to his string. “I work extremely hard. I don’t necessarily believe in luck, but I do believe in hard work, planning and training for the results you want. Cian taught me that, and it’s very true,” Mark said.
With big goals for himself, Mark is aiming to wear the green jacket as much as he can, while also continuing to jump under the lights at new venues. “Most of all, I want to be next to my clients in winner’s pictures,” he said. “Nothing is more fulfilling than being a small part of someone else’s victory.”
Follow Mark and Sophie on their website at kinsellaequestrian.com and on Instagram @mkequestrian_official
Photos by Lindsey Long, lindseylong.com
