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Monday, March 29 2021 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Lauren Eisele & Brandon Howard: Opposites Attract and Are Better Together

By Britney Grover

Portraits by Kristie Nichols

Lauren Eisele and Brandon Howard describe themselves as yin and yang: total opposites that somehow complete each other. From their natural sleep schedules — Lauren would go to bed at 8 p.m. if she could and is ready for business by 6 a.m., while Brandon prefers a later start to his day — to their equestrian skillsets, Lauren and Brandon are very different. But they’re both passionate about horses.

Together, they’ve made a business more successful than either of them could on their own. In the thriving equestrian community just north of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Homeward Farms is growing in success despite the fact that many potential clients don’t give Lauren and Brandon a chance for one shortsighted fact: their age. Lauren just turned 30, and Brandon, 24. Both Lauren and Brandon respect and seek to learn from those who have more years of experience, but understanding their capabilities takes looking beyond the numbers.

From his youth riding in South Africa, Brandon has trained and competed around the United States with top Grand Prix placings on horses he brought through the levels himself. Lauren has not only spent years training horses and coaching riders, but has a doctorate. She’s a licensed chiropractor, allowing her to not only physically help horses and riders but to teach riders the mechanics involved with riding — how their position affects the horse, or how a small adjustment here makes a big difference there — knowledge that creates better riders.

In other words, those who pass Lauren and Brandon by simply because of their age don’t realize what they’re missing — and there’s a lot.

The Yang

Brandon’s first experience with horses began by asking a girl for a phone number. Actually, horses were in his blood: Brandon’s mother had ridden until she got pregnant, exercising racehorses to earn a stall to keep her horse. But Brandon didn’t know anything about that when, at 5 years old, he asked a girl in his school class who rode for the phone number of her barn. “I came home from school with a phone number written on a piece of paper and asked my mom if I could go take a riding lesson for my 6th birthday,” Brandon said. “I started riding and never stopped.”

His first barn in South Africa, Alzu Weltmeyer Stables, was a large three-day event farm, so Brandon was able to do events right on the property, as well as show jumping and dressage. Though he was always drawn to jumping, which is what he competed in when he traveled to show, Brandon enjoyed growing up riding on an event farm. “I enjoyed eventing because it was fun,” he said. “Being at the property, we would often just go out in our lessons and jump around the event course and have fun. I think that’s where I learned to be brave on a horse.”

In 2008, 11-year-old Brandon and his family moved to the United States, where he began riding with Matt Cyphert near their new home in Texas. “I consider Matt almost a second father to me,” Brandon said. “If horse shows got too expensive, Matt would offer to let me come and stay with him at the camper. I was good friends with both of his sons, so it was just like going over with my friends.”

At 14, Brandon got 5-year-old MTM Balvino to bring through the levels, and two years later the pair was competing Grand Prix. “He took me all the way up to my first FEI class in Vegas, where we won the 1.40m open jumper class, and we did well in the Grand Prix at Summer in the Rockies,” Brandon said. “When we sold him, it afforded me the ability to have more than one horse, with the money we made.”

Brandon was able to buy his first three import horses in Germany, and when he went to sell them in Wellington, he met Darren Graziano. That connection led Brandon to travel with Darren on the East Coast for several years, gaining experience both in the saddle and in sales while earning a business degree online. When he returned to Texas in 2017, he was still an amateur, with a few sales horses he boarded at Flower Mound Equestrian Center — which is where he met Lauren.

The Yin

Unlike Brandon, Lauren has lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area her entire life. She was introduced to horses through her mother’s side of the family: Lauren’s aunts, Mary and Carol Russack, owned Huntington Tack Shop in New York. Every year growing up, Lauren would go visit them and Carol, who rode hunter-jumpers, would pony Lauren around on her 18-hand Thoroughbred.

“We have pictures of me, a little nugget on this huge horse,” Lauren said. “It was just love at first sight. Even when I was 5 and it was 20 degrees outside in New York, I would be out there mucking stalls.”

Both the passion for horses and the persevering work ethic have stuck with Lauren, whose first horse of her own was an inexpensive Arabian-Saddlebred cross. “I showed him in the Low Children’s Jumpers, and I think for the entire first year of our show career we didn’t make it around the course,” Lauren laughed.

Nevertheless, Lauren was hooked. She became a working student at the Las Colinas Equestrian Center next to her school, where she could walk over in the afternoons and work until 7 or 8 p.m. before doing it all again the next day to earn her lessons. Her trainer, Celine Myers, would let Lauren groom at shows to help pay costs of attending local shows. “I had a lot of people looking out for me so I could show,” she said.

Instead of getting the national showing experience, however, Lauren got experience perhaps more valuable in the long run: riding difficult horses. “Since I didn’t have a horse of my own for a long time, I was always the kid at the barn that people would ask to ride the problem horses,” she said. “I rode the lesson horses and the difficult ones, and my trainer saw potential in me. She’d let me hack horses and put me on extra horses, and when I went to college and still wanted to ride, I found a trainer there who let me ride her problem horses. It was one of those things that just kind of happened. I wasn’t ever like, ‘OK, I’m going to try to make a career out of this.’”

Originally, she intended to become a vet. She got her undergraduate degree in animal science, but shifted course slightly her senior year. “I shadowed a whole bunch of vets and realized there was blood and it wasn’t for me,” Lauren said in good humor. “I started asking around about equestrian careers that still involved a doctorate, and that’s how chiropractic school came about.”

A Balanced Business

After graduating from chiropractic school in 2015, Lauren ran her own chiropractic business that focused on working with animals. Two years later, she began riding more — including helping import, train and sell horses, building upon her experience including running lesson programs and as an assistant trainer to make extra money through her school years. Lauren found her doctorate was being used less and less as she had more and more success with sales horses and students.

Brandon and Lauren met at the barn and began dating. The more they got to know one another, the more they recognized they were better together in more ways than one. Brandon gave up his amateur status to start riding professionally, and they combined his sales horses and Lauren’s students to make Homeward Farms a full training, sales and lesson program.

“We each fill in where the other person lacks,” Brandon shared. “Lauren is really, really good at running and organizing the business side of things, I do most of the riding, and we split the training evenly. It’s been really good for us, actually putting less stress on our relationship because we get to spend a lot more time with each other.”

Both Brandon and Lauren are excited to be getting more import opportunities this year, and to continue to grow their business. They also make a point of continuing to learn from top riders in the area, including Brandon’s mentor Matt Cyphert, Ken Smith and Don Stewart — industry greats whom Brandon aspires to emulate, with top student placings at national competitions and thriving sales.

Homeward Farms really is home to Brandon and Lauren. They’re grateful to Brandon’s parents, who purchased the 20-stall facility and property where they live. It’s also home to Brandon and Lauren’s three large, iconic dogs: Daisy, the Border Collie/Australian Kelpie mix Lauren got in college; Pepper, Brandon’s Double Doodle; and Sheldon, Lauren’s Golden Retriever.

All three dogs enjoy riding the golf cart at shows and roam the farm at home. “Daisy is a herding dog so she’ll run up and down the edge of the arena and if you chip into a jump, she’ll bark at you — she’s quite the assistant trainer,” Lauren said.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, business has increased for Homeward Farms — as has the need to find ways to de-stress for Brandon and Lauren. Brandon has taken up golf, and Lauren enjoys working with a personal trainer, each filling in for the other to take half a day off during the week. They continue to find ways to work together even better. They have their moments, just like any couple. But Homeward Farms is producing results that embody the best of both of them.

“It’s worked out really great because all of my weaknesses are Brandon’s strengths and vice versa,” Lauren said. “We’re yin and yang; total opposites. But it works.”

For more information, visit www.homewardfarms.com

Photos by Kristie Nichols, moonfyrephotography.com

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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
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An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
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You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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