By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Lauren Ann Pace
Dressage rider Hillary Martin believes it’s not the level of the rider but their passion for improvement that makes it all worth it. As someone whose passion for horses was cemented early on in her youth, Hillary understands how far passion can take a rider.
That drive opened the door for Hillary to increase her involvement in the sport that she’s since dedicated her life to. Fast forward to today, Hillary is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist, licensed USEF ‘r’ dressage judge, and pursuing her ‘R’ license, all while running her own HCM Dressage, through which she’s developed numerous horses and riders to their own success.
It only took one riding lesson to get Hillary hooked. Initially getting her start in a hunter-jumper lesson barn, Hillary eventually found Pony Club, which was the kick start to her dressage journey.
Building Blocks
Unlike many who get their start in the sport today, Hillary didn’t just stick with one discipline growing up. “The most shaping experience as a kid was being exposed to so many things in the equine world. I started at a hunter-jumper barn, did eventing, dressage, foxhunting, Pony Club and even got into driving,” Hillary said.
Much of this period in her life was self-guided through clinics and recreating exercises from the Pony Club Manual. It was the lack of feedback that eventually helped Hillary devote herself to dressage. “I had a horse who was lovely in the connection, so it was easier to lean into dressage as it was something I was quite successful at from an early age,” she said.
Hillary was 14 when she began taking dressage lessons with Kim Gentry, who quickly became a huge part of Hillary’s life, not only helping her improve in the saddle but also becoming her mentor. “Kim took me under her wing; she didn’t have any other Juniors in her program at the time, it was just me and the Adult Amateurs. I didn’t go to horse shows or Europe with my parents, I went with Kim. I happily took on any and all tasks such as stall cleaning, grooming, etc. to be able to get guidance and support at competitions from her,” Hillary said.
Once Hillary started going to Germany with Kim to work with Stephan Kiesewetter, everything snowballed. “The barn Stephan worked for as head trainer had schoolmasters that we could take lessons on. The first summer, I had the pleasure of riding a Prix St. Georges schoolmaster mare, Delight, whom I immediately fell in love with, and ultimately asked my parents if there was any way I could get a horse like this,” Hillary recalled. “That Christmas, my parents surprised me with Delight. Everything at that point changed and I was truly able to focus on dressage.”
Germany
In 2008, Kim and Stephan approached Hillary to see how she felt about moving to Germany for six months so she could fully immerse herself and become a more successful rider. “I was overjoyed at the opportunity and thankfully my stepmom was extremely supportive and helped me financially to get my up-and-coming young horse prospect, Fallaby, shipped over to Frankfurt so I could continue to ride and train abroad,” Hillary said. “The rest is history.”
Although Hillary was supposed to be in Germany for six months, she stayed for just under three years. “The most important learning experience during my time abroad was the diverse range of horses that I was able to ride consistently,” she said. “The experience of sitting on so many different horses is what truly enabled me to be a successful rider and trainer when I moved back to the States.”
Hillary spent those three years working at the Pferdesport Wintermühle program, a sales business that frequently sold horses to customers who wanted someone to travel with their new horses and help them settle in and acclimate to their new homes. Hillary was that travel companion for the sales horses.
While Hillary traveled all over the world to get horses adjusted, the most notable trip was when she delivered four horses to international dressage judge Lilo Fore in California. “I loved my time at Lilo’s barn. We continued to stay in touch and a year later, in 2011, I moved there,” Hillary said.
Stateside
Hillary spent a year working with and for Lilo until she decided to compete in the Brentina Cup at the USEF Festival of Champions, which meant that she had to make some changes. Unfortunately, as Lilo was judging the qualifiers for the Brentina Cup, the USEF Conflict of Interest rules meant that Hillary was prohibited from working with her.
Never one to be derailed, Hillary pivoted and reached out to the Pony Club in Portola Valley, California, to offer her services for clinics and lessons. This would then lead to forming a relationship with Isola Stables, where she oversaw their hunter-jumper program and went on to establish a dressage program at that facility before venturing out to start her own business, HCM Dressage, in 2015. “It started with me being a one-man show, then grew to one groom, two grooms, a part-time assistant then a full-time assistant. We initially had nine horses, and today I have 25 horses at any given time,” Hillary said.
When it comes to Hillary personally, she was inspired by Lilo to become part of the next generation of judges in the world of dressage. “To see the opportunities judging has brought her, such as judging the Olympics and World Equestrian Games, I thought it would be a great way to continue to learn and grow as an equestrian,” Hillary said. “Today I am proud to be a licensed USEF ‘r’ dressage judge.”
Judging has helped give Hillary a fresh perspective on how best to coach her riders and ride her own dressage tests. “It has shown me exactly what judges are looking for with the movements, and helped me focus on how to tweak my coaching to focus on what’s important,” she said. “For instance, transitions are so important, but perhaps I didn’t stress that enough before I started judging myself.”
Hillary got the opportunity to move her business to Stanford in 2022. The Stanford Red Barn is not only home to Hillary’s program but also the Stanford University Equestrian Team and a hunter-jumper operation. “I’m at the pinnacle of equestrian facilities in the area. It’s the most amazing facility, with wonderful colleagues and clients who are all supportive of one another,” Hillary said. “You don’t often find that in the horse world, and it’s the greatest thing I could hope for.”
Next Generation
HCM Dressage is home to some of the top youth riders in the USA. As a trainer, Hillary has had many “pinch me” moments over the years. “I’ve coached these girls from up-down lessons through the levels to ultimately win a silver medal at North American Youth Championships, secure Championship titles at the USEF Festival of Champions and participate in the renowned Robert Dover Horsemanship clinic. Being able to support them every step of the way through these remarkable milestones in their careers has been something that I’ll never forget,” Hillary reflected.
Even with so many accolades in Hillary’s program, success in the show ring is just part of what HCM Dressage focuses on. “It’s important that our team youth riders have a solid foundation, both in horsemanship and riding. I want to make sure that the horsemanship I learned through Pony Club is passed on to the next generation of riders,” Hillary said. “I feel that it’s my responsibility to share my horsemanship knowledge about promoting compassion for our equine partners with the next generation of riders.”
Hillary tries to instill proactive habits towards being positive horsemen and -women who are not only at the top of the sport, but also to take exceptional care of their horses at the same time. That foundation carries forward her drive to build a culture of camaraderie—both of which are at the very core of what makes HCM Dressage so special. “The girls are close friends and enjoy spending time together in and out of the barn. It’s fun to see that environment because when I was their age, I didn’t have a youth network in dressage,” Hillary said.
In addition to her California-based operation, Hillary has been fortunate to continue to work with two youth clients that moved down to Costa Rica and is their at-home trainer both through regular virtual lessons as well as monthly visits for training sessions. “This door has opened a whole new culture and group of dedicated equestrians in Costa Rica for me, and I’ve enjoyed teaching a wide range of riders on horsemanship and riding, and overall being a voice of knowledge for those seeking to learn. I remember all too well how hard it is to improve when you don’t have access to learning from someone,” she said.
Work-Life Balance
When she’s not competing or teaching, Hillary can be found kiteboarding or climbing. To outsiders, Hillary appears to be an adventurous thrill seeker. However, for Hillary, these endeavors are like puzzles. “Like dressage, which is a journey of many layers, climbing and kiteboarding are the same. They’re puzzles where you’re trying to challenge yourself mentally to put the pieces together to improve,” Hillary said. “They’re my version of meditation.”
In kiteboarding and climbing, Hillary has found both an escape and a new community. “It was important for me to find a life outside of horses. For 30 years, I gave 110% to the sport I love but also didn’t allow myself to pursue anything else. These sports help to keep me balanced and happy, and make me a better teacher as I navigate learning these new sports as an amateur,” she said. “When I can make time for myself, as well as push myself out of my comfort zone, then I can be the best version of myself for other people, which is huge.”
As Hillary looks to the future, she will let fate deal its cards. “I’ve never known what my life will look like five years from now, but I’ve never been disappointed,” she said.
Hillary does hope to get back to her own riding pursuits in the next few years, after devoting the majority of her energy to her riders and getting licensed to judge. “Would I love to be on a team riding and focusing on me at some point, of course, but I know to make that happen the stars must align in the right way,” she said. “I’m still thoroughly enjoying the sport in my roles as coach and judge, so if that ends up being my place in U.S. dressage, then I’m beyond thrilled to be involved in this way.”
For more information, visit hillarymartindressage.com and on Instagram @hcmdressage
Photos by Lauren Ann Photography, laurenannphoto.art
