By Britney Grover
When Laura Reece lists her occupations, she writes: mother, travel agent, equestrian—in that order. She and her husband, Glen, have been married for 20 years and have two daughters, ages 16 and 18. If it weren’t for being a mother, Laura may never have returned to horses—and Danash’s Northern Tempest may never have become Dani The Wonder Horse.
Laura’s life had its “wonder” moments before her family and Dani. While on her break from horses, she worked on the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. “It was a fabulous experience and I had the opportunity to work with Kenny Ortega—choreographer of Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’ video, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ and ‘High School Musical’—skateboard legend Tony Hawk, Celine Dion and Magic Johnson, as well as 550 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds who volunteered to dance as butterflies in the ceremonies,” she said.
After taking her daughter to the barn, Laura was the one who ended up hooked for life. “Our girls didn’t inherit the ‘horse gene,’ but that’s OK—they have their passions and we support them in their adventures,” she said. When her family relocated from Washington, D.C., to Palm Beach County, Florida, Laura took the opportunity to pursue horse ownership.
Danash’s Northern Tempest—a striking, 17-hand Friesian/Appaloosa cross bred by Jessica Boman of North Horse Farm in Cheboygan, Michigan. “As a 4-year-old, she was still young and didn’t have a lead change,” Laura said. “I didn’t mind; I was looking for a horse that I could enjoy, trust and compete on. Dani was just that and more.”
Dani became known as Dani The Wonder Horse, with her own Breyer model. In 2021, she was the USHJA 2’ Zone 4 Horse of the Year Champion—something Laura’s hoping to repeat in 2024—and has won multiple circuit championships in the Rusty Stirrup and USHJA 2’ divisions. Most recently, Dani and Laura won the 2023 Holiday and Horses USHJA 2’ Circuit Championship. Laura has high hopes for Dani’s competitive career, but garnering worldwide attention was never her goal—or even what’s most important to her about Dani. “We’ve grown together, and I cannot imagine a more perfect horse for me,” Laura said. “Ashley Glica has developed Dani into a very well-rounded horse, who’s strong and extremely capable. I trust Dani, and she trusts me.”
What was your childhood like?
I grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on 8 acres of rural country land. It was beautiful: lots of trees, streams, a pond, wild animals. It snowed heavily in winter, and we caught tadpoles in streams and climbed tress in the summer. Our neighbors had pasture horses that we would feed apples and sugar cubes. It was a great place to grow up, completely care-free. I lived there with my mother, father and younger sister. Both my parents have a love of animals. My mother kept llamas in our backyard for 10 years. My father would find abandoned duck eggs that we incubated and hatched several times, and he still lives there today.
How did you get into horses?
My next door neighbor (and my only neighbor) who was my age invited me to take my first lesson when I was in grade school. It was with a woman named Roberta who gave lessons up the street from where we lived. I remember my first lesson was in a round pen, on a dark brown horse. I must have enjoyed it—I joined my high school’s riding team, competing in hunters and eventing shows in the area. I took lessons with Holly Orr at Black Horse Stables in Pennsylvania and at a state-of-the art facility with a few other well-known trainers in New Jersey, just across the river.
I double Varsity-lettered my senior year and attended Skidmore College in upstate New York after high school. I joined the polo team, and while it was so much fun, the 6 a.m. practices before an 8 a.m. microeconomics class didn’t suit me too well! Skidmore didn’t turn out to be the right place for me, so I transferred to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and traded in riding for warmer weather and a better education.
What did you do during your break from horses? How did you get back?
After college came job responsibilities. I worked in event planning and fundraising, with positions at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games and the Smithsonian Institution. I married in 2003 and started a family, living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. I returned to horses when my youngest daughter, at age 5, exclaimed from the backseat of the car, “Mommy, I want to ride a pony!” I said, “Yes, you do!” And I found Robin Devaux and Jenna Barbe in Leesburg, Virginia. They had a wonderful, nurturing program where my daughter quickly excelled. Robin encouraged me to become an adult re-rider, and she’s the real reason I am still riding!
In 2017 our family made the decision to leave Washington, D.C., and relocate to Palm Beach, Florida. We were looking for a slower pace, less traffic, less stress and more sunshine. One of my husband’s requests was that we live on a golf course, and I said, ‘OK, I want a horse!’ Moving to Florida is a decision we wish we’d made sooner—it’s been wonderful living in the sunshine state and our family and businesses have flourished here.
How did you find Dani?
I first spotted Dani on Dreamhorse.com—she was with Brandy Rivas of Equines & Equestrians, and Marcus Au spent a lot of time training her from a weanling. She was sold to me as a 4-year-old. My trainer, Ashley Glica, was a bit hesitant, as Dani’s look is not the typical hunter horse. But she got on her, rode her around and said, “Laura, you’ve got to try this horse!” Brandy took care in starting Dani properly, and it showed. She was incredibly safe, some would say “bomb proof,” and she doesn’t mind golf carts, tractors, other horses, dogs, cats or tents nearby.
Do you worry at all about her coloring and competing on the hunter circuit?
I don’t, and it’s true that many hunter judges aren’t the biggest fans of her coloring. She’s truly an equitation horse, with an uphill carriage and a canter you can sit for days. My dream is to see her with a young Junior rider in the 11 & Under or 12–14 Eq division. She also does well in the medal classes because she’s so responsive and flexible with her striding.
When I compete on her, I focus on how I did with Dani in the ring, how she felt and how we performed. Yes, it’s nice to win, but if you felt you did well, then that’s the real accomplishment. When there are 30-plus horses in a class, the competition is stiff and the personal win is always worth more than a ribbon that’s worth $1.
What’s Dani’s personality like?
Dani has a huge personality. She is funny and affectionate, and she lets you know when she wants something! She loves molasses treats, carrots, apples. She’ll even see an apple and spit a carrot out of her mouth because she prefers an apple! She also knows who in our barn is good at giving treats—there are a few people known to slip her a Nilla Wafer or two. Dani’s personality definitely makes her stand out. She’s lovable and does not mind having people climb all over her. She goes swimming in the pond with kids on her back, trail rides and trots 6- and 60-year-olds around the ring.
What did it mean to you when Dani became a Breyer Horse?
When Breyer approached me about making a model of Dani, I was so surprised. It was something that was not on my radar, and their request came quietly. Breyer read an article about Dani and thought we’d be perfect for their “Horse of a Different Color” theme. I was immediately honored, but had no idea what an impact Dani’s model would make.
I had never heard of BreyerFest before; Dani was named the 2021 Celebration Horse for BreyerFest. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BreyerFest 2021 was virtual, but Breyer invited us to participate in BreyerFest 2022 in person. Attending BreyerFest was an incredible experience. Ashley, myself, Francesca Moore (a Junior rider at the time) and Hayley Burnett traveled to Kentucky to participate in BreyerFest. We also had the luck of Evelyn Szczepanek, equine photographer, accompanying us to document the entire experience, and our shipper, Erika Beever, and her husband took incredible care of Dani to and from Kentucky. We definitely had our barn family there with us at the Kentucky Horse Park, which made the overall experience even better. Ashley and Francesca were able to show Dani in the covered arena several times each day, and adults and children fawned over Dani and took photos, and we signed hundreds of Dani models. It was an experience we will never forget.
We all learned that this horse is bigger than all of us. We knew Dani was special, but the impact she has on people is magical. Dani stands out as a bit of an oddity, but her presence, kind spirit and elegance win everyone over. She’s a beacon of light for people to learn from and appreciate. Kids identify with her, and she makes people feel included. Perhaps standing out is her superpower.
What are your goals with Dani?
My goals for Dani are to always keep her sound and healthy. Ashley is very good about caring for the horses in her barn and 
attending to their needs. I think I have texted or had a call with Ashley about the horses almost every day in the past 6 years. That’s very unique.
Dani has started to attend a few dressage shows, and earned a 73.2% on a Training Level test last spring. I would love to see her qualify for a Regional dressage show, and it would be wild to bring her to Las Vegas for the USHJA National Championships. We also hope to be invited back to BreyerFest in Kentucky. I’ll continue to learn and show her at WEF and the World Equestrian Center, and down the road I can even see her being a therapy horse when she’s ready for a step down. She has a long life ahead of her; this is only the beginning.
What do you enjoy doing outside of the barn?
When I’m not at the barn, I’m working on my travel agency, Reece Worldwide Travel. We just entered our seventh year and are enjoying building a business that helps people travel the world. I’ve always loved to travel, and my family does, too. This past year, I’ve been to the United Arab Emirates, Italy and England, and I’m always planning our next family trip. I’ve visited over 40 countries on five continents so far. I’m excited to experience two cruise lines this year—Seabourn and Regent. We’re always doing our research so we can share our personal experiences with our clients. Helping people is what it’s all about.
For more information, visit Instagram @reeceworldwidetravel and @danithewonderhorse or reecewt.com and danithewonderhorse.com
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
