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Monday, June 11 2018 / Published in Sidelines Spotlight

Maggie Jayne: Life in a Horse Show Family

Maggie Jayne and Honey

By Alannah Castro

Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek

Maggie Jayne grew up in a horse show family — and wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s easy to see why, when one considers she’s grown up in a well-known family of equestrians who have competed at top levels of the sport, earning titles in divisions from small ponies to grand prix.

Maggie and Standing Ovation in the ring

Maggie’s parents, Alex and Linda, of Our Day Farm in Elgin, Illinois, fueled Maggie’s passion for horsemanship, and she learned the rules of the road early on. She started out in the small pony division and quickly grew her skill set across divisions, regularly showing hunters and jumpers for her parents and their clients.

“It all seemed very normal because that’s all I was ever used to, and now looking back on it, it was amazing. I have wonderful parents that were fully devoted to their kids learning how to ride, learning business sense and learning the hardships of selling ponies and horses from a very young age,” Maggie said. “It set the tone for my life; it was a lot of hard work and ups and downs, but it definitely paid off and makes life really easy because I have those set values.”

Family Values

Maggie fondly remembers her first junior jumper, Market Rules, as one of the many horses who influenced her early career.

“He had the best uphill canter, and he was brave. Looking back, my dad was crazy, but now I’m an extremely confident forward rider because of it. I’ll be forever grateful for that horse,” Maggie said. “I did Prix de States when I was 12 years old at Harrisburg. I did a puissance at Tampa when I was 12 or 13 and I jumped 6 feet, but I didn’t know any better. He taught me that was no big deal. I had other amazing horses after that that I fine-tuned my riding on and learned how to ride all kinds of different rides, but there’s nothing like just getting on and going forward and jumping around a big track.”

It wasn’t all work for the Jayne family, however. They made a point to spend time at home throughout the year and have fun at shows whenever possible.

“We used to do two weeks in Detroit, Michigan, at the Motor City Horse Show, and then we’d go straight to Lake Placid. Those four weeks were just summer; at the time, it was just another show, but looking back, it was magical,” Maggie said. “We were done showing at noon, and then we’d go play on the lake. We learned how to water ski there. We would show hard for four weeks, and then we’d have two months at home. We didn’t go from show to show. We still have a similar mentality: We’ll show really hard for two or three months, and then take two or three months off regardless of what’s going on.”

Maggie with Arizona ODF in Wellington, Florida

A Successful Business

Maggie went pro straight out of high school, and these days she balances a full book of clients, a steady show schedule that takes their string of more than 40 show horses around the country and a budding breeding program at Our Day Farm. She credits her successful balance to her staff, her clients and working with her family.

“We have an amazing staff, and we have very understanding clients. All of my riding kids homeschool. When we’re not showing, we’re done every day at around 1:00 and we do get to have a bit of a normal life,” Maggie said. “It’s about that balance. I’m so lucky I get to work with my sister, Hayley Rolfe, and we do everything 50-50. We each have the same number of show horses and clients. Having a staff that we really, really trust is so essential to be able to take a breath when we’re done and go home and not think about it.”

In her not-so-ample spare time, Maggie practices yoga, spends time with friends and family — especially her 2-year-old nephew — and enjoys downtime with her Rhodesian ridgeback and new goldendoodle puppy. She’s also enjoying her owning her first horse, a 10-year-old mare named Zarkava.

“I’d never owned a horse until last year. I bought a horse in June. I called up my brother in May; he was horse shopping in Ireland. I was like, ‘Charlie, I’m ready to buy a horse,’” Maggie said. “I’ve always brought along horses for my parents and other clients, but I’ve also seen the other side of it where you can buy a horse and it just totally doesn’t work out. I’ve always been a little gun-shy about it. I finally bought a horse of my own, and it’s worked out really, really well.”

Maggie also has a soft spot for one of her family’s up-and-coming horses, Arizona ODF, who is one of their oldest home-breds.

“I’m completely in love with the 6-year-old stallion that I’m showing in the 6-year-old jumpers. I’ve already had a lot of success on him this season. He has a really big personality, and what’s cool is that we had his mom, Athena, in the barn and my brother had a lot of success on her,” Maggie said. “We have more than 30 babies in Chicago in a field, and we had all their parents, so it’s incredible that we get to see these foals and the traits they got from their parents. It’s so fun. We’re just scratching the surface of this since the oldest is 6. I’m loving it.”

Maggie and Standing Ovation competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival

High Standards

All aspects of horsemanship are important to Maggie and the crew at Our Day Farm, and they work hard to preserve their show horses, even bringing “turnout buddies” on the road with them to help keep nerves to a minimum.

“We have four ponies that are just turnout buddies for our show horses. It’s so important for these high-strung show horses to relax and go out in turnout,” Maggie said. “Over the years, we’ve learned a lot of these horses need companionship. If we go to a show that offers paddocks, we bring a turnout pony because we’re going to need it.”

To continue her education, Maggie recently got her ‘R’ judging certification, which gave her a new perspective and admiration for hunters.

“I’ve been doing hunters my whole life, and sometimes you don’t know why the judge did something. Now that I’ve judged myself, you develop your own opinions and it makes me appreciate hunters more just by being able to judge them,” Maggie said. “It’s really, really hard to sit there all day and see 30 of the same rounds. One person’s order is going to be completely different than the other.”

This only emphasizes Maggie’s philosophy that riding is mostly a mental sport and focusing on progress is more important than the results.

“You just have to stay focused on bettering your horse. What I say is, ‘Every day if you’re not training your horse, you’re un-training your horse.’ You have to always try to be better, whether that’s being a more relaxed or more intense rider,” Maggie said. “I’m all about ‘attitude is everything,’ whether you’re in the show ring or not. It’s a humbling sport, whether you’re a professional or an amateur, so you just have to be willing to stick with it, stay honest with yourself and work really, really hard.”

For more information, visit Ourdayfarm.com

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Tagged under: alannah castro, isabel j. kurek, Maggie Jayne, our day farm

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Jan Lukens has always felt blessed to be an artist Jan Lukens has always felt blessed to be an artist, turning his observations into works of art, but it hasn't always been easy. “My biggest challenge starting out was fitting in to the equestrian world as an artist, not a rider. Although I spent the better part of two decades exhibiting 15 weeks a year at national horse shows, there’s a massive 
difference between an artist who paints horses and someone who has been climbing into the saddle since they were 5 years old, surrounded by all aspects of the horse 
world.”

A prolific painter working mainly in oils, Jan’s original and commissioned works of art hang in the collections of the likes of individual gold medalist Joe Fargis and Rodrigo Pessoa, as well as many other Olympians and owners. One of the most influential 
moments in Jan’s career was in 2014, when Ralph Lauren acquired two of his equestrian paintings. “I was still recovering from the 2008 recession at that time. There  is a unique part of a painter’s reputation that is based on who has purchased or commissioned his art, and when I promoted that sale, my phone didn’t stop ringing for a 
year and a half.”
For more information visit janlukens.com

Read Jan’s full article at the link in our bio. And never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 

 #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
Calling all trainers and professional riders! St Calling all trainers and professional riders! 

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Entrigue specializes in equestrian social media and rider management! We help equestrians handle the daily posting to Instagram and Facebook, handle boosting and engagement ads, and can help trainers and barns maximize their sponsorships, keep websites up to date, and PR! Your barn is a business too and as a rider or barn your digital hoof print counts!

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Yay for June! We have another great edition for yo Yay for June! We have another great edition for you all that we can't wait for you to read. Up first are Evan and Ashley Donadt a dynamic duo that has won the hearts of many! Stay tuned for many great stories like this by following us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribing to get your very own copy of Sidelines Magazine!

What happens when a horse-crazy equestrian girl meets a never-touched-a-horse-before guy? If you’re Ashley and Evan Donadt, it might just be the beginning of a happily-ever-after that includes a solid dressage program and extremely popular social media channels featuring good-natured humor and horses.

Ashley, a lifelong equestrian, began her horse experiences with the local 4-H club, progressed to lessons with the local dressage trainer when she was 10, then her own pony when she was 11. Conversely, Evan grew up in Massachusetts, without any horse experience to speak of. The odds of them meeting were fairly low, until fate landed them both in Southern California.

Evan knew from the start that spending time with Ashley meant spending time at the barn. In fact, Ashley told him straightaway, “The horses come first always; you’re going to be second!” Evan wasn’t deterred, and instead found the loophole: spending all his own free time with her at the barn.

Read Ashley and Evan's full article in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! You can also click the link in our bio. Don't forget to subscribe to get your very own copy delivered right to your door! Thank you Evan and Ashley for allowing us to share your story!
📸Portraits by Jeni Jo Brunner

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As we head into June we wrap up our May women entr As we head into June we wrap up our May women entrepreneur, edition. We were so lucky to be able to feature so many amazing women within the Horse industry. We have one more to share with you, and if you missed any of the women entrepreneur stories head to our website for all of our past issues! Enjoy! 

Hurry Up and Wait” is a familiar saying at hunter-jumper competitions. Unlike other disciplines, where 
riders are assigned specific ride times, hunter-jumper riders typically must check in with the starter at 
the in-gate throughout the day to determine when they will show. In 2019, Emma Fass decided to put 
her computer science background to use in the show industry and created RingSide Pro to allow riders 
to be “ringside” wherever they are.
Throughout high school, Emma competed at horses shows on her horse Son Of A Sailor, aka Ernie, 
oftentimes trailering Ernie into the show for the day with her mom. “That was stressful because we 
didn’t know how the show was running until we got there. Even once we were on the show grounds, we 
struggled to find information. It’s a hike to the rings and the speakers in the barns tend to be 
unreliable,” Emma said. “I would think to myself, There’s got to be a better way.”

For more information, visit www.ringsidepro.com

Read Emma’s full story at sidelinesmagazine.com, and never miss an edition of Sidelines magazine by subscribing. 

@ringsideproinsta @emmafass 
📸Photos by Kirsten Konopnicki, kkonophoto #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
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