Jamie Barge: Hearing Loss Doesn’t Hold Her Back
Thursday, February 08 2018
By Britney Grover Portraits by Kristin Lee Photography Like many equestrians, Jamie Barge’s passion for horses and riding was inherited from her mother, but has turned into something much bigger. “I begged for riding lessons for Christmas,” Jamie recalled. “Santa brought me a package of 10 riding lessons.” Her family moved from Pasadena, California, to
- Published in General, Sidelines Spotlight
Christopher Webb: Hot Horsemen Finds Happiness in Virginia
Sunday, December 17 2017
By Britney Grover Photos by Shawna Simmons Though Christopher Webb was born into horses, it was a completely different world from the warmblood hunters of Virginia that now occupy his life. “I’m from Alabama, so I grew up in the Western end of the circuit,” he said. “My mom and dad didn’t compete, they just
- Published in Weekly Feature
Sara Kirby: It’s Just Good Horse Training – Female English Trainer Wins a Western Man’s Competition
Wednesday, December 06 2017
By Britney Grover Photos by Rebecca Tolman Quarter Horses, rodeos and cattle work are the predominant elements of the equestrian scene in Utah. Western horses and riders outnumber English perhaps 10-1. But last March, hunter-jumper trainer Sara Kirby defied the odds and helped bring a little more exposure to the Utah English equestrian community when
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Eric Dierks: Faith Through Fire
Friday, November 10 2017
By Britney Grover Eric Dierks is well-acquainted with trials — especially horse trials. He grew up shaped by his participation in the U.S. Pony Club, which led to a successful career riding, training and teaching. Eric competed twice in the renowned CCI4* Kentucky Three Day Event, was long-listed for the 2002 World Equestrian Games and
- Published in Sidelines Feature
Thrive Animal Rescue: From Homeless to Hopeful
Friday, October 20 2017
By Britney Grover No horse show would be complete without an abundance of other four-legged friends: dogs. Both Georgia Spogli and CeCe Durante Bloum were well aware of that fact when they founded Thrive Animal Rescue in San Diego, California. Based at CeCe’s Newmarket Farm, just a mile from the Del Mar Racetrack CeCe frequented
- Published in General
Kat Fuqua: On the Road To Achieving Her Dreams – The Last Unicorn of Mindy Darst Continues Building On A Solid Foundation
Thursday, October 19 2017
By Britney Grover Not many 10-year-olds — or adults, for that matter — are on a 20-year career plan, but Kat Fuqua knows what she wants. Born to USDF gold medalist grand prix dressage riders Jeff and Shereen Fuqua, it was only a matter of time before Kat’s interest in riding surfaced. What couldn’t have
- Published in General, Weekly Feature
There Are No Limits For Lizzy Traband
Tuesday, June 06 2017
By Britney Grover Lizzy Traband is proof that there are no limits, especially for a horse person. Her equestrian resume is jam-packed at just 19. Named the 2016 Junior Equestrian of the Year by US Equestrian, Lizzy is a competitive dressage, hunter and jumper rider. She has spent years traveling as a bridleless performer, has
- Published in Weekly Feature
Blythe Marano & Alejandro Karolyi: Combining & Expanding Equestrian Legacies
Thursday, April 06 2017
By Britney Grover Blythe Marano and Alejandro Karolyi met on a course set before either of them was born: a course following horses. Blythe and Alejandro were born over 2,000 miles apart, on separate continents with different languages, but they had one thing in common. Both of their parents loved horses and riding, a trait
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Jennifer LeRoy: The Wedding Wizard of Oz Farm
Wednesday, April 05 2017
By Britney Grover When it comes to weddings, Jennifer Oz LeRoy is the woman behind the curtain: She’s using her vast experience in the wedding and event industry to pull strings as a wedding planner and make brides’ dreams come true at her very own magical land of Oz Farm. Creating magical experiences is in
- Published in Weekly Feature
Equestrian Destination: Lexington, Virginia
Thursday, March 30 2017
By Britney Grover There aren’t many cities in the United States with a history as long as that of Lexington, Virginia, from Native American habitation as long as 11,000 years ago, to the life and death of Stonewall Jackson, to the world-class Virginia Horse Center’s continuing legacy. For a town of just over 7,000 people,
- Published in General