Photography, Horses and a Photographic Memory

Melissa Fuller Palm City, Florida Editorial and Freelance Photographer Melissa Fuller   How long have you been part of the horse world? My best friend in middle school had an Appaloosa mare that kicked off my love of horses. All my horse-crazy friends and I used to make our “dream horse” list by picking out
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Dressage in Two Worlds: Entertainment and Competition

By George Williams Wild and crazy are not the first words that pop into your mind when thinking about dressage—yet that’s what sometimes seems to happen during the evening of the Challenge of the Americas held in March each year in Wellington, Florida. It’s a classic example of dressage tossing its hat into the entertainment
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Anna Buffini’s Childhood Dreams Are Coming True

By Ruby Tevis Anna Buffini with FRH Davinia La Douce in Wellington, Florida.   When Anna Buffini was 3 years old, she made it her dream to become an Olympian. It’s a big goal, but for Anna it was only natural—her mom was an Olympic volleyball player, her dad was a collegiate soccer star—athletic success
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Looking Forward to International Competition

By George Williams Normally, 2021 would have been the year of “the calm before the storm.” It would have been a year of recuperation not just for our elite dressage horses, but also a year of recovery for the dedicated dressage staff that puts it all together. However, with the Olympics being delayed one year
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Melanie Doughty: Studying at Home and Riding Abroad

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Melissa Fuller  For Melanie Doughty, balance is more than a principle of dressage; it’s a way of life. As a top FEI Young Rider, owner of two horses, sorority sister and international business student at Rollins College, Melanie juggles everything with grace. This summer, Melanie built upon her resume of
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Kim McGrath: Learning, Teaching and Achieving

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Lori Ovanessian It has been said that those who dare to teach must never cease to learn, and dressage rider and instructor Kim McGrath will never stop learning. As Kim leads a successful career in the Grand Prix arena and manages her Sunset Hills Farm training operation in Redlands, California,
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U.S. Dressage Team Wins Historic Silver in Tokyo

By George Williams The road to Tokyo has been rough and tough. I think most of us recently have been a bit astounded at just how fragile our world can be. Who would have predicted when Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympics that a pandemic would sweep the world, delaying the summer Games for a
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Deirdre Sabo: Dressage in Her DNA

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Kristie Nichols Deirdre Sabo has known she was going to be a professional dressage rider since she was in kindergarten. While her classmates had plans of becoming astronauts, teachers and policemen, Deirdre knew her path in life would be astride a horse performing half passes and piaffes. “When other kids
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2021 US Equestrian European Young Rider Tour

By George Williams The immigration officer read through my letters from US Equestrian and the Compiègne show organizer before handing me back my passport and allowing me to pick up my bags at the Schiphol Airport after my flight arrived in Amsterdam on a Tuesday morning in May. A COVID test, or, in my case,
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Ben Ebeling: An Olympian in the Making

By Ruby Tevis  Portraits by Melissa Fuller It’s no secret that equestrians are the oldest Olympians. With an average age of 38, equestrians can be twice the age of athletes from other sports. Making it to the Olympics takes grit, talent and a little bit of ‘the right place at the right time’ — and
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