Andrew McConnon: Risk and Reward 

By Lilly Steger Portraits by Shawna Simmons Andrew McConnon discovered eventing at the 2004 Olympics. “I saw eventing on TV at the Athens Olympics, and I thought, Wow, that looks cool!” he said.  Seventeen years later, those Olympians are now Andrew’s mentors and colleagues. The William Fox-Pitt-trained eventer was named to the 2021 U.S. High
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From Polocrosse to Eventing Nothing Stops Andrew Diemer

By Ruby Tevis Portraits by Pam Jensen Andrew Diemer has learned to seek the silver lining in every challenge he has faced. Through the highs of international polocrosse and eventing championships to the lows of open-heart surgeries and a lower-leg amputation, Andrew has found a humbling lesson within each experience. As he builds his future
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Phillip Dutton and the Family That Fuels His Success 

By Emily Randolph  The far, wood-paneled wall of Phillip Dutton’s barn office is adorned with sizable, framed ribbons — among them, a large green ribbon that accompanied his bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a tricolor award signifying his win in the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Each one is a testament to
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Caroline Martin: A New Path to the Same Goals

By Britney Grover Portraits by Melissa Fuller Keeping up with herself is a tall order for Caroline Martin — and not just because she’s an inch shy of 6’. By the time she turned 18, Caroline had seared her name into the future of U.S. eventing by winning gold at the 2013 North American Youth
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Sara Kozumplik Murphy: Sharp, Strong and Ready

By Lilly Steger Portraits by Melissa Fuller Sara Kozumplik Murphy has had her fair share of setbacks in the equestrian world. When she took a spill at the Millbrook Horse Trials in 2018, she broke her neck and her back — right after she returned to competition following a torturous recovery from a broken knee.
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Eventing With Boyd Martin

I was lucky enough to attend the USEF High Performance training camp for event horses in Ocala, Florida, in early February this year. To be quite honest, it’s one of those things where initially I moaned and groaned about going, and then once I made the trip down there with my top horses, I loved
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McKenzie Cumbea: Mental Toughness, Consistency & Hard Work

By Lilly Steger Portraits by Pam Jensen McKenzie Cumbea is plucky and upbeat, and possesses the gutsy confidence that gets eventers into the startbox. “Fake your confidence if you have to,” she advised. A Connecticut native, McKenzie grew up riding with her sisters at a local hunter-jumper barn and fell in love with horses. She
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Jumping Cross-Country – Part 2 with Boyd Martin

Last month we talked about jumping single fences, water and banks. This month we’re talking about ditches and jumps that include ditches. Like most cross-country obstacles out there, the main key to introducing your horse to jumping ditches is confidence. This begins with understanding: The horse needs to have a clear understanding of what a
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Chloe Smyth: Eventing With Hounds, Horses and Heart

By Tafra Donberger Portraits by Kristin Lee After meeting eventer Chloe Smyth, it’s easy to see that she lives, breathes and dreams horses. Chloe has funneled her deep passion for the animals into a climb up the levels in the eventing world, but it’s her varied background, in combination with an exceptional work ethic and
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Jumping Cross-Country with Boyd Martin – Part 1

How do you handle and jump each type of cross-country obstacle? Single Fences Whenever I’m cross-country schooling, I like to start my session with single fences. I try to really practice the art of jumping out of stride and in a rhythm. The design of these fences should be forgiving, with a friendly, sloping face
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