Julie Ulrich: Four Lifetimes of Horses
Wednesday, August 22 2018
By Lauren R. Giannini Portraits by Shawna Simmons Former grand prix jumper rider Julie Ulrich holds an unofficial Ph.D. in horses. A firm believer in the importance of flat work, she can ride and train at the highest level of dressage and show jumping. Based in France for many years, she’s going to spend half
- Published in Sidelines Spotlight
Unbridled with Brian O’Connor
Tuesday, May 08 2018
By Lauren R. Giannini Brian O’Connor is the voice enjoyed throughout the horse world whether he’s announcing at international three-day events, horse shows or fundraisers for elite equestrian athletes. A member of the legendary O’Connor equestrian family, he’s the older son of Sally O’Connor and brother to David O’Connor, past president of US Equestrian and
- Published in General
Hallie McEvoy: A Life of Loving Horses
Thursday, April 05 2018
By Lauren R. Giannini Haldis Inge McEvoy, better known as Hallie, is full of surprises. She inherited horse genes from her equestrian mother and grandfather, grew up riding on Long Island’s Gold Coast and came very close to fulfilling her ambitious childhood dream to “do every horse sport out there.” Hallie has competed in equitation,
- Published in General
Coco Fath: A Busy Life With Horses
Monday, March 12 2018
By Lauren R. Giannini Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek At just 17, Coco Fath is fiercely competitive, loves the anticipation of going in the ring and doesn’t suffer from performance anxiety the way riders often do. “I’ve never been much of a nervous rider until this year. Maybe that comes from being older and having
- Published in Weekly Feature
Susan MacRae: Dedicated to Thoroughbreds
Monday, February 19 2018
By Lauren R. Giannini Horses give us wings. In return, we take care of magnificent creatures that are prone to injury, illness and balky attitudes. The extreme ups and downs of partnership with horses demand bottomless reserves of optimism and strength of spirit; even so, we keep coming back for more because we’re horse-crazy and
- Published in General
Photographer Andrew Ryback: Ringside & Worldwide
Monday, November 20 2017
By Lauren R. Giannini Andrew Ryback ventured into horse show photography quite innocently when he fell in love. He started going to shows to take photos of Stacy, an avid hunter-jumper rider who later became his wife. Stacy’s show photos led to Andy being asked to shoot a small schooling show at her barn.
- Published in General
Tiffany Busch & Gaston Rodriguez: Fun, Kids and Polo in Vero Beach
Tuesday, October 24 2017
By Lauren R. Giannini It was a brilliant package deal when Tiffany Busch and Gaston Rodriguez signed on as the professionals at BG Polo and Equestrian Vero Beach in Florida: two respected US Polo Association players, brimming with enthusiasm and passion for the game, motivated by their love for Vero Beach and the club’s traditions.
- Published in General
The Kelpies: Andy Scott’s Breathtaking Labor of Love
Wednesday, October 18 2017
By Lauren R. Giannini Magnificent! That’s one good word to describe the Kelpies, two horse heads rising 30 meters (98.42 feet) into the sky in central Scotland. Native-born sculptor, Andy Scott set off on a wild ride in 2006 to bring his monumental artistic vision to life and, over the course of eight years, overcame
- Published in General, Sidelines Feature
Alex Banks: Finding Joy in Chasing Dreams
Wednesday, October 11 2017
By Lauren R. Giannini Alex Banks discovered her passion for horses at the tender age of 3. She could sing the entire soundtrack of the animated movie, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.” Karen Banks, her non-horsey mother, put Alex on a horse for the first time — totally clueless that she too would embark on
- Published in General, Weekly Feature
Shannon Dueck: Beating Cancer Without Missing a Beat
Tuesday, October 10 2017
By Lauren R. Giannini When it comes to dressage, international Grand Prix rider and trainer Shannon Lee Dueck is a late bloomer. She grew up with it, but her passion for classical training didn’t manifest until well into her 30s. She credits her success to excellent training, starting with her mother. Of her many accomplishments,
- Published in Sidelines Feature