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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A Case for Reinstating the Eight-Fault Penalty for Falls 

By Armand Leone, Jr.  The upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo will be the first time since 1968 that show jumping teams will compete in a Nations Cup format with three horse/athlete combinations per nation and no drop score. The decision to move away from a format of four horse/athlete combinations per nation, which in turn
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Vasco Flores: Paving the Way for Himself and Others To Follow

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Melissa Fuller Vasco Flores is living the American dream. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Vasco has created his own path in the world of international show jumping through hard work, determination and perseverance. Since moving to the States in 2012, Vasco has been a farm hand, groom, training rider
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Madison Rauschenbach: Jumping on Opportunities to Get to the Top

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Melissa Fuller Madison “Maddie” Rauschenbach learned at an early age that when an opportunity presents itself, you have to jump on it — literally. At 18 years old, Maddie’s willingness to jump on any horse offered to her has propelled her to be a winner in the jumper, equitation and
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Richie Moloney: The Quiet Man of Irish Show Jumping

By Louise Parkes Portraits by Melissa Fuller Richie Moloney doesn’t like to brag, but then you don’t need to sing your own praises when you’ve achieved success with the minimum amount of fuss. His natural talent has seen the 39-year-old Irishman collect some of the biggest prizes on the U.S. show jumping circuit, including the
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Jake Parker Wymard: Representing Working-Class Young Riders

Jake Parker Wymard is a professional rider and trainer at Ashcombe Sporthorses, a business that he owns and operates with his mother, Ginger Parker, and Erika Sentz — but he feels his role in the horse world is very different from his title. Splitting his time between Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, and Ocala, Florida, Jake feels
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The Amayas: Forging a Family at Stonehenge Stables 

By Emily Randolph  In 2006, Victor Amaya was at a European horse show, socializing with fellow riders, when he suddenly heard a familiar name coming from the big-screen TV nearby. The TV was airing live coverage of the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany, and, although Victor hadn’t been paying much attention to
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Getting a Start in the Hunter-Jumper World

By Andrew Welles  Coming from an area where the sport isn’t very concentrated, how did you get started? I started riding very locally in Minnesota and it was actually through a friend of mine on my soccer team. I would get rides home from soccer practice with him and while he took riding lessons, I
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Tom Foley: Capturing the Luck of the Irish

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Kristie Nichols It’s been said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” Show jumper Tom Foley may have the luck of the Irish flowing through his veins, but it’s his hard work and determination that have so far defined his career. His drive and hunger to pursue his dreams
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Taylor St. Jacques: Equitation Finals and Beyond

By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Isabel J. Kurek Taylor St. Jacques was captivated by Animal Planet’s series “Horse Power: Road to the Maclay” in 2006. Like many aspiring equestrians, Taylor immediately set her sights on someday winning an equitation final. Big dreams, for a child who had learned to ride just a year prior. Fast
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