2023 Hot Horsemen

Neal Tredinnick

When Neal Tredinnick became a farrier 20 years ago, he never would have dreamed that he would shoe all across the world for multiple international championships, including two Olympic gold-medal horses. “I never appreciated the places horses can take you!” he said. “The places I’ve been and experiences I’ve had throughout my career have been amazing.”

Neal has been passionate about horses from the time he saw them grazing in the English countryside on his way to and from school in Essex. He begged for riding lessons, began riding at 9 and got his first pony at 11. From there, working with horses was his dream: He passed his Pony Club tests as well as the British Horse Society Exams, saved money from local jobs and put himself through the UK’s rigorous four-year farrier school, beginning his career in 2002. He shoed for Ben Maher for over 18 years—including four Olympic Games—before moving with his family to Wellington, Florida, last year.

Being a farrier in Florida is very different from England. “The very first thing that comes to mind is that I’m not constantly soaking wet, freezing cold and covered in mud!” Neal shared. He, his wife and their three children are enjoying the sun, having their own horses at their farm, spending time on the water and all other aspects of their new life in Florida.

At work, Neal enjoys a tight team and top-tier roster of clients. “They make me feel valued and appreciated, and I honestly love going to work every day,” he said. “I work very closely with Dr. Alex Rey and I have to credit him for the time he has dedicated and the additional skills that he’s taught me since I’ve been in the USA. I’ve learned so much from him, and feel blessed that we have such a great team. The sun is shining, the barns I work at are beautiful and we have a very exciting group of horses to support moving forward. Everything is positive!”

Photo by Melissa Fuller

Chava Cortez

When Chava Cortez first came to the U.S. on vacation from his home country of Mexico, he didn’t anticipate he’d not only move here but also pick up a career he had never even considered. “I decided to come to New York on vacation, and then I decided to stay and try out a job as a groom,” he said. “I never thought of doing this! But I fell in love with horses.”

Now, Chava lives on Long Island and grooms for Kristina Muse’s Beach Acre Farm in Sagaponack, New York, where he also gets to ride on occasion just for fun. “Chava is the best!” Kristina said. “He’s been a part of Beach Acre for about eight years now and we consider him like family. He takes the utmost care of our horses, and always keeps the entire barn running smoothly!”

Outside of work and horses, Chava is passionate about fashion and soccer, and enjoys socializing with friends and traveling. Key to Chava’s success is that he makes a point of approaching everything he does with 100% commitment. “I’ve been doing this for almost 10 years and I’ve been fortunate to have been able to work with some great people in the industry,” he said. “My career is busy; this industry is always on the move. But I love horses, the travel, and meeting other people in the industry.”

Photo by Melissa Fuller

 

 

 

Jonathan Cohen

Most riders aren’t born into professional equestrian families; some lucky ones, like Jonathan Cohen, end up spending so much time at the barn they are practically adopted into them. Jonathan fell in love with horses at a friend’s birthday party while he was growing up in downtown Chicago, Illinois. At 16, he began riding with Alex Jayne—and now works for Alex’s Our Day Farm. “I’m sandwiched right between his three children in terms of age, so apart from missing their earliest years, we’ve basically grown up together,” Jonathan said. “I’m incredibly fortunate to work for a family that treats me like family.”

Jonathan’s title is barn manager. “But the job description is very loose—that’s what keeps it interesting,” he said. After he gets done riding in the morning, he starts on whatever needs to be done around the farm—which perfectly suits his love of “projects.” Outside of work and horses, Jonathan puts that passion for building into home renovation; when he’s completely renovated one home, he sells it and moves on to the next. “I love building stuff, especially when it’s something that meets a very specific need and can’t just be bought,” he said. “I’ll see things I can make better, I start working on the idea in my head, and more often than not I end up building it.”

Our Day Farm splits its time between Elgin, Illinois, and Wellington, Florida. When in Illinois, Jonathan spends much of his time building jumps. “I like to replicate some of the more interesting things we see over the course of the season, as well as anything our horses might need to practice,” he said. Clearly, Jonathan loves what he does. “I’m super lucky that when I wake up every day, I don’t have to go to work. I just go to the barn. It’s my job, and it’s definitely a lot of work most days, but really I’m just going to the barn like any other day.”

Photo by Melissa Fuller

Jet Rusidovski

It wasn’t horses that took Jet Rusidovski from his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to where he lives now in Austin, Texas, in 2008. It was the weather. “I came down to visit family down here and it was negative 30 degrees in Wisconsin and it was 60 degrees here, and that was the end of it,” Jet said.

He grew up braving the cold on horseback in Wisconsin, riding and showing hunter-jumpers from the time he was 4 all through his Junior career. “When adult life started, I had to juggle adult life and horses, and then it became my profession,” he said. Jet now works for Kelly Lorek at Southern Way Farm, training both horses and clients and traveling to shows all over the country. “Our program has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last year, and that says we’re doing something right!”

Jet hopes his experience as part of a successful program will help instill in others that everyone deserves a chance. “There were definitely times in my career I was not given a chance, and Kelly is the one who really gave me that chance,” Jet shared. “She didn’t judge me for mistakes I made in the past, she didn’t hold anything against me—she saw that I had the potential and she gave me the chance to actually show it. She gave the right coaching and the right guidance to get me where I am today, and I feel I’m in a really great place with unlimited opportunities at this point in my career.”

When not traveling to shows, Jet travels to Wisconsin to visit family (weather permitting, of course) and would love to revisit childhood vacation spots in Greece and Europe, or check out the weather in Hawaii. He also prioritizes catching up with friends outside of the horse world. “If people see me around at a horse show, don’t be afraid to say hi!” he said. “Sometimes I’m so concentrated it looks like I want nothing to do with anyone; I’m actually just deep in thought or something. But I love to say hi to everybody.”

Photo by Kristie Scholten

Jorge Vasquez

Between his polo career—from groom to coach—and a love of travel, Jorge Vasquez has been to 60 countries, all seven continents, all 50 states and seen all seven wonders of the world—some of them twice. “I’ve been to China, Egypt, India, Dominican Republic, Argentina, a lot of places to play polo,” Jorge said. “I wish travel was my full-time job!”

Jorge is originally from Santiago, Chile, where his dad was a racehorse trainer and his uncle played polo. “I was too cool for school,” Jorge joked, “So I ended up having to do polo.” But Jorge isn’t complaining. There are “a million things” he loves about polo. “Obviously the adrenaline, and then the horses—the horses are very special,” he said. “They’re very well trained, and there’s something really special about a polo pony that can read your body and take you wherever you want to go—most of the time without asking any questions!”

Now living in Lexington, Kentucky, Jorge coaches the University of Kentucky polo team, is the U.S. Polo Association midstates circuit governor and is the polo manager at Gainesway Farm, where he also recently became the official tour guide. “I stay busy when I’m at home—that’s why I travel!” Jorge laughed, a common occurrence with his easygoing personality. “I like to think I’ve lived a pretty good life, and I get rejuvenated by teaching the game and teaching young horses how to play polo. That’s my favorite thing about the sport—teaching horses to play.”

With over 30 years in the industry, Jorge’s biggest takeaway from horses is, “The nicer you ask, the easier you’ll get results.” With all his experience, Jorge hopes to pass on the gifts of patience and understanding to those within his sphere of influence. “And that if you pay it forward long enough,” he added, “it will eventually pay you back.”

Photo by Kacy Brown

Walker Pozzi

Walker Pozzi is no stranger to equestrian ribbons and awards, national and even world titles and rankings. He’s been racking them up since he was a Junior growing up in Bend, Oregon. Those were, however, in a different kind of saddle. “Horses have always been a part of my life as long as I can remember; my mother and grandmother grew up riding and passed it down to me,” Walker said. “As a kid I actually grew up riding and showing reining, cutting and cow horses.”

With a hunter-jumper ring right next to his, Walker always thought jumping looked like a rush—and it only took one try to make the switch. “I fell in love and the rest was history,” he said. “The biggest adjustment was going from riding my ‘small’ 14.2-hand cutting horses to these giant, massive warmbloods!”

Walker recently started his own new hunter-jumper business based in Wellington, Florida, in the winter and Maryland in the summer. “The thing I love most about the hunter-jumper industry is that it’s truly an international sport—we get to learn from and compete against riders from around the globe,” he said. “I have a great string of horses and owners behind me at the moment that I’m very thankful for. I’m excited about competing a couple of horses in bigger classes this season. I also have some great Junior riders in my program that I’m very proud of, and look forward to watching their continued success.”

Self-proclaimed as “really into music,” Walker enjoys attending performances of his favorite artists when he’s not at the barn—which is rare. But that’s just part of life pursuing equestrian dreams. “If horses have taught me anything, it’s to be humble—they have a way of making sure you stay that way,” Walker shared. “I would say if you want something bad enough and you’re willing to work hard enough toward that goal, you can reach it, and you’d be surprised how easily you can reach it—you just have to trust the process and put in the work.”

Photo by Isabel J. Kurek

Elijah Belardo

Horses and the beach have defined Elijah Belardo’s life, whether now, enjoying the beaches of Wellington, Florida, while juggling his busy career as a hunter-jumper professional, or growing up on St. Croix, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands with over 40,000 people. “I grew up riding; my first horse was named Gringo, from the racetrack located by the airport in St. Croix,” Elijah said. “I had a babysitter who also used to take care of Gringo and taught me riding. He was a Rastafarian named Tumba. But riding was mostly just for fun—and racing down the beach.”

Elijah inherited his love of horses from his mother and grandmother, who have a barn in the Tryon, North Carolina, area, and at 16, he began show jumping. “I like show jumping because it’s a challenging sport that requires focus and hard work,” he said. “There’s nothing like feeling a horse fly over a jump.”

Now that he lives in Wellington, Elijah trains two or three horses at a time to sell, while also riding and working for local barns. He spent this summer showing with ATG Equestrian and currently rides with JS Ventures. When he’s not working, he can be found at the beach or with friends—perhaps even demonstrating the unique skill acquired in his youth. “I can climb coconut trees fast,” he laughed.

Elijah reads a lot of books, but it’s as an equestrian he’s learned lessons he feels are key to life. “I’ve learned from horses and the industry how to be humble,” he said. “Just like anything, it has its ups and downs. But if you keep working hard at it, you get results. My goal in the horse world is to continue enjoying what I do, make good matches with my sales and to be the best horseman I can be. Being humble and honest is key, I believe.”

Photo by Melissa Fuller

Luke Tokaruk

Not much of Luke Tokaruk’s life isn’t connected with horses in one way or another. Born outside Toronto, Canada, Luke moved with his family to the U.S. when he was 12—to Tennessee, where his parents still live. “My mother always had horses and showed hunters,” he said. “My three older siblings all rode, and I fell in love with the animals from a very young age.”

With his wife, Amanda, Luke ran a successful hunter-jumper training business for over 10 years, becoming a Wellington resident in 2011 as they split their time between locations. “During the instability of the COVID-19 pandemic and with our daughter reaching school age, we made the decision to move to Florida full time and change careers so we could prioritize her,” Luke said. “I love being present to watch her learn and experience new things. She’s such an amazing, smart kid.”

Luke’s career might have taken a turn, but not away from horses entirely. He’s a real estate advisor in Wellington as well as running T&R Property Management, a division of T&R Development. “Having so much experience with upper-level show-jumping horses gives me an advantage with finding, renovating and maintaining equestrian properties,” Luke said.

When he’s not working, Luke loves offshore fishing and tries to get out on the water as much as he can. “In the last couple of years, I’ve gotten into running and have done a few half marathons,” he added. Luke’s running partner is Sadie, a 2-year-old mixed breed dog from Danny & Ron’s Rescue. The Tokaruk pack includes four more dogs: Fiona is also from Danny & Ron’s, as is Paco, who is inseparable from Luke’s 8-year-old daughter; Jean-Pierre is another rescue; and Abigail the Anatolian Shepherd is a retired livestock guardian. Instead of capturing coyotes, Abigail now captures hearts as she goes everywhere with Amanda and the family, such as Gabriel’s in Wellington, downtown restaurants and the Sidelines photo shoot. “I think all animals teach patience and understanding,” Luke said. “Working with and learning from horses has made me more empathetic in all aspects of life.”

Photo by Melissa Fuller

Daryl Mattern

When he’s not working with horses, Daryl Mattern can be found working with ponies. By day, Daryl is a farrier in Upperville, Virginia; in his time off, he spends time at the farm with his Welsh ponies that he both breeds and shows. Daryl loves the life he lives with horses and ponies—though it doesn’t look anything like what he once set out to create.

The horse bug bit Daryl as a child in Branford, Connecticut, and he always wanted to work with horses—despite severe allergies that made his eyes swell shut and induced a severe asthma attack whenever he got around them. Eventually—and with a lot of Benadryl on hand—his parents relented. Daryl grew out of the allergy—but not his passion for horses. He moved to Virginia to be a working student with hopes of pursuing eventing professionally. On his days off, he rode around with the farm’s farrier—and realized that career might be more predictable.

When his farrier business took off, Daryl found it impossible to continue riding. Then he was hired to be the on-site farrier for a Welsh pony show. “I thought it was really amazing, and a few months later I purchased my first Farnley pony,” Daryl said. He’s always been fascinated with breeding—he’s bred and competed cockatiels, pigeons and Jack Russell Terriers—so ponies have incorporated that interest with an easier, safer way for him to be involved with horses and showing. “I love the beauty and spirted-yet-well-mannered personalities of the ponies, and the atmosphere at the Welsh shows is incredible. In all the different types of showing I’ve been involved in, I’ve never been with a group of people that were so supportive of each other. I just enjoy everything about Welsh ponies.”

Though it’s not in eventing, Daryl’s childhood dream is very much being fulfilled. “Chase your dreams; don’t listen to naysayers,” he said. “Proving them wrong is a lot more fun.”

Photo by Kathryn Southard

Micha Knol

Throughout his life with horses, Micha Knol has learned to pivot and adjust. “Every rider has their own system and ideology about riding, but sometimes you have to adjust your method a little here and there according to the horse,” he said. “Not every horse can have the same approach. It’s a disservice to the horse.”

Adjusting has applied not just to horses but Micha’s life. When his first horse proved better at jumping than dressage, Micha, who was born and raised in the Netherlands, adjusted and competed in show jumping—making it to the European Championships. “My heart was always in dressage,” he said. “Anky van Grunsven, three-time Olympic champion, was the one who really got me hooked on dressage. She was a really huge role model for me, and made me fall in love with dressage.”

Micha had a corporate job at the largest bank in the Netherlands and trained and competed his own horses up to the Intermediare I level. Then, in the winter of 2015, he pivoted and took a sabbatical to travel to Florida and fulfill his lifelong dream of riding Grand Prix. Micha found himself in Ocala for four months with two horses from Holland, earned his USDF Silver and Gold medals, met Ryan Bell and adjusted again—in a very big way.

“As my sabbatical was coming to an end, I had to make a decision,” Micha said. “I quit my banking job, and Ryan and I started MRK Dressage in Atlanta.” Based in Wellington, Florida, for the last five years, MRK Dressage is a thriving business focused exclusively on sourcing, importing and selling high-quality dressage horses. Micha is also a passionate buyer’s agent and has a special knack for identifying successful partnerships, including pairing Christian Simonson with his mount Son Of A Lady, who won team gold with the U.S. at the Pan American Games in October, and Olympic medalist Kasey Perry-Glass with her new horse HeartBeat.

Micha’s talent for matchmaking is not limited to horses. When not selling horses, he’s selling real estate. In both, he applies the same philosophy. “Be patient, listen to your client’s needs and be ethical,” he said—and, as always, adjust when necessary.

Photo by Emma Claire Stephens

Bill Worthington

Horses and family go hand-in-hand for Bill Worthington. His parents had him riding since he could walk; now, they help with his company, Worthington Event Solutions, running video walls at major horse shows around the country. Last year he expanded his family circle, marrying into what he calls “horse world royalty” and joining his wife, Ashley Foster, at Rolling Acres Show Stables in Brookeville, Maryland.

“I used to show at the Grand Prix level—I had a great, amazing horse that went places I never thought I would go, jumped courses I never thought I would jump. It kind of all led me to where I am,” Bill said. Right out of high school in 2008, he started a horse show management company. Then, in 2017, he bought his first LED scoreboard and, like that Grand Prix horse, let it take him places he never thought he’d go. “I bought one, then two, then three, and now I have a warehouse full of custom screens and four trailers that go on the road almost every week of the year during show season.”

Bill calls himself “the monkey that goes ahead of the traveling circus,” setting up a horse show and moving on to the next. “I get to see places and horse shows all over, which I love and hate—I love being at home, too, but I’ve been so lucky with this job and being trusted by the top horse shows to do what I do,” he said. “I have to thank my parents and family for their support. My parents are amazing—when the heavy logistics come in the summer, my dad’s there driving and my mom helps run a scoreboard when she can.”

His advice? “Be open to the next big thing—you never know what’s going to happen, you never know where it’s going to come from,” he said. “Keep your eyes on where you want to be, and as long as you’re open to everything that comes your way, one way or another, you’ll get to where you’re going—it may not be the straight line you envisioned, but nothing really ever is.”

Photo by Kristie Scholten

Robert Leuck

Robert Leuck believes in hard work and balance. That alone makes it easy to see why he fell in love with dressage. “What’s better than riding horses all day?” he said. “Obviously it’s not all as glorious as it sounds, but I couldn’t think of something better to do. I love that dressage is so meticulous and concise. I love that when it all comes together, it’s so harmonious between horse and rider that you feel and look as one. The fact that these animals are willing to do these incredibly difficult movements for us through training is mind blowing.”

Originally from Long Island, New York, Robert always had a fascination with horses as a kid and started taking lessons after his sister and cousin did. He began as a jumper, but switched to dressage a few years later. His parents may not have been equestrians, but they prepared him for a career in the industry whether they knew it or not. “My parents have taught me how to work hard, and that I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it,” Robert said. “I come from a ‘normal’ family—I work hard to do what I want to do. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you come from. If you want something, you can achieve it—you just need to believe in yourself and work as hard as you can. As it’s been said, nothing in life worth doing is easy.”

Robert stays busy in Wellington, Florida, with personal horses as well as sales and training horses; he recently started taking 3-year-olds in to be started under saddle, which he enjoys—just like he’s enjoyed taking his personal horse, Dante, from walk-trot-canter nearly to Grand Prix at coming 9 years old. Free time is spent on the beach—but there’s not much of that, between horses and partnering with a collagen company that has benefitted both Robert and his horses. But for Robert, it’s all worth it. “Patience and determination can help you accomplish anything,” he said. “Greatness doesn’t happen overnight, and the good times make the hard times worth it. It’s important to persevere through the difficult times, because it always gets better—no matter if it involves horses or just life in general. It always gets better!”

Photo by Emma Claire Stephens