By Britney Grover
When Edie Baggett talks about the best things in her life, she could talk about being able to ride and compete in dressage and 
eventing, or her success as an entrepreneur—she practically stumbled into founding The Faire Equestrian, creating custom ringside totes and apparel for equestrians. Instead, she begins with faith, family and the simple joy she gets from her horse.
Edie lives in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she and her supportive husband, Burch, are raising their two little girls while each also juggles a business. Rather than her family being second to her business, Edie prizes The Faire Equestrian because it supports her in being the dedicated mom that she wants to be. The fact that she gets to do it all in connection with other passionate equestrians is just the icing on the cake.
How did you become part of the horse world?
I started my love for horses at about 2 years old—at least, those are the earliest pictures my mom has of me on a spring horse. I went through two of them and I think the springs on my Cheyenne finally broke!
I sat on my first real pony at age 3, then I started weekly lessons at about 7 years old. I was fortunate to attend a horse summer camp, where we got to learn and care for our “own” horse for the week. After that my mom was in trouble. Being a single mom, she sacrificed a lot for me to ride and lease horses. She gifted me my first horse, Sadeek, a beautiful blood bay 9-year-old Arabian gelding, for my 15th birthday.
I think my mom paid $800 for him as the previous owner was two months behind on pasture board. He was a diamond in the rough, so spooky and drop-dead gorgeous, black points with four white socks and a blaze. We never had papers on him so I showed the local schooling Arabian circuit, was in the local 4-H and Arabian associations. Sadly, we lost my sweet Sadeek to squamous cell carcinoma on his mouth and jaw at age 12. In the two short years of owning him, he taught me so much and really built my foundation of horses. After he passed, I continued to ride and show Arabians for good friends who, thankfully, never let me stop riding.
In 2013, I married my husband and moved to Daytona Beach. Thankfully, during that transition, I met my good friend Dr. Katie Malensek and she graciously shared her wonderful retired Advanced event horse, Dr. Rhythm, aka Louie, with me. I leased him for six years and rode lower-level dressage on him.
When did you start your company and what gave you the idea?
The Faire Equestrian was established in August of 2022. My husband, Burch, and I welcomed our first little girl, Lilli, in 2019. I had a sales and marketing background and left a corporate career to start a family. I had just bought my current horse, Juan, in the fall of 2019, and later on the following year met my coach and started learning the ropes of eventing.
My coach, Karl Slezak, from Canada, was trying to qualify to go to Tokyo for the summer Olympics and during that time was hosting a camp at Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Georgia. I had an idea to make it fun and designed and outsourced embroidered sun shirts for all of us attending.
As his winter season started, I helped do a fundraiser for him making vests and jackets for our equestrian team.
Right before I had my second little girl, Elsie—like, three days before—we held a silent auction for Karl and his five-star horse Fernhill Wishes, to help offset some of the costs of their “Road to the World Equestrian Games” in Pratoni, Italy. I loved meeting fellow equestrians around the world and was really intrigued with the art of embroidery and creating apparel to help Karl’s fans in Canada and the U.S. have a way of supporting him near and far.
What part does your company play in the horse world?
My favorite part of The Faire Equestrian is the ability to offer people a unique way of celebrating their horse(s), farm, business, college team or memory of those that have passed by creating custom totes. I tell people, my totes tell stories. Each tote creates a talking point and seems to connect horse people near and far. For example, we’re located in Florida and we just fulfilled an order for end of the year awards for Texas Christian University’s equestrian team. It has also morphed into embroidery services, apparel and logo design. It’s been super fun to see the connections made in this business, and see how they’ve emerged over the course of such a short time.
What’s the best part about being a woman entrepreneur?
I think the best part has been the ability to build a business while being a stay-at-home mom, raising our two children. The fun part of all of it to me is connecting with other people who are passionate about horses!
What challenges do you face?
Finding ways to reach new people with a digital-forward marketing approach. With two little girls, the focus of my marketing needs to be digital, as it’s not easy to manage the kids while working a booth.
What great things have happened because of your business?
I could spend all day answering this question. First, irreplaceable time with my now-1-year-old little girl, Elsie Ann. Second, hearing about all of the amazing horses past and present that have impacted so many equestrians. I can’t tell you how fun and rewarding it has been to connect with so many wonderful people in this industry.
What are your goals for yourself and your business?
I feel like I’m just getting started, so a year from now I’d like to work towards doubling the volume. But long term, I’d just like to be able to continue to grow this business.
What advice would you give to others considering entrepreneurship?
Jump in! You have to take a risk to see the reward. Coming from a corporate sales background, I love building relationships but have been taught that to do it, you can’t get defeated. Your product isn’t going to be for everyone. If you believe in it and see the value, be able to show how impactful it can be to others and the reward will come.
Do you still ride or show?
Yes! I’ve been lucky enough to know Juan since he was a baby. When I was leasing Dr. Rhythm from Katie, she bought Juana Dance (Juan Valdez Carolina – Bring On The Crown) as a yearling off of Craigslist and developed him as an upper-level eventer.
Juan was sold as an Intermediate event horse as a 7-year-old, but sadly sustained an upper-level-career-ending injury as a 9-year-old. I bought him from the previous owner and, with Karl and Katie’s help, have slowly rehabbed him over the last four years.
He’s a typical cheeky warmblood, still locks on to the big jumps on the cross-country course, but I laugh as I navigate him to jump his “little sticks,” as my husband says! My goals for this year, new air-vest in tow, will be to get back to eventing! I’m an adult amateur and compete at Beginner Novice. Taking two years off of training to have my little girl has made me miss the sport and
camaraderie of my friends immensely.
What’s the best thing about your life?
My faith, the support of my husband, the love from my two little girls and the joy received from Juan.
Burch has always been my cheerleader. I’m so thankful that he’s believed in me with anything I’ve done and is always willing to sacrifice some of his time while running a successful insurance business of his own. We don’t have hands-on help from either of our parents, so we have to find a balance in helping each other while raising our kiddos, running our businesses or dedicating time to our hobbies.
What’s the best-kept secret about what you do?
Well, the name of my business, The Faire Equestrian—in French, the verb “faire” means to do or to make.
Starting and running this business has allowed me to harness my creative nature and really design something special for someone or someone they really care about! I’d say I’m classified as an equestrian artisan.
There’s always that little voice inside me that says to myself, Wow, I created that logo? Or, I designed that tote to remember a horse that’s passed on, and when I see the finished product, I just gasp and smile—which I hope is the same effect it has on the recipient.
For more information, visit thefaireequestrian.com
Photos courtesy of Edie Baggett
