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Sunday, May 07 2023 / Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature

Jennifer Truett Dares to Dream Big

By Jennifer DeMaro and Ruby Tevis

 

Every accomplishment begins with a dream, and for Jennifer Truett, that dream looked something like Dancing Horse Farm. Situated on 40 acres in Lebanon, Ohio, Jen’s own dressage wonderland lies beyond the farm’s gates—it’s home to her family, her business and her journey to success down centerline.

As the daughter of a horse-crazy mother who taught lessons at a local riding school, Jen had the seed for her horse dream planted at a young age. “I have no memories without horses,” Jen said. “My parents were incredibly supportive of my horse passion. They took me to 4-H and open shows almost every weekend in my youth.”

Jen’s mother, Lynda Sappington—now a world-renowned equine sculptor—was the driving force behind Jen’s love for horses, though her father was equally supportive. “My father was always there for me and my mom. He’s a stage 4 cancer survivor and is still the rock of the family,” Jen said.

Though Jen enjoyed her active, barn-rat upbringing, she didn’t initially aspire to become a professional. “I wanted to have a job that allowed me to afford and support good-quality horses,” Jen said. With the encouragement of her parents, Jen pursued college and a master’s degree in criminal justice.

An early entrepreneur, Jen got right to work after graduate school. “I started two companies, both involving the creation and execution of a first-of-its-kind domestic violence tracking system prior to the internet age,” she said. Jen eventually sold it to multiple police departments and the United States Air Force before moving on to pursue a corporate career with a defense contracting company.

 

Dancing Horse Farm

On paper, everything seemed to be working out right for Jen—a successful start to her career, a lucrative corporate position—but her “big” dressage dreams were growing hungry inside of her. “As much as I enjoyed the experiences and challenges of corporate life, my job never fed my soul,” she said. With the support of her husband and family, Jen made the decision to leave her corporate life behind and follow her dreams full time.

In 2006, Jen and her husband, Lenny, purchased an equestrian facility on 40 acres in Lebanon, about 30 minutes outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. “We named the farm after my Cherokee Nation name: Jennifer ‘Dancing Horse’ Truett,” Jen said.

Though the property had good bones, the facilities were outdated and neglected, so Jen and Lenny had lots of work ahead to turn it into the facility they envisioned. After years of blood, sweat and tears, Dancing Horse Farm is now a thriving business serving dressage clients of all levels, ages and goals.

“Our farm’s motto is ‘Dare to Dream,’” Jen said. “I came up with it when we put in our contract on the farm. I felt like I was daring to dream about building a successful training business—and how we could make that a reality,” Jen said.

As Jen grew her business, she also sought to grow her string of personal horses. After tragically losing her heart horse and Bronze medal mount, Lydia, to Potomac horse fever, Jen had a lackluster budget for her next partner. Then, she discovered Lafayette HQ, known as Taffy, for sale for just one dollar.

Centerline Success

One dollar and a handshake later, Taffy was unloaded at Dancing Horse Farm. Taffy’s discounted price tag was just the beginning of his road to recovery—he’d fractured his left hind cannon bone in an unfortunate accident, but Jen knew that anything was possible with persistence, hope and her dare-to-dream attitude.

While it took a year and a half to rehabilitate Taffy, he also faced psychological trauma and had other physical challenges to overcome. “Taffy was just as wild under saddle as he was on the ground,” Jen said. “I had to use walls to stop him, and he would bolt at any sound. I’d never felt a horse’s heart pound out of their chest the way his did almost daily.”

With Jen’s careful guidance, Taffy found himself in a position where his talent could finally shine through. “After rehab, he breezed through the levels, even winning regional championships along the way,” Jen said. Though Taffy challenged Jen through the levels at times, he provided her with an education that she still builds upon today.

“We spent over a year trying to conquer our fears of flying changes caused by his wild buck-bolt,” Jen laughed. “But once his changes were confirmed, we sailed from Third Level to Grand Prix in just two years. It only took us a total of five years to get to Grand Prix from his arrival at our farm.”

With a stellar career filled with nothing but try, Taffy was retired in 2020 after riding his final Grand Prix at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida.

 

Team Dream

Committed to her education, Jen consistently makes an effort to learn from her mentors and peers. “I’m incredibly lucky to have had several gifted instructors throughout my career. They have helped me transform into the rider and person I am today,” she
said. “I have devoted years to learning to be a good teacher—not just a good rider—for my students. It took years, but I finally found my counterpart to me in my coach, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz.”

In her training, Jen credits her experience with Taffy for paving the way to her holistic approach towards horsemanship, which she refers to as her Dare 2 Dream training method. From the ground up, Jen evaluates every aspect of the horse and rider and provides her knowledge of in-hand work, classical dressage principles and human and equine biomechanics.

“My clients are known as ‘Team Dream,’ and they support and cheer each other on, instead of the more commonplace environment of always trying to outdo each other,” Jen said. Her teaching has helped riders from all backgrounds, levels and disciplines to grow as riders and become better stewards to their horses.

Developing Dancing Horse Farm’s welcoming atmosphere has been the most important aspect for Jen in her business, and of course no barn is complete without a cat. “I can’t imagine life without cats, and thankfully Lenny feels the same way. We weren’t able to have children, so we dote on our furry family members like they are our babies,” Jen said. Prixie, their tuxedo cat, has been seen walking on a leash at shows, much like any barn dog. “She enjoys attending dressage shows to meet her adoring fans, and I often find she gets recognized before I do because she’s made so many friends at almost every major dressage competition in the country!”

 

Dreams Worth Pursuing

As Jen works each day to help her students reach their full potential through her Dare 2 Dream training program, she is also carving out a plan to achieve her own personal goal: representing the United States. “I feel that it’s not out of reach,” Jen said, and she has the horse with which to do it. Aptly named, Absolute Dream is a 2014 Westfalen gelding Jen purchased in the Netherlands from Reesink Horses.

“Dreamy was only within my budget because he’d been so naughty at the 2-year-old stallion showcase that he was promptly gelded. Once he arrived stateside, I wondered if I was up for the challenge because leading him anywhere was like wrangling a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon in high wind!” Jen laughed.

Using the training foundation she built with Taffy, Jen worked her magic again with Dreamy, and the pair was honored to be members of the USEF Emerging Young Horse Program in 2021. In 2022, they were named the Intermediate 1 Champions at the US Dressage Finals.

Jen is honored to be one of the eight USDF FEI “B” Certified Instructors, and hopes to participate in the inaugural USDF FEI “A” testing once the curriculum is finished. Last year, Jennifer was recognized for having earned all six USDF medals with the new Diamond Award, and this year, she is honored to have earned the new “with distinction” designation for her Bronze, Silver and Gold medals for scores above 67%.

With many dreams achieved and many more to go, Jen believes it’s especially important that the right foundation is established for both the horse and rider. Jen will continue to build her business and grow her education so she can help others reach their goals and dreams. “I dared to dream beyond what seemed possible,” Jen said, “and I proved that dreams are worth pursuing.”

 

For more information, visit www.jennifertruett.com

Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com, unless noted otherwise

Photo by Susan J. Stickle

 

 

 

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: Dancing Horse Farm, Jennifer Truett, Lafayette HQ, melissa fuller, susan j stickle, USDF FEI “B”, www.jennifertruett.com

What you can read next

Jean Kopperud’s Balancing Act
Jennifer Gates: Priceless Dedication
Teal It’s Gone: Katie Maxwell Takes the Reins on the Fight Against Cancer

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Yay for June! We have another great edition for yo Yay for June! We have another great edition for you all that we can't wait for you to read. Up first are Evan and Ashley Donadt a dynamic duo that has won the hearts of many! Stay tuned for many great stories like this by following us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribing to get your very own copy of Sidelines Magazine!

What happens when a horse-crazy equestrian girl meets a never-touched-a-horse-before guy? If you’re Ashley and Evan Donadt, it might just be the beginning of a happily-ever-after that includes a solid dressage program and extremely popular social media channels featuring good-natured humor and horses.

Ashley, a lifelong equestrian, began her horse experiences with the local 4-H club, progressed to lessons with the local dressage trainer when she was 10, then her own pony when she was 11. Conversely, Evan grew up in Massachusetts, without any horse experience to speak of. The odds of them meeting were fairly low, until fate landed them both in Southern California.

Evan knew from the start that spending time with Ashley meant spending time at the barn. In fact, Ashley told him straightaway, “The horses come first always; you’re going to be second!” Evan wasn’t deterred, and instead found the loophole: spending all his own free time with her at the barn.

Read Ashley and Evan's full article in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! You can also click the link in our bio. Don't forget to subscribe to get your very own copy delivered right to your door! Thank you Evan and Ashley for allowing us to share your story!
📸Portraits by Jeni Jo Brunner

#sidelinesmagazine #sidelines2023 #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
As we head into June we wrap up our May women entr As we head into June we wrap up our May women entrepreneur, edition. We were so lucky to be able to feature so many amazing women within the Horse industry. We have one more to share with you, and if you missed any of the women entrepreneur stories head to our website for all of our past issues! Enjoy! 

Hurry Up and Wait” is a familiar saying at hunter-jumper competitions. Unlike other disciplines, where 
riders are assigned specific ride times, hunter-jumper riders typically must check in with the starter at 
the in-gate throughout the day to determine when they will show. In 2019, Emma Fass decided to put 
her computer science background to use in the show industry and created RingSide Pro to allow riders 
to be “ringside” wherever they are.
Throughout high school, Emma competed at horses shows on her horse Son Of A Sailor, aka Ernie, 
oftentimes trailering Ernie into the show for the day with her mom. “That was stressful because we 
didn’t know how the show was running until we got there. Even once we were on the show grounds, we 
struggled to find information. It’s a hike to the rings and the speakers in the barns tend to be 
unreliable,” Emma said. “I would think to myself, There’s got to be a better way.”

For more information, visit www.ringsidepro.com

Read Emma’s full story at sidelinesmagazine.com, and never miss an edition of Sidelines magazine by subscribing. 

@ringsideproinsta @emmafass 
📸Photos by Kirsten Konopnicki, kkonophoto #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! G The June issue of Sidelines Magazine is here!!! 
Get ready to meet the cutest, funniest and very talented equestrian couple from California - Evan Donadt and Ashley Donadt. Thanks Jeni Brunner for the great cover photo! 

Evan is a Tik Tok and social media star, along with several of their horses and ponies. So get ready to laugh, and also be inspired by their relationship and Ashley's dressage goals - she's headed to the top! You will love them and their story will make you want to follow them on social media! 

We also feature hunter-jumper rider Will Baker who has a new farm near Ocala, Florida, complete with a cute donkey (and lots of amazing horses of course), equestrian artist Jan Lukens of Jan Lukens Fine Art (if you were a fan of Gem Twist you will love his paintings!), talented Texas dressage rider John Mason who has a great story, hunter-jumper rider Addison Reed who is now showing in the Grand Prix, and we catch up with the amazing Kate Egan and her larger-than-life horse and her story about how she won a car!

Former eventing groom Courtney Carson tells us about her new career, eventer Nicole Zardus shares her story of retraining racehorses for the eventing and foxhunting world, and we catch up with the very talented rider Luke Jensen who is now a professional rider for North Run's Missy Clark and John Brennan. Don't miss Luke's touching story about the horse Jamaica! 

We feature Robert Crandall in our Unbridled column, along with our great columnists who share their wisdom: eventing with Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing, dressage with George Williams, hunter-jumper with Rob Jacobs R.L. Jacobs and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. Also enjoy the Show Time pages from The FEI World Cup Finals and the American Equestrians Got Talent competition. It's another great issue!!

Don't forget to visit our website and order a subscription - one year for $14.95 - you can't beat that! In the meantime, enjoy the June issue. Link in bio! 
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
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