By Britney Grover
Portraits by Emma Claire Stephens
It doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in a day for everything Shannon Rust fits in. This year, she hopes to make her international dressage debut as she pursues her USDF Silver medal; she runs her own farm in Barhamsville, Virginia, and is the co-owner of HQ Sporthorses LLC, helping riders find the right dressage horse. She’s also a saddle-fitter with a large area to cover, as well as an influencer representing brands and partnerships she’s proud of—and none of those things are even her actual “day job” as an executive for a large corporation.
Shannon’s corporate position isn’t “horsey,” and neither were her parents but they supported her equestrian pursuits. She went from lessons with one of her mother’s friends, who owned a trail riding business, to English lessons. “That was fun because we got to jump!” Shannon said. “As I got older, I eventually worked in the summer for the lady with the trail riding business. I groomed, cleaned, guided trails—I basically got to play with horses all day every day and it was the best life ever!”
Shannon and her sister were gifted a small Appaloosa named Tequila. “We boarded him in the neighbor’s field next to our house for $35 a month,” Shannon said. “Tequila was borderline blind, but packed us around for years and years.” They competed Tequila in any class they could, Western or English, and after he passed they purchased a “semi-trained” Thoroughbred gelding that they also took to every local show.
Toward the end of high school, Shannon did an internship with a Quarter Horse trainer and purchased a 3-year-old gelding that she ended up taking to college. She showed all the way up to the AQHA World Show and in IHSA during college. “So I went from blind pony, to local shows, to rated shows, to world shows, to college shows, and now I’m striving to compete at the highest level in dressage,” Shannon summarized. “Crazy to think about.”
The path may not have been straightforward—including an eight-year break from riding and years spent in Hawaii—but Shannon’s journey continues to take her toward horses. “Since I was a little girl, all I ever wanted to do was be around horses—smell horses, pet horses, groom horses, ride horses, you name it,” Shannon said. “I know this sounds rehearsed, but the fact that I’m currently living the exact, probably even better than, life that little 8-, 10- or 15-year-old girl always dreamed of is truly so cool. I’m doing it! And I can’t wait to make this 100% full time one day.” Fitting saddles to horses, fitting horses and riders or fitting horses into her busy schedule, Shannon’s life is the right fit for her.
What did you learn growing up riding that has continued to help you?
I was really into horsemanship growing up. I always said I should have been a groom: I truly love it and love getting to know the horses so well. I used to have a grooming checklist and I think it was about 20 steps. Every brush, towel and product had an order. But, dang, my horses looked good! We also didn’t have any vets close, so I learned everything I could from the vets and farriers when they were around, packing hooves, tending to injuries, vitals, shots, etc., and I was so young at the time. But I believe that has really helped me to run my current business, just being intuitive, tactful and calm.
How did you choose dressage as your discipline?
I think it was karma. Dressage specifically wasn’t really offered anywhere near where I lived growing up, and I avoided every dressage lesson I could in college. I mean, sitting the trot? After college I moved out west and eventually had to sell my horse. I kept moving west and ended up in Hawaii for work. A month after I got married, I told my husband I wanted to have horses again. I had been without a horse for eight years. He said “OK” and that was it. We got married at the end of March, and I had a horse in June.
The horse I bought was a 5-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred from California. He’d done dressage and jumped a couple of cross rails here and there. I thought, Great! He’s going to jump. No—he did not jump, unless it was to try to buck me off. I mean, that horse tripped over every pole on the ground, and knocked over everything in sight. The farm owner where I boarded at was primarily a dressage rider, and so there it began. I started taking a few lessons and it went from there. I rode in my first dressage competition in Hawaii.
How did you end up with your own farm?
In the summer of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had shut everything down starting in March and in August everything was still shut down. I got a call that they needed someone to fill my exact same job in Virginia, and I took it. I miss Hawaii so much! But I knew I had the opportunity to finally buy a farm. The bones were here, but it’s been a labor of love, sweat equity and cash to make it come to life. Currently, the farm consists of my own personal horses and four boarded horses. I would eventually like it to evolve to full time training horses. I truly love having my own farm, and can’t wait to continue to work toward those goals.
What else do you do in addition to running your farm?
I’m extremely busy trying to navigate everything, but I love it! My “day job” keeps me pretty busy. I work for a large corporation, and although I have an executive position, there’s not a ton of leniency. There is a demand for me daily, 24/7, 365—kind of like horses. I’m constantly in the office or on call, and I always carry two phones.
In regard to my new businesses, I now co-own HQ Sporthorses LLC with an amazing partner. We couldn’t be more excited about this venture! At “HQ” our goal is to source and hand-pick high-quality dressage horses, and make them available to U.S. clients. As someone who imports horses, I know it can be a very scary process. So we want to mitigate that and build a layer of expertise and trust.
I’m also a saddle fitter and currently work with N2 Saddlery. I basically have most of the East and Northeast as my territory, so that has kept me extremely busy. It’s nice because: 1) I love N2 as a product and a company; 2) I have met really incredible people; and 3) although the demand is high, I seem to somehow fit this into everything else I do. And that gets me one step closer to working in the equestrian industry full time.
Other than that, I do actively compete. Last year was a bit of a transition year, due to having a horse injured, purchasing several new horses, and starting a couple of new businesses—wow, what a sentence! But I’m super-excited to currently have several FEI horses, so this should be a busy year. I am hoping to compete in my first CDI this year!
And lastly, I’m really proud of the partnerships and brands I work with. I would also have to consider this a full-time job, but it’s something I’m honestly so passionate about. I, myself, am a consumer—aren’t all horse people?!—and being able to partner and represent brands is so rewarding and fun.
What’s the best thing about your life?
Well, if you ask my husband, he would say him! And I have to agree. You can’t do this without a great support system, and he’s my biggest one. He supports all of my crazy ideas, ventures and projects—and although he may not admit it, he’s turning into quite the horseman and farm owner himself! He for sure had no idea what he was getting into 13 years ago.
What’s something about you that helps you do what you do?
Although sometimes I can be far too deliberative, I try to make a good decision and stick with it. At the same time, I’m not afraid to take a calculated risk. So many people in my life have said, “Oh my gosh, what if…?” “Oh my gosh, how can you afford that?” “Oh my gosh, you don’t have time for that!” and I continue to prove them all wrong. It’s like a fire that motivates me, when someone says I can’t. And the words “Oh my gosh, what are you going to do if…” literally make me crazy. Trust me: I’ve thought of that risk, and if it’s getting me closer to my dream, I’m taking it! There are plenty of hours in the day to go chase those dreams and goals, and I plan to use every one of them. And if I ever see you in person, I want to hear about your dreams, too!
For more information, follow @rustequestrian on Instagram
Photo by Emma Claire Stephens, www.emmaclaire.com
