SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Equestrian Gallery
      • Stallions
      • Horses & Ponies for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Thursday, August 29 2019 / Published in Weekly Feature

Yulia Bratkovskaya: Modeling An Equestrian Life

Yulia in a dress by Blush Elegance @shopblushelegance and jacket by All Saints. Her necklace is from AtelierCG and the boots are Fabbri.

By Lyssette Williams

Portraits by Lori Ovanessian

Yulia in a vintage riding outfit owned by photographer Lori Ovanessian who bought the breeches, top and hat in 1972. The belt is from AtelierCG and the boots are Fabbri.

Five years ago, Yulia Bratkovskaya moved from Russia to the United States to springboard her riding and training career. What she didn’t expect was the circuitous journey she ended up on. “I started riding in a very intense Russian Olympic Reserve school at the age of 6,” Yulia said.

“Our rigorous training included vaulting, dressage, jumping and horsemanship. By the age of 14, I was working as a professional.” Her academic studies off the horse were rigorous as well. “I earned three degrees – horse breeding from the All Russian Agricultural University, professional horse training from the Equine Research University and later a Ph.D. in the physiology of training sport horses,” Yulia said. “Unfortunately, the Russian show jumping scene is behind the rest of the world. I knew if I wanted to grow as a rider that I had to leave Eastern Europe.”

Once in Los Angeles, California, landing a riding and training job proved to be a little harder than expected. “In Europe the trainer travels around to the barns,” Yulia said, “riding two horses at this barn, training one horse/rider combination at another, etc. Here the barns expect you to bring clients with you.”

While she grew her business, YB Horse Training, Yulia began to get noticed for more than just her riding. “When I first moved here, people assumed I was a model and I had to keep explaining, ‘No, I’m a horse trainer!’” Yulia said. “But then I began asking myself, ‘Why not?’ When I lived in Russia, I had been approached by an event owner to promote an Eastern European horse show: They needed a pretty girl jumping a horse for their signage. I took the gig and realized I enjoyed modeling immensely.”

Casting calls were an all-day affair, stealing time Yulia could be spending in the saddle – so one year ago she turned to social media. “With Instagram, I was able to create this opportunity for myself to remain a horse trainer full time, but also model part time,” Yulia said. “As a model I want to promote an active lifestyle, healthy body image and joy. Through my hard work and creativity, I’ve cultivated a list of photographers, makeup artists and other models who enjoy and want to work with horses. I’m currently working with 40-plus brands while still riding 8–10 horses a day!”

For the Sidelines photoshoot at El Tesoro Escondido in Malibu, California, Yulia wanted to show off four ways to wear Fabbri boots. “I wanted to promote a ‘stable-to-street’ look,” she said. “It’s what I enjoy wearing and we equestrians tend to wear our riding clothes everywhere.”

Yulia is wearing a black blouse by Odette @shop_odette, True Religion Jeans and boots by Fabbri.

The boots look equally fantastic whether accompanying a Blush Elegance dress and All Saints jacket, accented by an AtelierCG necklace, or True Religion Jeans and an Odette blouse. The equestrian look is also timeless, as Yulia proves by posing in vintage 1972 breeches as well as the latest Ariat breeches and G.Duftler belt, AtelierCG bracelet, Majyk Equipe vest and It’s A Haggerty’s custom sun shirt, embroidered with Yulia’s logo.

“This last year things really took off and I’ve made a lot of connections,” Yulia said. “Currently I’m working with West Palms Events, putting together a charity gala equestrian fashion show the night before the World Cup, on October 18. One of the benefitting charities will be Special Spirit, a therapeutic riding barn located in Shadow Hills, California. It was the first place I worked when I moved to the United States and holds a special place in my heart. Hopefully we can make this charity gala an annual event!”

For more information, visit www.ybhorsetraining.com or follow her on Instagram @yulia_brat

Photos by Simplee Focused, simpleefocused.com

Share this page:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Tagged under: ateliercg, blush elegance, Fabbri, modeling, odette, true religion, Yulia Bratkovskaya

What you can read next

A Few Minutes with Axel Steiner
Kerry Hannon on Money and Horses – The Well Known Author and Financial Expert Shares About Her Relationship with Horses and Learning What’s Important in Life
Patty Foster & Rolling Acres Farm: How to Succeed in Life, Family and Horses

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Stallion Gallery

Visit Stallion Gallery

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • CARRIAGE HILL FARMS
    Hunters/Jumpers/Ponies/Equitation Delray Beach, FL Tricia Loftus – 954-650-8945 Jane Fennessy – 561-451-7900 Hayley Iannotti – 561-212-6185 Meredith Gallagher – 863-632-1605 www.carriagehillfarms.com

    [Read more]

  • Tex Sutton Equine Air Transportation
    “Industry Leader for Domestic Flights” East Coast (352)497-6062 West Coast (626)482-2923 www.Texsutton.com

    [Read more]

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • “Jump for the Children” Benefit Horse Show Celebrates 40 Years & Over $3 Million to Duke Children’s
  • Woodside Recognizes the Best in the West
  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Naomi Dachis: Rising Up After Being Kicked Down
  • Maria Rasmussen: Navigating a Sea of Change
  • Madison Stewart: Following Her Family’s Equestrian Path

Category

Recent Posts

  • Naomi Dachis: Rising Up After Being Kicked Down

    By Jessica Grutkowski Portraits by Ella Peteres...
  • Maria Rasmussen: Navigating a Sea of Change

    By Jessica Grutkowski Portraits by Melissa Full...
  • Madison Stewart: Following Her Family’s Equestrian Path

    By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Kacy Brown It wa...
  • Jake Parker Wymard: His Passion for Horses

    By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Kacy Brown When ...
  • Jenny Cunningham: Creating the Content of a Great Dressage Life

    By Laura Scaletti Portraits by Kacy Brown They ...

Copyright © 1987 - 2025  Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!