Profile: Blending Science With Art

Horses have played a central role in Robin Peterson’s life, even as she’s pursued two vastly different career tracks: veterinary medicine and art. She spends her free time at North Wind Farm with horses such as Gwen Marshall’s Trakehner-Arabian stallion WB Corre Con El Viento.

BLENDING SCIENCE WITH

Robin Peterson puts a creative spin on showcasing horses’ physicality with her layered anatomical illustrations. By CATIE STASZAK Artwork courtesy of ROBIN PETERSON

If you were both left- and right-handed, you’d be ambidextrous, but what if you were equally left- and right-brained? Well, you’d because it’s really hard to see that in a photograph.” Peterson works from her secluded FernWood Studio on 21 acres in the heart of the be Robin Peterson. Key Peninsula woodlands.

Peterson, 62, of Vaughn, She draws inspiration from

Wash., gave up a career as an her environment by taking equine surgeon to become long hikes and kayak excura full-time artist, and she’s sions, and from her workplace become known for her ana- “in the trees” on the top oor tomic illustrations of her for- of her house. mer patients. Combining the “I can bird watch if I get analytic, science-craving part distracted,” she said. of her personality with her But her greatest inspicreative side, her pieces can be found hang- ration—and most frequent subject—is, ing on walls and printed in scholarly jour- of course, horses, the constant in her two nals. She has her doctorate, but she teaches decidedly di erent career tracks. more sketching classes than biology. “I was a typical horse-crazy girl,” Peter-

“I got out of the veterinary industry and son said. “I always had that little girl conwent to illustration and found a little bit of nection in the beginning.”

Some of Robin Peterson’s earliest illustrations detailed wobbler’s syndrome and the surgery to fix it, which was developed while Peterson studied veterinary medicine at Washington State University. a niche there because, obviously, having an extensive medical background helps when you can help interpret and make things clear visually,” Peterson said. “Illustration remains one of the best ways to describe surgical techniques and layered anatomy,

Robin Peterson often creates what she calls layered anatomy illustrations, in which she depicts the full physicality of the horse, from skeleton to outer skin, using a variety of media, including acrylic paint and computer programming.

Trading Spurs For A Scalpel

Peterson grew up in Tacoma, Wash. Horses were an important part of her life, but she didn’t spend her youth dreaming of becoming a veterinary surgeon.

“I started riding when I was young and spent a lot of high school years on horses and not in school,” she said. “But I was a good student, so that helped.”

For a while, she appeared more likely to trade stocks on Wall Street than don a lab coat. She became a junior horse dealer of sorts, purchasing, training and re-selling o track oroughbreds at her local hunter/jumper stable.

“I remember, a little bit to my parents’ chagrin, I bought and sold about seven di erent horses,” she recalled. “I guess I was just looking for the right one or something, but I ended up buying and selling [a lot of them]. My dad said he had to make me a business to make it work out on his taxes!” When she went to college, Peterson slowed down the riding and picked up the studying. In 1973, she began taking classes at Fort Steilacoom Community College (Wash.), where she enrolled in a veterinary technician program. But after receiving an associate degree in 1975, the admittedly all-or-nothing-

“I decided I liked to sleep at night!” –ROBIN PETERSON

minded adventurist wanted more.

“When I started working in the eld, I realized that I could go all the way,” Peterson recalled. “With some very supportive family, I went back to school and got a veterinary medicine degree.”

She graduated from Washington State University with a DVM behind her name. During her time there, she also nurtured the artistic leanings that would someday become her livelihood.

“I’m really a visual person, and that’s how I learn. In veterinary school, my notes were quite popular,” Peterson said. “Art has always been a part of my life.

“I always used it through school,” she continued. “ at’s just how I learned. Anatomy is the perfect example. If I could draw it, I could usually remember it and gure things out.”

While at WSU, Peterson studied under Barrie Grant, DVM, MS, DACVS, MRCVS, who would in uence both her veterinary and art careers. Grant, along with fellow veterinarian Pam Wagner and human orthopedic surgeon George Bagby, developed a surgical treatment for wobbler’s syndrome, which causes a “wobbly” or unstable gait due to cervical vertebral malformation. Grant’s surgery used fusion to relieve spinal cord compression and stabilize the spinal cord.

“ at’s probably one of the early anatomical areas that I illustrated, the cervical fusion process, which was a new technique at the time,” Peterson recalled.

Peterson went to work at a private practice in Escondido, Calif., that specialized in equine ambulatory care. She also spent a year at the Delaware Equine Center in Cochranville, Pa., before conducting a three-year surgical residency at the University of California, Davis, from 1983 to 1986. From there, it was back to the East Coast, where she worked as an instructor at North Carolina State University. After that, she joined the sta at the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital (Calif.), where she reunited with Grant, who became a co-owner of the practice with Jay and Ethel Rose.

“My own personal surgery approach was more generalist,” Peterson said. “I did a lot of colic surgeries and some orthopedics. I wasn’t doing really high-end stu as far as orthopedics, but I certainly was exposed to some of the best.”

A Major Career Change

After more than a decade of the all-consuming large-animal veterinarian lifestyle, Peterson felt burned out. In 1991, she decided she needed to step away from her work. She’d always enjoyed art, so she enrolled in the nine-month science illustration graduate program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“I was in a hospital practice doing emergency intensive care. It was a busy place with a lot of great work to do, but maybe I didn’t learn the balance of lifestyle quite as well as I might have,” Peterson said.

“I discovered this program, a science illustration program that was a pretty intense introduction to di erent illustrative techniques,” she continued. “It focused on the animal science disciplines like paleontology and di erent ways to use artistic illustration to describe topics, which, when you think about natural history, is pretty much most of what you see. So I took a sabbatical from the practice and went to Santa Cruz for those nine months, and I got hooked on that.”

So much so, she elected to make a “pretty major career change.” In 1994, she returned to Washington and took up art full time.

“Life happened,” Peterson said. “ ings pushed me toward wanting to come back toward the Paci c Northwest and focus on other things that I wanted to do.

“I decided I liked to sleep at night!” she added, only half-jokingly.

This composite illustration of bit placement in the horse’s mouth is one of Robin Peterson’s favorites. “It was a real challenge to try to visualize that, because there’s so much going on in a small area,” she said.

Robin Peterson painted this artwork, called Between The Stirrup And The Ground, to tell her own personal history. It depicts everything from her childhood riding experiences to her veterinary career and special horses in her life.

Peterson found a niche creating illustrations for various equine publications and journals. Early on, she worked extensively with the Associated Press and e Horse magazine, for which she contributed to a serial column called “A Closer Look.”

“It was a series of really short blurbs about common issues with horses—deworming, tendon injuries, the whole gamut,” Peterson explained. “ e text was very brief, but the illustrations kind of told the story. I have a lot of resources from those illustrations.”

Word of her skills and talent spread, and she soon began creating illustrations for other publications, including e American Quarter Horse Journal and e Chronicle of the Horse.

“ e publication would start with an idea or the written article, and then usually the illustrations would come from that— occasionally the other way around, but not usually,” Peterson said. “I’ll gure out a couple di erent ways that I can show their intent the best. en it’s kind of a collaborative deal between the editors and myself to make something obvious to people.”

Horses aren’t the only animals she’s illustrated.

“When I rst got out of the UC Santa Cruz [program], I worked a little bit with Scripps Oceanography and Monterey Bay Aquarium,” Peterson said. “We had some contacts there, so I’ve done some animalrelated artwork of octopi and di erent sh and habitats. I did some comparative anatomy stu with di erent species, some publications out of UC Davis and a few articles in scienti c publications that needed a little bit of illustrative material, mostly line work. I don’t do much of that now, but that was fun. My niche is more in the equine realm now.”

Precision, Spirit And Storytelling

Peterson’s is an art that does not allow for error.

“My knowledge and experience in the veterinary eld de nitely in uence how I put together illustrations, but you can’t make this stu up,” she said.

It’s a complex process for Peterson to create her anatomic illustrations, which, after undergoing exhaustive research, can take anywhere from six to eight hours “for average illustrations” to complete. She plans out her projects using in-house resources— including bones, models and books—and digital examples.

She frequently creates what she calls “layered anatomy pieces,” in which she puts together the physical structure of the entire horse, from skeleton to outer skin.

“You have the whole horse with the bones and then the muscles and the whole bit comes together,” Peterson said. “ ose have been really good projects. ey’re a little more unique and something that captures more attention.”

To create these pieces, she starts by making a photographic model. She then draws a sketch of each body layer that she paints before putting the tiered pieces together on the computer.

“What I’ve tried to do, using the computer, is make the layers have a little bit of depth so that you can appreciate where they are in the body, but you can also still see the outer shell of the animal in as close to a 3-D approach as I can,” Peterson explained. “I start with the anatomical drawing—let’s say, the skeleton. I’ll have a basic photograph of my model horse. en I’ll work from the line version, building a skeleton and then building the muscular system over the top of that. Some of them have been completely

Robin Peterson created this illustration of Tebenkof Bay in the Tongass Wilderness while participating in an artist-in-residence program, sponsored by the National Park Service, in southeast Alaska.

“With illustration, I’m trying to be fairly accurate and precise, and with painting, I’m always trying to loosen up and let a little spirit show. I think the blending of that is my ongoing challenge,” said Robin Peterson, who painted this portrait, entitled Afternoon Ride.

painted and some have had the actual photograph used as the nal layer, or the top layer. en I just use Photoshop to play with the depths and what shows and what doesn’t, so I can highlight di erent areas.

“I did one that involved bit placement in the horse’s mouth,” she continued, “and it was a real challenge to try to visualize that, because there’s so much going on in a small area. I like those composite portraits. ey’re a lot of work and sometimes a fairly signi cant challenge, but they’re a little di erent. It’s more than just a oating head there, and that’s what I like—that kind of challenge.”

A classic perfectionist, she admits she doesn’t always get the illustration right the rst time.

“ ere are a lot that don’t work,” she said. “Fortunately, I paint a good amount with acrylics and oil. If I need to, I can scrape it all down and start over.”

To allow her creative juices to ow more freely, Peterson also paints occasional portraits and commissioned work. One piece, called Between e Stirrup And e Ground, is a re ective painting that depicts Peterson’s own life story.

“It actually is kind of my history,” she said. “It has a photograph where I’m jumping, and then it has some bones and images of some of the horses I’ve had over the years and some of the things I’ve done. When I was working with Dr. Grant, there was an early Secretariat test foal. He was an Appendix Quarter Horse that ended up being a wobbler. We did surgery on him during my last year in school [at WSU]. I got to gallop him at the racetrack as a demonstration after he had wobbler surgery. ere are all those big stories in there for me, that lifestyle stu , and I like doing that.”

She refers to her work as having a constantly evolving, “representational” style, and she seeks a balance between the exactness of her illustrations with the imaginativeness that comes with more free-form paintings.

“With illustration, I’m trying to be fairly accurate and precise, and with painting, I’m always trying to loosen up and let a little spirit show,” Peterson said. “Sometimes it gets a little bit frustrating, because I feel like I want to be somewhere in between, so it’s always an ongoing project. I think the blending of that is my ongoing challenge. When I’m painting for myself and doing more portrait work, there’s something beyond just the precision of getting the drawing right that needs to come through. On both ends of it, I think the [contrasting] styles help each other.”

A Return To Riding

Peterson never strayed from the presence of horses, but she spent more than three decades out of the saddle during her time as a veterinarian. Since much of her young adult life involved riding hunters and jumpers and even working on the race track— she groomed and exercised oroughbreds at Longacres Race Track in Renton, Wash., where she worked for Washington Racing Hall of Fame trainer Kathy Walsh, and at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.—it was a di cult transition.

“After high school, I ended up not having a horse and dropping away from [riding],” she said. “I was a little bit ‘all or nothing,’ so I kind of avoided it, to tell you the honest truth, because I wasn’t in a position to have a horse or ride regularly, so I decided I was just going to stay away from it completely. In veterinary medicine, you don’t have a whole lot of time to do some of that stu . Obviously I worked with [horses], but I didn’t do much riding for a good 30 years.”

Peterson didn’t remount until last year. When her niece, Jessie Peterson, expressed a desire to take up riding lessons, Robin took her to ride with her friend Gwen Marshall, an instructor at North Wind Farm in Port Orchard, Wash. Jessie didn’t quite catch the riding bug, but Robin did, all over again.

“I went with her the rst time, and then I thought, ‘I want to do it!’ so I started taking lessons, too,” she said.

She now rides up to four times a week, going on leisure rides and working with Amaluna, a 16-year-old Arabian broodmare who wasn’t started under saddle until later in life.

“ ere’s an eventer, a dressage horse, a stallion and a broodmare—I’ve gotten to ride them all!” Robin exclaimed. “In January I got to start [Amaluna] as a little project, and I kind of help exercise the horses that are in training with the professionals. I get to ride them on their o days. Auntie Robin doesn’t have to make them bend and have exion and work too hard. I’m their leisure days but still exercise days. It’s just really been great for me.

“I’m riding better than I did even as a kid,” she added.

She also returned to veterinary medicine but in a smaller capacity. In her spare time, she helps out at the local clinic, Rocky Bay Equine in Gig Harbor, Wash., where she assists Bo Weeks, DVM.

“I do their website and computer PR things for them, and I ll in when they need an extra hand here and there,” Robin said. “It keeps my ngers a little bit involved in the veterinary part of it.”

“Most of the things I like to do require personal protective devices!”

–ROBIN PETERSON

A Thirst For Adventure

Don’t let Robin fool you. She may have left the fast-paced life of an equine hospital for a tranquil art studio, but she’s still a thrillseeker at heart. She’s completed 11 marathons and several more “ultra runs,” which are longer than standard marathons and often take place over more varied terrain.

“I love the Paci c Northwest because I’m really active,” she said. “I like to backpack and kayak and do outdoor stu .”

When Peterson isn’t painting horses, she’s most often depicting wilderness scenes. On several occasions, she’s participated in artist-in-residence programs at national parks, living and working deep within the parks in areas normally shut o to the public.

“ ey’re sponsored by the U.S. National Park Service,” she explained. “Several of the parks basically exchange access to the park and special privileges in return for producing a piece of artwork for them. It gets the artist in the park, and it also gives the parks some great PR. I visited Glacier National Park [Montana] and got to go up in the arctic, which is something I would never be able to do on my own.”

Her adventures have led her to the ends of the earth.

“I did another one in southeast Alaska, and in the Brooks Range, above the Arctic Circle, they dropped us by oat plane,” she recalled. “We oated down the river a ways, and then they picked us up.

“I always laugh, because most of the things I like to do require personal protective devices!” she added. “Fortunately, I’ve stayed healthy, and I think I have a few more years left in me, so I’m going to make sure they’re out there.”

At home, Peterson’s hikes are less extreme. She frequently explores the wooded areas around her house with Arne, her 7-year-old German Shepherd, who was given to her by the dog’s breeders after he didn’t pan out as a police dog.

“Life is good,” she said. “I’ve been very lucky. I sort of chose lifestyle over making much money a long time ago, and so far, with everything, that’s been a good choice.” is time around, she’s showing no signs of a career burnout.

“I love science, but then I also like to interpret it,” she said. “[My artwork] appeals to both sides of my brain. It’s really just a great blend, and I don’t see any end to that inspiration. I’m as excited to do it now as I ever was before.”

Throw An Olympic Games Viewing Party

is year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro run Aug. 5-21, so invite some friends over to cheer on the U.S. eventing, dressage and show jumping teams with an easy menu that combines the best of American and Brazilian cuisines.

By MOLLIE BAILEY

RED, WHITE AND BLUE POTATO SALAD

e only thing more American than potato salad? Red, white and blue potato salad.

INGREDIENTS: 10 oz. red-skinned baby potatoes 10 oz. fingerling or white baby potatoes 10 oz. blue potatoes 2 chopped green onions 2tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 1tbsp. chopped fresh dill 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped ½ cup red wine vinegar 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. fresh black pepper 1 garlic clove, minced

MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

1. Chop all the potatoes into bite-sized pieces that are approximately the same size (usually halved or quartered, depending on the potato’s size). Place the red-skinned and white potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Place the blue potatoes in a separate saucepan and cover with water. Bring both batches to a boil, then simmer until tender. e red and white potatoes will be ready in about 15 minutes,

and the blue potatoes will take about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool. 2. Meanwhile, prepare onions, herbs and eggs and add to a large bowl. Add cooled potatoes and mix gently. 3. Combine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Pour over potatoes and toss gently to combine. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

MOLLIE’S COLORFUL VEGGIE SALAD

is gorgeous salad is a potluck favorite and a great complement to heavier dishes. e recipe makes a pretty big bowl. If you’re concerned you’ll have extra, just dress and serve half the salad at rst. Leftovers are great on their own or mixed with your favorite protein.

INGREDIENTS: For the salad 3 carrots, cut into thin sticks 3 celery ribs, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped into thin slices 1 orange pepper, chopped into thin slices 1 yellow pepper, chopped into thin slices 2 green onions, chopped 2cups shredded or chopped red cabbage 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped into sticks

MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

1cup snow peas, sliced into sticks 1cup cooked, cooled, shelled edamame optional: 1 avocado, chopped For the dressing

Juice of ½ lemon cup olive oil ½cup apple cider vinegar 1tbsp. agave salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Layer the vegetables in contrasting colors in a large glass bowl, then dress and stir just before serving.

ALL-AMERICAN BURGERS

Nothing says summer party like hamburgers on the grill. is simple recipe makes four perfect burgers, and you can adjust according to how many equestrians will be piling in front of the TV. is recipe is adapted from the Food Network Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ pounds 80 percent lean ground beef chuck Freshly ground pepper and kosher salt 4 slices cheddar cheese 4 split sesame buns Lettuce and sliced tomato, red onion, and sweet pickle for topping

1. Preheat grill to high. In a large bowl, sprinkle the ground beef with ½ tsp. salt.

Gently form into 4 balls, then lightly press into patties that are 4 inches wide and about an inch thick. Make a 2-inch-wide indentation with your thumb to prevent the burgers from bulging when grilling. 2. Season the patties with salt and pepper, and grill, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes. Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel rm, about 3-5 more minutes. If desired, top each burger with a slice of cheese during the last two minutes of cooking and cover with a disposable aluminum pan to melt. 3. Serve the patties on buns and garnish with toppings.

AMOR EM PEDAÇOS

is sweet treat, which translates to “love in pieces,” is a Brazilian favorite. e lime juice in the dough gives it a distinct avor and contrasts nicely with the pineapple.

INGREDIENTS: For the filling 1 pineapple, chopped and puréed in the blender 1 coconut, grated, or 1 cup unsweetened coconut 3 eggs 1 tbsp. butter 2 ½ cups sugar 4 cloves 1 cinnamon stick For the dough 1 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. sugar 3 eggs ½ tsp. baking powder juice of ½ lime 1 cup all-purpose flour additional all-purpose flour as needed

For the topping 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water 2 tbsp. regular or large crystal sugar

1. Put ingredients for the lling in a medium-sized saucepan and heat on medium, stirring regularly, until lling reduces and thickens, coating the bottom of the pan, between 20-40 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

2. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add eggs, baking powder and lime juice, plus 1 cup of our. en stir with a wooden spoon and continue adding our in small amounts until the dough is a consistency that can be rolled easily—you might add quite a bit more. Let the dough rest a few minutes. 3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and butter an 8-inch by 12-inch metal pan. 4. Coat a clean surface and a rolling pin in our. Roll half the dough into a rectangle large enough to cover the sides and bottom of the pan. Add the lling and spread evenly. Roll out the remaining dough and lay it on top of the lling, pinching the edges of the dough to seal it. Brush lightly with the beaten egg (you might not use all of it) and sprinkle with sugar. 5. Place the pan in the oven, and turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Bake until golden, approximately 30 min. Cut into 2-inch squares to serve.

CAIPIRINHA

ere’s no substitute for Brazil’s potent national cocktail. Cachaça is a Brazilian liquor made from fermented sugarcane juice.

INGREDIENTS: 2 ½ oz. cachaça 1-2 tbsp. sugar 1 lime, washed and cut into wedges 1 cup ice

Muddle lime and sugar together in an Old Fashioned or rocks glass. Add cachaça and ice and shake.

OLYMPIC TORCH SNACK HOLDERS

Forget passing the popcorn bowl when McLain Ward’s about to go on course. Keep your own snacks at your ngertips with an individual torch.

4 pieces of gold cardstock craft paper Popcorn (we suggest cheddar flavored) or Cheetos

Cut the craft paper in half across the diagonal. Roll each triangle into a cone and tape closed, then cut so the top of the “torch” is even. Guests can ll (and re- ll) their snack holders.

MANGO SPRITZER

If you’re driving home after watching the dressage freestyle, stick to something a little less dizzying than caipirinhas, like this refreshing treat.

INGREDIENTS: 1 bottle mango nectar 1 liter seltzer water lime slices mint leaves ice

Combine mango nectar and seltzer water in a pitcher. Serve in glasses with ice, sprigs of mint and thin lime slices.

BRIGADEIRO

ese traditional Brazilian tru es are easy to make ahead of time and always a huge hit at parties (and at the Chronicle o ce).

INGREDIENTS: 1 can condensed milk 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa 1 tbsp. butter, plus additional butter for hands and plate chocolate sprinkles

1. Combine condensed milk, unsweetened cocoa and 1 tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 2. Lightly grease a plate with butter. Drop ½ tablespoons of chocolate mixture onto greased plate to cool. Pour out half a container of chocolate sprinkles onto another plate. 3. Once the chocolate on the plate is cool enough to handle, grease clean hands and roll each of the ½ tablespoons of chocolate into a ball. Gently roll each ball in chocolate sprinkles until coated, then drop into a bonbon wrapper. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

Serve cool or at room temperature.

Town And Country, All In Millbrook

By MELAINA BALBO PHIPPS

Chances are, if you’re a horse person (particularly on the eastern seaboard), you have either visited Millbrook, N.Y., or know someone who has. Home to e Millbrook Hunt and the annual Millbrook Horse Trials, Millbrook is located about midway between New York City and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. It’s a perfect spot for a day-in-the-country side trip or a last-minute weekend escape.

In the heart of Hudson Valley hunt country, the landscape is beautiful, there are four perfect seasons, and the people are welcoming. If you’ve never been, you’ll fall in love with the horse farms and with the town’s charm and sophistication. ere’s something for everyone here, whether you’re a horseman, sportsman, foodie, shopaholic, art lover or bookworm. ere are as many lifelong residents as there are transplants from the city, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell the di erence; spend enough time here and you’ll likely notice a growing desire to extend your visit—permanently.

AURELIA

If you’re looking for a little al fresco dining, try the Mediterranean-inspired fare at Aurelia, where—and this is important—your canine companion is also welcome on the terrace. Enjoy chef Beau Widener’s eclectic menu for lunch (try the prosciutto muffaletta and artisan grilled cheese sandwiches) or dinner (seared duck with macerated figs or seared diver scallops with asparagus and fennel, anyone?), and be sure to complement your meal with a wine flight or a seasonal cocktail. Feeling daring? Try the jalapeno rhubarb margarita!

3299 Franklin Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-4720. aureliarestaurant.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF AURELIA

LES BAUX RESTAURANT

Consistently top-rated by Zagat among French restaurants in Dutchess and Westchester counties, Les Baux is also a local favorite. Opened 30 years ago by French native Herve Bouchard, the menu of classic French fare—including selections such as charcuterie, steamed mussels, steak frites and filet of sole and lunch favorites like Croque-Monsieur, Croque-Madame and Rillettes (rillettes pate and cornichons on baguette)—has kept diners coming back again and again. The quality is excellent, and the service is welcoming, making Les Baux a great choice for lunch or dinner—or both!

152 Church Street, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-8166. cafelesbaux.com

MERRITT BOOKSTORE

The local bookstore is always the first place I seek out when visiting a new place, and finding one like the Merritt Bookstore is definitely a coup. A book-loving staff will help you find your next best read, special order a title for you, and share their picks. You’ll find a selection that ranges from fiction and nonfiction bestsellers to children’s, home, lifestyle, cookbook and sporting titles. But it’s not just books—stop in the shop to find cards, stationery, small gifts and toys as well.

Actively involved in the community, the shop’s founder, Scott Meyer, inspired the establishment of the Millbrook Literary Festival, now in its eighth year and attracting hundreds of visitors from the surrounding area, upstate New York, New York City and all over New England. In store, Merritt hosts local book clubs and book signings, promotes local authors and offers book selections to complement regional happenings (like the annual Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Festival or the Millbrook Farmers’ Market).

And it doesn’t end there. A recent renovation created a secondfloor gallery space, where the shop exhibits artists on a rotating monthly schedule. Simply put, time at the Merritt Bookstore is time very well spent.

57 Front Street, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-5857. merrittbooks.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF MERRITT BOOKSTORE

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHUNPIKE DAIRY

SHUNPIKE DAIRY

Three generations of the Baldwin family have farmed this land, Tonelwin Farm, which houses the Shunpike Dairy. Holsteins have consistently provided milk here, but today the dairy also has a variety of other breeds, including Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Guernsey and Lineback.

The dairy is open daily to the public, and visitors can learn about dairy farming straight from the cow’s mouth—or at least from the dairy farmer’s! If the cows could speak, they’d probably tell you they’re not treated with unnecessary antibiotics or hormones and that their milk products are delicious. Children and adults alike will enjoy meeting the cows and calves, as well as the pigs, horse, dog, and cats that call the farm home. Before you leave, you can buy some of Shunpike’s raw milk or cream to try (the dairy was certified by New York State in 2010 to sell raw milk), or stock up on fresh eggs, local maple syrup and honey.

Drop in anytime between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., but if you want to see the milking process in action, you’ll have to be there at either 6 a.m. or 5 p.m.

1348 Shunpike Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 702-6224. shunpikedairy.com

WING’S CASTLE BED & BREAKFAST

No matter where you’ve been or how many exotic places you’ve seen, chances are you’ve never seen anything like Wing’s Castle. A private home, a permanent art installation, a personal treasure-trove, an architectural pastiche—all these describe this Gaudi-esque castle created by the late artist and architect Peter Wing and his artist wife, Toni Ann.

They began building the Castle (complete with moat) shortly after they were married in 1970 and continued their labor of love over more than four decades, the Castle growing and morphing over time. Thanks to urban renewal in the Hudson Valley in the project’s early years, they acquired building materials from city teardowns, and as a result Wing’s Castle was built with 85 percent recycled materials (60 percent of the stone used in the Castle was repurposed from an old railroad bridge).

But it’s not just the structure that tells a story; every room in the Castle is filled with antiques, collectibles, artworks, militaria, and, of course, some tchotchkes. The Castle has been the backdrop for movies, videos and photo shoots; it’s been featured on HGTV’s Extreme Homes and on the History Channel; and it’s even been listed on New York’s Haunted History Trail (though I was unable to verify otherworldly activity).

The B&B accommodations include a (surprisingly quite lovely) dungeon room and a tower room, as well as a three-bedroom cottage (the cottage, however, is without WiFi or TV). While there are many and varied places to stay in and around Millbrook, I’d readily surrender to the dungeon at Wing’s Castle. But if you’re not so inclined, be sure to visit for a guided tour, offered Wednesday through Sunday.

717 Bangall Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-9085 (Reservations by phone only) wingscastle.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WING’S CASTLE

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MILLBROOK FARMERS’ MARKET MILLBROOK FARMERS’ MARKET

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a good farmers’ market—it’s like a community cocktail party, except instead of cocktails and canapés, you have lemonade and muffins. Millbrook’s Farmers’ Market is no exception: The town comes out, local merchants provide the freshest of wares, and in Millbrook, the band plays on with live music all summer long. Aside from local produce, dairy, artisanal cheeses, meats and fish, you’ll also find maple syrup, BBQ sauces and rubs, baked goods and desserts, gourmet charcuterie, olive oil, granola, fresh-cut flowers and organic juices and sodas. If you’re looking for crafts, you’re in luck there, too. Select from handmade quilts, linens, cashmere crafts, children’s toys and more. And here’s one thing I’ve never seen at a farmers’ market before: bourbon, rye, vodka and gin, all from New York State’s Yankee Distillery. Maybe we shouldn’t rule out the cocktails just yet … Yankee Distillery. Maybe we shouldn’t rule out the cocktails just yet …

3263 Franklin Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845)243-4410. millbrooknyfarmersmarket.com

TREVOR ZOO

As a teen in New York City, if I’d known there was a high school in the state with its own zoo, well… I suspect I might have pestered my parents until they moved us upstate. The lucky parents in Millbrook, however, don’t have to endure such tactics by their kids. The Millbrook School, a coed preparatory school, does indeed have its very own zoo—and is the only high school in the country able to make such a claim. It was founded in 1936, when biology teacher Frank Trevor joined the school’s faculty and brought with him his own family of animals.

This unique resource means Millbrook students can expand their coursework to include animal behavior, animal biology, ecology and zoology. Students also help design the zoo’s exhibits and enrichment activities for the animals. On a daily basis, they help feed and care for the zoo’s residents as part of the school’s community service program, learning about conservation and ecological, as well as personal, responsibility.

But you don’t have to be associated with the Millbrook School to visit the zoo, which welcomes guests 365 days a year. More than 180 species from six continents call Millbrook home, among them such endangered species as the White-Naped Crane, Lake Victoria Cichlid, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Red Wolf, Blanding’s Turtle, Kaiser’s Spotted Newt, Golden Lion Tamarin, Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur and Red Panda—for which the zoo participates in specialized breeding programs. If you’d like to keep up with some of your new friends after your visit (or if you can’t fit a visit into your schedule), take advantage of the zoo’s live feed at www. Millbrook.org/TrevorZooLive.

282 Millbrook School Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-3704. trevorzoo.org

PHOTO BY RON GINSBURG

MUSEUM IN THE STREETS

The Museum in the Streets© program originated in France, and the idea is to allow visitors and residents to learn the history and preserve the heritage of their towns and cities through self-guided walking tours. There are currently 18 MITS programs in the United States and about 10 in Europe; Millbrook’s was installed in 2014.

MITS plaques indicate the stops along the tour and, along with a brochure and map, are bilingual in English and Italian to pay homage to the heritage of many of Millbrook’s builders; their descendants remain strong community members today. You can pick up your own map and guide at many of the local businesses and head over to St. Joseph’s Church on North Avenue to start your tour.

(845) 266-3505. millbrookmits.org info@themuseuminthestreets.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF INNISFREE GARDEN

INNISFREE GARDEN

Noted as one of the world’s best gardens (it’s where Martha Stewart likes to take visitors to New York), Innisfree Garden is not merely beautiful, but also a masterpiece of landscape architecture by Lester Collins. Artistically, it melds Modernist and Romantic ideas with traditional Chinese and Japanese principles of garden design, but, practically speaking, it’s a beautiful way to spend a summer afternoon.

Tours take about 90 minutes, but there is seating throughout the garden and a designated picnic area, so you can while away the time and smell the roses, literally. Before you go, be sure to check the calendar of events on the Innisfree website for special guided walks, documentary screenings, talks or exhibits. The garden is open May 7 through Oct. 16 this year.

362 Tyrrel Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-8000. innisfreegarden.org

WALBRIDGE FARM MARKET

More than 900 acres comprise Walbridge Farm, a sustainable registered Black Angus operation. Their cattle are not exposed to pesticides or insecticides and are finished with non-GMO grain from Walbridge’s own crops.

If you’re like me and fond of eating your way through places you visit, then you might find yourself picking up a cooler to fill at the Walbridge Farm Market. In addition to their own Angus beef, they sell their farm-fresh eggs, maple syrup and honey, as well as other local products including meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and fresh-baked breads and sweets.

538 Route 343, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-6221. walbridgefarm.com

PUNCH

There are lots of interesting shops in town, but if you only have time for a couple, make sure one is Punch. According to owner Ruthie Bontecou, the inventory here changes “almost daily” to keep up with the shop’s dedicated local clientele. Best of all, not only can you find something for everyone— with apparel and accessories for women, men and children—but you can also find all manner of gifts, décor and objects for every area in your home and garden.

It’s the perfect spot if you “need” to pick up a new pair of Hunter wellies, a gift for your host, something to brighten your personal space, or just something to remember your time in Millbrook.

15 Merritt Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-6796. shoppunchnow.com

MILLBROOK VINEYARDS AND WINERY

For the past 20 years, Millbrook Vineyards has been voted “Best Winery” in the Hudson Valley—that’s more than enough recommendation to visit a wine tasting or two to sample their portfolio. Located along the Dutchess County Wine Trail, the winery offers tours and tastings daily and hosts special events throughout the year, such as a Summer Solstice Lobster Bake, Jazz at the Grille, an annual Harvest Party, and a 5K obstacle race.

From Memorial Day through October the Vineyard Grille, an open-air café, is available to guests, and there’s a picnic area to enjoy as well. If you really want to make an afternoon of it, hike along the vineyard’s walking trail, too. Conveniently, if you’d like to continue to enjoy Millbrook’s wines, you can purchase on site, and the vineyard will also ship to your home.

26 Wing Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (800) 662-9463 or (845) 677-8383. millbrookwine.com

ORVIS SANDANONA SHOOTING GROUNDS

For a day of outdoorsy activity, the Orvis Sandanona Shooting Grounds is a great place to spend some time in the open air and learn (or perfect) your shooting and fishing skills. The Sandanona shooting clay course is among the best in the country (Orvis introduced one of the first such courses as its Vermont shooting school), and the 20-stand course will challenge novice and experienced shooters alike.

Alternatively, the Sandanona Wingshooting School provides hunters of all levels of experience with a system to use for “upland, waterfowl, and sporting clays.” Participants receive extensive hands-on firing instruction, classroom instruction and complimentary gunfitting.

If fishing is your preference, the Sandanona grounds also have two private ponds and a trout stream, and their fly fishing school will introduce you to fly-casting techniques, fishing knots and a foundation in freshwater entomology. Already a seasoned fisherman? Arrange for a guided fishing tour tailored to your preferences so you can get your best catch yet.

Ask about special happenings, like their Dog Training Seminar, Shotgun Classic, and Clays & Clubs (sporting clays and golf) events. And just in case you need further outfitting, there’s a shop on the grounds, too.

3047 Sharon Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-9701. orvis.com/sandanona

BELVOIR GALLERY

It’s easy to perceive the nature lover in Frank Bartow, owner of Millbrook’s Belvoir Gallery. The walls are filled with landscapes and sporting and wildlife art. Among the artists adorning the gallery space are sporting artists Henry Collins Bispham, Arthur Loring Brackett, Henry Dutton Morse and Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait; landscape artists Ogden Pleissner, John Pirnak and Joellyn Duesberry; and wildlife artists Douglas Allen and Peter Corbin, to name a few.

This summer Belvoir is featuring a new exhibit of pastel paintings by Marlene Wiedenbaum, “A Slice of Summer.” Surely, while in Millbrook, Belvoir will have something to catch your eye.

3278 Franklin Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 605-1130. belvoirgallery.com

MILLBROOK ARTS GROUP

Sponsoring musical and theatrical events throughout the year, Millbrook Arts Group organizes a summer concert series on Saturdays throughout the season, covering all genres of music from big band to jazz and swing, from blues to country to rock. Visit their website for dates and times—and bring a picnic!

millbrookartsgroup.org

BABETTE’S KITCHEN

Start your day like a local with a latte, pastry and breakfast sandwiches from Babette’s Kitchen, “simply good food” so good it will instantly become your morning Millbrook fix. The casual dining spot is also a town favorite for lunch and to-go dinners, with eclectic offerings like Italian panini, savory pies, soups, burritos and their famed meatloaf (a must-try). Ingredients are seasonal and locally sourced, making everything on the menu especially tasty.

3293 Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845)677-8602. babetteskitchen.com

Harry And Snowman Gives New Life To Show Jumping’s Favorite Love Story

e lm based on the bestselling book e Eighty-Dollar Champion is a documentary that plays like a fairytale.

By CATIE STASZAK Photos Courtesy of FILMRISE

Harry de Leyer paid just $80 for Snowman, the horse who became show jumping’s Horse of the Year in 1958 and 1959.

Rarely is the movie better than the book, and even less often does the movie tell the true story. Films are usually based on true stories, but what the tag lines so often fail to include is the ne print—that “based,” means loosely based, at best.

Which is why director Ron Davis would not sign on to tell the story of legendary show jumper Harry de Leyer and his “Cinderella Horse” Snowman, notably told in the 2011 No. 1 New York Times bestseller e Eighty-Dollar Champion, unless he could do it his way.

“I didn’t want to do an archival lm the family to theaters to see it (it was released internationally on May 19 and is scheduled for a Sept. 30 release in North America; Magnolia Pictures acquired the North American rights to the lm in early February). e lm is not a boring recollection of facts; it eloquently tells the story of a relationship so strong that it had the power to turn a Dutch immigrant and an Amish plow horse into beloved American darlings. It’s a story even the most esteemed creative directors in Hollywood couldn’t dream up, and it’s told straight from the horse’s mouth— well, his owner’s mouth.

with a dead horse and dead people,” Davis said. “Harry is not only alive and well, but he is still going to horse shows and to the barn. When I found that out, I thought it would be a really cool lm where something that happened in the ’50s could be told today. I thought things could go really well. To be able to tell the real story—not the story that may get made by a feature lm, a ctionalized story—but to really be able to tell the true story, is really remarkable.”

Davis’ lm is a heartwarming documentary, but the word “documentary” shouldn’t deter you from bringing

Harry de Leyer—the real Harry de Leyer, fondly nicknamed show jumping’s “Galloping Grandfather”—is the star of the lm. Now 86 and living in Dyke, Va., he still has a farm and continues to ride and train. De Leyer takes the viewer through the story of Snowman, interspersing personal re ection and narration with brutally honest, laugh-out-loud oneliners. In 1956, de Leyer was an instructor at the all-girls Knox School in Long Island, N.Y., when he drove a few hours south to the New Holland Sales Stable’s auction in Pennsylvania to purchase a cheap lesson horse for his program. ere, he found a big gray plow horse bound for the glue factory. He bought the horse, whom he and his family named Snowman, for just $80.

Not only would Snowman become the best lesson horse and “family pet” de Leyer ever had—there are adorable photographs of de Leyer’s 10 children lined up in a row along the horse’s back—but he would also display an uncanny ability to jump. e ex-workhorse took the man who saved his life to the pinnacle of the sport, winning the prestigious Open Jumper Championship at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden (N.Y.) two years in a row, in 1958 and 1959. He was also named Horse of the Year in each of those seasons, besting wellbred horses owned by some of the wealthiest members of American society. Harry and Snowman were household names in the ’50s. Now, the millennial generation will get to know them too. Yes, it happened, and no, it’s not an exaggeration. Even Davis himself was skeptical at rst, but the proof is in the hours of high-quality historical footage and home movies—as well as the more than 1,200 photographs—from the Knox School, the de Leyers’ Hollandia Farm, and nearly every major horse show in the 1950s. ere are also particularly fun scenes in which Harry and Snowman, full-blown celebrities, are shown on nationally broadcast talk and game shows. ere are interviews with Harry’s brother Willy, his daughter Harriet, and his sons Andre and Marty, as well as with fellow show jumper Rodney Jenkins, horse show commentator Peter Doubleday and the equally legendary George Morris, who also add their own anecdotes and perspectives.

“At rst, I thought the whole story had been romanticized, that the relationship between Harry and Snowman had been romanticized over the years, and that when you found out the real story, I was going to nd out that Snowman was just a good horse, and Harry was lucky,” Davis admitted. “I was surprised that the horse clearly loved Harry on so many di erent fronts and experiences. He gave and gave and gave to Harry and the family and did so many things that you couldn’t argue that this horse really loved him. e movie is ultimately not about the winning and the championships; it’s a love story between Harry and Snowman and Snowman and the family. at’s really what makes it good.”

And it is good. In one of the best parts of the lm, de Leyer describes how Snowman showed up on his doorstep after jumping a wood fence—with a tire attached to his lead rope. ere’s also a heartwarming scene in which the de Leyer children go swimming with Snowman in the ocean. Can you imagine a top-level show jumper being a child’s personal diving board in today’s sport? e lm is a tearjerker at times as well, as sacri ces must be made to achieve great heights. You’ll have to watch Harry and Snowman to get the whole story, which has no greater endorser than de Leyer himself.

“I think it’s great,” said de Leyer, who attended an advanced screening of the lm Feb. 21 in Wellington, Fla., as part of a fundraiser for the Equestrian Aid Foundation that raised $116,000 for equestrian professionals su ering from illness or catastrophic injuries. “It was very well done. Ron did a very good job, and he told it right down to the bottom like it is. It’s the true story.”

Harry and Snowman debuted at the 2015 Full Frame Film Festival (N.C.) last April and has received numerous awards, including the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Nantucket Film Festival (Mass.), Prescott Film Festival (Ariz.), New Hampshire Film Festival, Middleburg Film Festival (Va.) and New Orleans Film Festival (La.); the People’s Choice Award for Best Feature at the Equus Film Festival (N.Y.); and the Audience Award for “Best of the Fest” at the Woods Hole Film Festival (Mass.).

A CLOSER LOOK AT: Horse & Family Institute

A North Carolina charity shows how interacting with horses helps people communicate better with each other.

By HALEY WEISS Photos by HFI

On their rst day at a Horse & Family Institute communication program in Jacksonville, N.C., one couple walked into class completely silent. e husband sat up high on one set of bleachers, while the wife took a lower seat on another set. e pair appeared so disconnected that Kristen DelVecchio Fraessdorf, HFI’s co-founder and chief operations o cer, had to assure the sta that the two individuals were in fact married. But after four weeks of working with HFI’s instructors and horses, the couple showed up to class holding hands.

“What the couple realized is that they just didn’t know how to talk to each other anymore,” Fraessdorf recalled.

Once they learned how to e ectively communicate, Fraessdorf said the couple told her, “It’s like we’ve just gotten married again.”

From veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to families, from straight-A students to children with learning disabilities, HFI helps clients improve their communication skills in order to form meaningful connections with others.

HFI offers programs for a variety of ages. Working directly with horses, participants also learn about themselves, a key to developing better human-to-human communication skills.

e 501(c)(3) uses horses to teach people “e ective/re ective” communication: how to communicate what they see instead of what they feel something looks like.

“For example, if you do something in the round pen with a horse, someone might say, ‘You looked frustrated,’ ” said Fraessdorf. “Well, no, what I saw happen was you clenched your sts, and your elbows straightened out, and the horse got faster. E ective/re ective communication is stating what we observe somebody doing as opposed to what we think they’re doing.”

HFI also teaches people how to question others e ectively in order to get thoughtful responses. Fraessdorf said clients often complain that people don’t listen to them. “What is actually happening is they’re not asking the right questions,” she explained. “If you ask someone, ‘How was your day?’ usually the answer is ‘ ne,’ or sometimes you don’t get a chance to respond because people just walk away. So the question is really––especially with people we care about and the people we work with and our family members––‘Tell me something about your day that was di erent than anything else that you’ve experienced.’ ” e non-pro t o ers youth, adult and family programs in an outdoor classroom environment, and classes range in length depending upon clients’ needs. HFI is also in the process of expanding its three-day veterans’ program into a longer curriculum that will focus on one’s overall demeanor and how to give an e ective presentation to others. e institute also has a new HorseSense Club, a faith-based program for youth aged 5 to 18 that teaches life skills, character building and horsemanship on the ground as well as in English and western tack, and there’s a three-day facilitation program for those wanting to learn the organization’s speci c teaching methods.

HFI’s seven horses are key to the positive changes in clients’ lives. “Since horses are super-sensitive to pressure, they make great teaching tools,” said Fraessdorf, “and because they’re so large, they can be intimidating, so people pay attention. Horses work because people pay attention, and the feedback that the horses give is instantaneous.”

HFI participants agree that the horses make in uential teachers. “I think horses have the ability to identify what type of person they’re dealing with right o the bat,” said Aldo Cox, an active-duty Marine

participating in HFI’s Equine-Assisted Communication program, which receives funds from the Semper Fi Foundation.

“I have a traumatic brain injury, some anxiety, depression, PTSD issues, a lot of anger, a lot of aggression, and I kind of just closed o from people and isolated myself,” said Cox, of Jacksonville, Fla. “I can say that therapy with the horses has helped, because I became aware of the way I was acting. To see [the horses] respond and react to the way I presented myself shed a lot of light on some of the issues I was having with people. ere’s a noticeable di erence between when I’m being aggressive or passiveaggressive with the horse versus when I’m being assertive. It painted a picture of how I’m acting throughout my life at home and with my kids.”

Such self-awareness leads to better interpersonal skills, says HFI’s chief executive o cer, Chris Robbins, himself a Marine Corps veteran.

“We’re always learning something about each other,” Robbins said. “We can learn from the 5-year-old, and we can learn from someone who’s been doing it forever. We’re always open-minded in that we can learn something new and fresh about our activity and interactivity with other people.”

Although every exercise a ects people di erently, Fraessdorf has seen the most “a-ha” moments triggered by two in particular. In one exercise, participants are divided in two groups in the round pen with a horse. Using tra c cones and jumps, one group builds a physical representation of a problem, often a communication problem that they experience in life. Once the obstacle is complete, the observing group gives feedback to the builders on how they worked together as a team. e instructors then surprise the observers by asking them to get the horse to go through the obstacle, while the builders watch.

“Very few people will actually break the obstacle down into pieces,” said Fraessdorf. “If people don’t break it down, we will ask the builders for their input, and then we will ask, ‘What would have happened if you had taken the obstacle apart one piece at a time, instead of having it be one big mess?’ Most of the time people are like, ‘You know, I didn’t think about it,’ and I say, ‘Well, think about the problems you have with communication. What if you just focused on one thing?’ e point of the exercise is to have people identify that we all have obstacles, and they may look di erent to everybody. e horse represents the participants in that exercise: ‘Did you stay away from the obstacle while it was being built?’ How did you get yourself through it?’ ”

For the other exercise, participants assemble a round pen, put a horse in it and then disassemble the pen. “Some people are blindfolded, some can talk and others can’t,” Fraessdorf said. “So it’s dealing with limitations that we have, how we accomplish tasks when we have limitations that we may or may not be

Aldo Cox, a Marine on active duty, says his interactions with his family have improved “due to patience, assertiveness, body language, facial expressions and not being sarcastic, because the horses responded to those things.” aware of and what that looks like.” rough her work with HFI, Fraessdorf has combined her previous career in corporate education with her longstanding equestrian passion. She started riding at age 5 and had her own horses in a dressage and hunter/jumper barn. College and career kept her out of the saddle, but she’s made up for lost time. She founded HFI—originally called Coastal Carolina HorseSense—12 years ago with the late horse trainer Aleck Barnard, who died last year. Fraessdorf also is an equine sports massage therapist. “I made it my mission to really get back into horses, because I was missing it,” she said. “I thought, ‘I really want to take what I’ve learned and develop it and share it with other people.’”

“ e instructors are amazing,” said Cox, who was in his seventh week of classes at the time of this interview. “ ey are patient and understand that they may be dealing with people who can’t communicate as e ectively as one would want. ey’ve taken the time to teach us about the horses and about ourselves. e experience has been great and almost overwhelming. I’m super-grateful for the program. I’ve put into practice some of the things that I’ve learned, and I could see how the conversation went di erently [with my wife and kids] due to patience, assertiveness, body language, facial expressions and not being sarcastic, because the horses responded to those things. My communication e orts and abilities have de nitely improved because of the tactics that I’ve learned.”

>> WHAT IT IS: Horse & Family Institute is a non-profit learning organization that uses horses to teach meaningful communication skills to all ages. HFI helps participants understand body language and teaches listening skills, questioning techniques and horsemanship.

>> LEARN MORE: Visit HFI’s website at horseandfamilyinst.org.

>> GET IN TOUCH: Call (910) 467-9740.

>> GET INVOLVED: Make a donation online at horseandfamilyinst.org/donate-to-HFI or send one to Horse & Family Institute, 138 Catino Farms Lane, Jacksonville, N.C. 28546. Volunteers of all ages and professions are welcome.

What’s Hot On The Web

We’re following six Olympic hopeful riders on their Road To The Olympics. They check in every few weeks with details about their horses’ preparation, care and training as they travel the road to Rio.

Behind-the-scenes photos, fun facts and insightful looks at horse care at the top level—you can find all the Road To The Olympics stories at coth.com/category/tags/road-olympics.

Here’s who we’re keeping up to date with:

u McLain Ward

This two-time Olympic team gold medalist is aiming for his fourth Olympic Games with a young mare that has set the world on fire this spring. As Ward jetted from Rome to Devon to Rotterdam, he’s kept us informed about how he’s planned his schedule, how he deals with the pressure, and just what makes HH Azur so special.

“She’s so much horse and has so much power that you just have to make sure that you keep that a little bit under wraps so that she’s not so fit and so fresh that it’s not completely in control. We try to find weeks and time where we can let her down a little, so that she does take a breath and stays relaxed within herself,” Ward said. coth.com/category/author-name/mclain-ward-told-catie-staszak u Clark Montgomery

Clark Montgomery isn’t leaving anything to chance in his preparation plan for his Olympic hopeful, Loughan Glen, as he looks toward Rio. He fills readers in on his event schedule, how he’s schooling “Glen,” and what he’s choosing to do to get the best out of the horse.

“He’s earned himself a few tickets to some dressage shows this month to get ready for Bramham, which is absolutely hilarious because I’ve never had to do that with him before. We’ll go and do a couple of different tests that he doesn’t know and make sure he gets a bit softer. It’s not to drill him, but to take him in the arena and take a lot of the pressure off so that he just goes in the ring and starts to be his real soft, happy self again,” Montgomery said. coth.com/category/author-name/clark-montgomery-told-lindsay-berreth

u Laura Graves

U.S. dressage’s breakout star from 2014 is looking to add an Olympic Games to her résumé with her best friend, Verdades. Graves lets readers into “Diddy’s” downtime as well as his show ring moments in the spotlight. She also talks about how she and coach Debbie MacDonald are fine-tuning their performances as they look to the Games.

“[We’ve been] really picky on ourselves, and me in the way that I ride and the way that I correct my horse, and making sure that he never feels that we’re being as picky as we really are, because he’s quite good and proficient at his job. So it’s important to keep that stress within myself knowing how badly I want things to improve and not letting him bear the brunt of that,” Graves said. coth.com/category/author-name/laura-graves-told-kimberly-loushin

MEG MCGUIRE PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO u Kasey Perry-Glass

She and Goerklintgaards Dublet are this year’s Cinderella story in dressage, as in their first year of Grand Prix CDI showing, they’re in contention for an Olympic team spot. She’s sharing just how she got to this point and how she’s managing the new demands.

“From the moment we bought Dublet, the Olympics was our goal and something we wanted to shoot for. We knew he was special, and we knew believing in the process was always our goal. To come from where I came from before I got him to now, it’s just a huge step,” Perry-Glass said. coth.com/category/tags/road-olympics-kasey-perry-glass

u Callan Solem

In her quest for her first international championship team spot, Callan Solem is being incredibly insightful and detailed about her journey with VDL Wizard. She’s new to the team selection process and fiercely devoted to her horse.

“In another interview someone asked me, ‘Have you taken a moment to enjoy that this dream is coming true?’ But it’s not over. The dream wasn’t to be on the short list or go to the Olympics. The goal is to be useful at the Olympics. I’m not interested in going and being the drop score. I will keep working, making sure that my Ts are crossed and my Is are dotted,” she said. coth.com/category/author-name/ callan-solem-told-mollie-bailey

u Phillip Dutton and Emma Ford

Making an Olympic team is nothing new for five-time Olympian Phillip Dutton, and this year it’s more a case of “which horse” than “if.” Dutton’s head groom, Emma Ford, is joining in with her take on how she cares for Dutton’s top horses behind the scenes as well.

“They’re such individuals. It’s very easy in a barn of 40 to just go through the day and make it happen, but I try very hard to treat them as individuals,” Ford said. “Some of them like their hay in a certain spot in the stall, otherwise they won’t eat it, stuff like that. Whatever I think helps them be happy through the day, I try to make that happen for them.” coth.com/category/author-name/ phillip-dutton-and-emma-ford-told-ann-glavan

Don’t Miss In The Magazine

u The Future Of Judging

DRESSAGE ISSUE: Take A Tour Of Adventure Farms p. 58

In our annual Dressage Issue, June 6 & 13, Lisa Slade examines the lack of young riders and trainers coming up the long and demanding pipeline to judge dressage at the international level. Officials argue it shouldn’t be an easy process and that it’s not for everyone, but then how do you convince trainers to leave their businesses for the licensing process?

“If you look at us on the USEF Dressage Committee—I’ve been on that for 25 years, and I look around, and I think, ‘There’s nobody under 60 here,’ ” says FEI four-star judge and L Program instructor Janet Foy.

Vol. 79, No. 14 June 6 & 13, 2016 •

THE LOOMING CRISIS IN DRESSAGE JUDGING p. 42 Inside:Nicho Meredith On Pronunciations & Poker p. 64Jeremy Steinberg’s Commencement Address p. 66Three Perspectives On Eventing Accidents p. 78

u Living Legend And Horseman Patty Heuckeroth

Patty Heuckeroth has accumulated the kind of year-end titles and prestigious honors that earn you a place in the sport’s history, but even more importantly, she’s been an advocate for the horse and for oldfashioned horsemanship. In the May 2 & 9 Spring Horse Shows Issue, Mollie Bailey explores Heuckeroth’s career, in which she’s spent as much time with young horses as with national champions, seen the promise in equines of all types, and passed on her expertise to many others.

“I respect someone as a rider and trainer who can show me many [horses] they’re winning with that they started, not ones who bought the best and did well,” she said. u Riders Weigh In On Eventing Accidents

We asked prominent riders Will Faudree, Tamie Smith and Doug Payne how they feel about the challenges faced by their sport this spring. In the June 6 & 13 issue, they discussed how they cope with competing in a risk sport and the work being done to make it safer— but they’re not ready to write off the heights or speed of the upper levels, either.

“If we can quantify the problem— say at so much force this fence has to fall, I think you’ll see more innovation in collapsible jumps,” says Doug Payne.

“If you’re not comfortable at the upper levels, do a lower level,” says Will Faudree. “If you’re hiking, and you go to Mount Everest, you know it’s going to be hard.”

Ahead By A Whip

Photo by TOD MARKS

Jockey Kieran Norris’ whip brie y took a narrow lead from Hooded (Jack Doyle), after Norris fell from Help From Heaven during the 2016 Sport of Kings maiden hurdle at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville, Tenn., on May 14. No one was injured in the spill.