The Annual Stallion Issue of The Plaid Horse February 2023

FEBRUARY 2023 • THE STALLION ISSUE NORTH AMERICA’S HORSE SHOW MAGAZINE Published Since 2003

$8.99 (ISSN 2573-9409) • theplaidhorse.com

COVER STORY

ALESI FARMS

Home of Marabet Farm and Olde Oaks Farm

CREATING A LEGACY IN AMERICAN HUNTER BREEDING

*Telynau Gallant 12.2h imported welsh stallion sire of Devon, USHJA zone & Upperville Champions

Royal Party Shoes 12.2h half welsh stallion sire: *Telynau Royal Charter dam: Tristans Party Shoes (Overall Pony Finals Grand Champion)

2023 Saddle Lake Stallion Line-Up offering a full line of in-house breeding & reproductive services with access to top notch reproductive veterinarians. cooled semen available for all stallions . domestic & export frozen semen available ONLY for *Telynau Royal Charter

*Telynau Royal Charter 13-7/8h imported welsh stallion 12x USEF Leading Pony Hunter Breeding Sire Leading Pony Hunter Sire Sire of many Pony Finals winners, USHJA Zone, Devon & Upperville Champions

Wellen Gold Point 14.2h connemara-welsh cross stallion sire of: 2022 Devon Pony Hunter Breeding Champion Filly Best Young Pony at USHJA Young Horse Championships and of Devon, Upperville & USHJA Zone Champions

saddle lake equestrian center / missy jo hollingsworth . 859.750.7568 . www.saddlelakeequestrian.com

Available Horses & Ponies Please contact us for a full sales listing Also available, more top prospects and in utero foals by our industry leading stallions and mares

Grace Kelly

Division Small Ribboned at Pony Finals

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Top of the Line Large Childrens through Division Zone Champion

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Jett Puff

Coltrane Imported Equitation

Imported Holsteiner Through 1.0 & Equitation

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Imported Westphalian 3’3” Large Jr Ribbons at Junior Hunter Finals

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by Wellen Gold Point *Available In Utero Foal by Royal Party Shoes Devon Pony Hunter Breeding Filly Champion

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by *Telynau Gallant Devon 2nd Yearling Fillies

saddle lake equestrian center / missy jo hollingsworth . 859.750.7568 . www.saddlelakeequestrian.com

SISTERS who ride together LAURACEA exists because I have two girls who ride. Over the years I was often driving to the barn, or to the shows, and over the years I ruined a lot of bags and I lost a lot of things - lots and lots of crops. This eventually compelled me to create a better option. One that is functional, made with lasting quality, and is also beautiful. I wanted a bag that could hold everything at the horse shows, but it also needed to be able to go out to dinner, and travel as well. I wanted a bag that could go from work, meetings, or lunch, to the barn. I needed a bag that could spend time at the barn, or a horse show, and still look good (hello waterproof leather). And so the LAURACEA Convertible Backpack Tote was born - because I have two girls who ride.

Over the years, they went to the barn together, six days a week. They drove to shows together; they got up at 4am together. They shared a common bond. When the girls were young and the short and long stirrup classes were combined, they sometimes found themselves competing against each other. And that was hard. But when my older daughter first left for college, and my younger daughter went to her first show without her, there was a void. The younger one realized that her older sister had always been there, alongside the trainer, to send her into the ring.

The girls are grown now. One is a few years out of college and the other is in college. Every Friday night, my younger daughter heads downtown to her sister’s apartment. She sleeps over and they get up on Saturday and drive to the barn together. They continue to share time, and stories, experiences and challenges, as riders. I hear about what they had for dinner together on Friday night and how things are going at the barn. As a mother I am so thankful for the many lessons this sport has taught my girls, but most of all I am thankful for the bond that they share - because they ride together.

This series is comprised of various sisters who ride together. They may be in different stages of life and levels of the sport, but they all share an exceptional bond because of this sport. This series is dedicated to ALL the siblings and families who share this bond.

Sincerely, Tamara Makris Creative Director LAURACEA

inquiries@lauracea.com

lauracea.com

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The Harris Sisters

No. 4 in a Series

Emily Harris (L) Sarah Harris (R) Learn more about the Harris sisters at sistershorsingaround.com

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Mavis Spencer representing Team USA in. her first Nations Cup appearance

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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

PIPER KLEMM, PH.D.

Managing Editor

RENNIE DYBALL

Art Direction

L/BAILEY DESIGN

Online Editor

LAUREN MAULDIN, MFA

Online Manager

CATIE STASZAK

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CIRA PACE MALTA

Plaidcast Production & Media Manager

VICTORIA SHEEHAN

CONTACT & CONNECT WITH THE PLAID HORSE WEB:

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541-905-0192

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piper@theplaidhorse.com

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Piper Klemm, Ph.D., 14 Mechanic St, Canton, New York 13617

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Pacific Coast Horseman’s Association President Georgy Maskrey-Segesman

PHOTO: SARA SHIER PHOTOGRAPHY

PINTEREST: pinterest.com/theplaidhorse ISSUU: issuu.com/theplaidhorsemag SUBSCRIPTIONS: subscriptions@theplaidhorse.com February 2023

THE PLAID HORSE

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Breeding Tomorrow’s Champions

Annings Armani

15.1h Crossbred by Cherrybrook Blue and Gold out of Gayfields Vida Blue mare Talented young stallion has all the pieces to create your ultimate junior or pony hunter!

Champion of his stallion inspection with an overall score of 9/10. Approved with Canadian Sport Horse and foals are eligible for registration papers.

Incredible jumping technique and effortless balanced canter. Simply a dream to ride.

Service fee $800 CND inclusive of $150 booking fee (collection and shipping not included) Standing in Ontario, available to be shipped fresh cooled in Canada or USA.

Annings Legend

Half Welsh stallion who was Best Young Pony at The Devon Horse Show Telynau Royal Anthem x Mapleside Oops Pedigree stands apart with both sire and dam producing several US national champions • Three Impressive Gaits • Quality Uphill Balanced Canter • Beautiful Model • Easy, Kind, Affectionate Character • Standing 13.1 (estimate 13.2 finish) Service fee $800 CND inclusive of $150 booking fee (collection and shipping not included) Standing in Ontario, available to be shipped fresh cooled in Canada or USA late spring.

86091 Side Road 7, Meaford Ontario N4L1W6 | (519) 377-4449 AnningMillFarms.wordpress.com

Congratulations , Karen Lucian , on her new horse , In Favor .

SHAWN McMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

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2023

FEBRUARY The Stallion Issue Offers for 2023 COVER:

Alesi Farms

2

Saddle Lake Stallions

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C. Quito

11

W. Charlot Farm

13

Hilltop Farm

15

Colts Hill Farm

19

Ulterra Equestrian

22

Anning Mill Farm

34

Brookside Stallion Station

38

Quicksilver Farm

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Coruscant Stables

44

COVER STORY: ALESI FARMS Home of Marabet Farm and Olde Oaks Farm

58

Hassinger Farm

62

Stonewall Ponies

70

Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses

75

Windhaven Meadows

114

Rivercross Farm

BACK COVER: Eurequine

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February 2023

Paul O’Shea & Carasina HD – MLSJ (Ireland) at Desert Holiday I in 2022

PHOTO: TORI WEED/TRW PHOTOGRAPHY

February 2023

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The Art of Horsemanship

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ON THE COVER THE PLAID HORSE • FEBRUARY 2023 • THE STALLION ISSUE

FEBRUARY 2023 • THE STALLION ISSUE NORTH AMERICA’S HORSE SHOW MAGAZINE P u b l i s h e d S i n ce 2 0 0 3

$8.99 (ISSN 2573-9409) theplaidhorse.com

COVER STORY

ALESI FARMS

Home of Marabet Farm and Olde Oaks Farm

CREATING A LEGACY IN AMERICAN HUNTER BREEDING

ALESI FARMS STALLIONS, PAST AND PRESENT TOP ROW, FROM LEFT:

Bliss MF; Shine; Beyond Bliss M BOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT:

Carry On MF; Pilandro Blue; Balt’Amour

Olde Oaks Farm’s Shine on the cover of the 2013 Stallion Issue of The Plaid Horse

Mavis Spencer

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FEB

2023

The Stallion Issue (CONTINUED) 30

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

We’re Here for the People Who Show Up Piper Klemm, Ph.D.

37 44

THE PLAID HORSE COMMUNITY

New Year, New Habits COVER STORY

Alesi Farms: Home of Marabet Farm and Olde Oaks Farm Victoria Sheehan

52

SPOTLIGHT

Wordley Martin: How to Maintain Your Riding Arena Amanda Picciotto Feitosa

60 66

BOOK EXCERPT

Geraldine Brooks’ Horse: A Novel RIDERS

Hannah Selleck: Horse Girl Aesthetic Julie Claire Ma

76

HORSES

Nahlea’s Story: The Founder of Eques Pante Opens Up About the Loss of Her Dear Partner Jessica Andrews

82

RIDERS

It Happens! With Rennie Dyball, Lily Muzzy, and Sara Roche

86

BOOK EXCERPT

88

PHOTO GALLERY

92

Laura Crump Anderson’s Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders Brass Ring Holiday Horse Show at Wyndsor Farm RIDERS

Questionnaire with Alex Ansteth

100 PHOTO GALLERY Desert Holiday I 102 FEATURE Whitethorne LLC Tyler Bui

PHOTO: SARA SHIER PHOTOGRAPHY

February 2023

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

We’re Here for the People Who Show Up AT EVERY EVENT I’ VE EVER THROWN IN MY LIFE, there is a

split second of calm before the storm. That nerve-wracking moment when preparation is complete, guests are about to come, and you suddenly ask yourself, “what if no one comes?”

And then the guests mill in, the event is great, and you are left with nothing but confidence until that moment pops in again.

I had just finished a flurry of table set-up for the PCHA Convention and Banquet at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center and was looking upon the arena seating that would be filled in just a few minutes.

Except it wasn’t yet. The arena was filled with jumps for all clinic types and perfectly decorated. Colleges lined the outside of the ring to discuss options with future students.

I looked at Diane Carney and said that I hoped a lot of people would come.

Diane calmly replied, “We’re here for the people who show up.”

It was so simple.

We are here for the people who show up.

So much of our lives, we are so worried about what people think of us. How our event will go, who will read our article, if something will go viral, and if our community will respond or be part of something.

But, most fundamentally, at the end of the day, we’re here to serve, teach, interact, and have fun with the people who show up. Because if people aren’t interacting, clicking, showing up, and wanting to learn—

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if they don’t want it—we can’t make them. We can only help the people who want it. Who show up. Who are present. Who want to learn and be better and improve themselves.

The Plaid Horse’s team works tirelessly managing The Plaid Horse Adult Amateur Lounge and developing content for the magazine, blog, and podcast to help people learn, think, and be involved in the future of this sport and industry. It’s my job to support events that have extraordinary educational opportunities and are exceptionally produced–such as the PCHA Convention, which featured clinics by US Olympic Gold Medalist Laura Kraut, Jack Towell, Carleton Brooks, Carney, and Tonya Johnston.

If you “want it,” it’s your job to show up. To take notes. To review those notes. To think about it later.

To clear your mind to learn. To stretch the knowledge that you are comfortable with.

Show up. In all meanings of the word.

McDONOGH SCHOOL (MD)

QUAIL HOLLOW TACK (THERMAL)

Piper Klemm, Ph.D. TPH PUBLISHER Follow me on Instagram at @piperklemm

NAUTILUS FARM (CT)

NAUTILUS FARM (CT) NAUTILUS FARM (CT)

HORSEPLAY (THERMAL) QUAIL HOLLOW TACK (THERMAL)

HORSEPLAY (THERMAL)

DESERT HORSE PARK (CA)

PHOTOS: CIRA MALTA, ADAM HILL, PIPER KLEMM

February 2023

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Scenes from the Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association Convention & Clinic

BELOW: PCHA President Georgy Maskey-Segesman with Piper Klemm and Diane Carney

Diane Carney, Tonya Johnston, Laura Kraut, and Keri Potter

ABOVE: Odessa

Thacker representing Emory & Henry University at the College Fair RIGHT: Laura Kraut

and The Equestrian College Advisor Randi Heathman

RIGHT: Carleton Brooks signing With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard

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LEFT: Piper Klemm, Carleton Brooks, Tonya Johnston, and Jack Towell BELOW: Carleton Brooks

with Erin Prutow

Tonya Johnston

Jack Towell, Hap Hansen, and Carleton Brooks

ABOVE: Carleton Brooks

and Tom Rattigan BELOW LEFT: Laura Kraut and Erin Prutow

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THE PLAID HORSE COMMUNITY

New Year, New Habits With a new show season upon us, members of our Plaid Horse Adult Amateur Lounge got to talking about what changed our riding for the better in 2022 that we’ll bring into 2023.

Some of our favorite answers are below…

Riding my own horse day 1 in the ticket and doing all the riding at shows was a huge leap forward for me this year. I feel more confident knowing what things she had to work through (or not) on the way to the ring. Also, showing at WEC on and off pretty much the whole year, it is clear to me that ALL of us ammies are out there learning every day, working hard to get better and getting harder to beat every week! Good stuff!

I have a green OTTB that I’m bringing along to hopefully be my adult eq horse one day, and this year we moved up. I am by nature a very competitive person, but this year every show we went to was purely a learning experience.

We didn’t win many blue ribbons but we had fun and we learned!

I definitely rode better just being in it for the miles rather than the ribbons. It made the experience more fun for the both of us.

Our PLAID HORSE ADULT AMATEUR LOUNGE on Facebook is

8 ,000

members strong.

Come join us!

I started listening to meditations on YouTube the night before a show. It helped me deal with pre-show jitters immensely, and I’ve actually had FUN at shows now rather than being all nerves. The horse really feels your anxiety, and I wanted to show up for my horse to give them a great ride.

I’ve also learned to say “yes” more to chances at riding and trust in myself; it’s opened more doors to trying new horses which is just making me a more competent rider.

I MOVED BARNS AT THE END OF 2021. IT WAS A BIG AND POSITIVE CHANGE FOR ME.

I found my bravery over fences, and realized that I could in fact ride my own horse when he is spooking or acting silly versus just getting off. I realized I’m not scared of moving up in fence height. A lot of this was due to working on correct flat work and fundamentals at home, rarely jumping a full course. Mistakes were viewed as something to learn from. It was a big mindset shift for me and has made riding so much fun for me again.

Finally finding a trainer who genuinely likes and believes in my horse, who is now straighter and more forward than she has ever been! As a result we’ve had our best rounds yet lately, and are closer than ever to the goal of the high adult jumpers!

PHOTO: HEATHER N PHOTOGRAPHY

February 2023

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NABAB DE REVE X JUS DE POMME X AHORN

www.coruscantstables.com | Ocala, FL

PHOTO GALLERY

1

CARLETON AND TRACI BROOKS’

A Clinic With Purpose MCDONOGH SCHOOL • OWINGS MILLS, MD NOVEMBER 19-20, 2022

2

3

4

1 Auditors watch the flatwork portion of day 1 • 2 Traci and Carleton Brooks with one of the clinic’s four groups of riders • 3 Faith McKay-Alicea during one of the more creative flatwork exercises for riders • 4 Rennie Dyball and Joey • 5 Carleton Brooks with Rylan VanCourt and MTM Snowday 5

PHOTOS: ADAM HILL

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f Praise o Month the PRESENTED BY

Traci and Carleton Brooks embrace the whole horse and the whole rider.

I have worked with them in my role as a mental skills coach for many years and it has been an honor to be part of their team. Their expertise, professionalism, and never-ending curiosity about how to help their athletes be their best is such an inspiration. I can’t wait to read With Purpose!

—Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach

LEARN MORE AT

www.theplaidhorse.com/books

Congratulations

Jessica Smith & Black Emerald

Katie Taylor Davidson

1st $5K Derby – Temecula National 1st 3’6 AO Classic – Las Vegas National Top 10 CPHA, USHJA Jump Seat Medal Finals High Score Amateur – Oaks International Derby

1st $50K International Derby – DC IV 1st $25K West Coast Hunter Classic 1st & 2nd $25K Derby – Las Vegas National 1st CPHA West Coast Green 3’6 Incentive 1st 3’3 USHJA Incentive

Malya Hersha

Beth Taylor

Congratulations on a fantastic Junior career!!!

Thanks for always cheering us on.

Great to have you out at the barn with us now too!

Katie Taylor Davidson San Juan Capistrano, CA

COVER STORY

CREATING A LEGACY IN AMERICAN HUNTER BREEDING

Alesi Farms Home of Marabet Farm and Olde Oaks Farm WORDS: VICTORIA SHEEHAN

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PHOTO: NICOLE BROWN

P

ARIS IS always a good idea. Paris, Kentucky, sits in the heart of

Bourbon county. Less than 10,000 people call this town home. There are taverns built in the 1700s, and historic markers point visitors in the direction of quaint wonders from the past. However, it’s on Main Street where visitors can find the true heart of the town.

Paved with red brick is the Bourbon County Horse Walk of Fame, where concrete markers feature horse shoes and plaques from the country’s most famous equines—all whom called Paris home. In front of the court house is Secretariat. Turn onto Arderly Place and there is Seabiscuit.

More than 50 horses are immortalized in the streets of the town that proudly claims these horses as their own.

And now, Alesi Farms calls Paris home. The breeding program combines two separate farms that joined forces to grow and improve the standard of breeding quality hunters in the U.S. At the helm are two business women who value horsemanship above all. Vicki Hunton, owner and director of Olde Oaks

ABOVE: Shine’s registered name in Europe was Alesi. Alesi Farms is named after him LEFT, FROM LEFT: Bliss MF, Balt’Amour, Pilandro Blue and Carry On MF—four of the five stallions that stand at Alesi Farms, the physical home of both Marabet Farm and Olde Oaks Farm

PHOTO: OLVA PHARO

Farm in Thompsons, TX, and Maggie Fullington who owns Marabet Farm, combined forces to create Alesi.

BREEDING BACKGROUNDS Vicki Hunton grew up in Pony Club in Hawaii. Taught by the formidable Jean ‘Terry’ Tugman, Hunton remembers names like Lockie Richards and other famous riders coming to give clinics. Above all, Hunton recalls the family atmosphere.

“Their barn was their house,” Hunton says. “Terry was a wonderful person, she took us all under her wing. We used to ride and then we would go get in the pool. It was a real camaraderie.”

Hunton’s family eventually moved to Texas, and Hunton started riding and working at Pecan Tree Farm with Dan and Burnis Foy. Here, she was first introduced to the love and business of breeding.

“There were three of us teenage girls, and one year there were three fillies born. Dan said, ‘you can each pick one and you get to work with it, teach it to be brushed and handled.’

He would teach us how to teach them,” says Hunton. “It wasn’t just about riding, it was about being an all-around horse person.”

After Pecan Tree Farm, Hunton started riding with Liza Richardson.

The two formed a more than two-decade long friendship, and Hunton’s own breeding program gained traction with the purchase of the stallion named Shine, an imported warmblood with whom she’d previously bred a couple of mares.

HORSE OF A LIFETIME After trying to track down Shine to breed again, Hunton realized Shine was for sale. Hunton, Liza, and

Hunton’s mom Charlotte went to try him two days in a row. Not only did Hunton want Shine to breed, but she also wanted to ride him in the amateur hunters. Liza agreed she could help teach her to ride him, and Charlotte encouraged her daughter to go after her dream. Call it fate, call it kismet…whatever it was, it worked.

Hunton brought Shine home, and her life changed.

“If you’d asked me two weeks before if I’d ever own a stallion, I would have told you that you were nuts,” says Hunton with a laugh. “It was a total fluke, but it all worked.

And he was a dream come true.”

Hunton rode Shine in the Adult Amateur Hunter division and Richardson showed Shine to several

ALESI FARMS AT A GLANCE • 264 acres • More than 20 Broodmares • Located in the heart of Paris, KY • Specializes in breeding and starting top hunter prospects • Encompasses Vicki Hunton’s Olde Oaks Farm which still has a location in Thompsons, Texas and Maggie Fullington’s Marabet Farm • Named after Shine’s registered name in Germany

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COVER STORY

“Relationships are everything to me. Loyalty means a lot. But you know, it’s the care. I want top notch care for my horses, so when you find it, you stay.”

—VICKI HUNTON

hunter derby successes. The stallion was consistently on the USEF top sires list for Hunter Breeding, and was even quiet enough that Hunton’s mother walked him around from time to time.

Hunton cherished Shine and kept some of his offspring to create the foundation for her breeding program.

BUILDING THE FOUNDATION Fullington had a small but careful entrance into the world of breeding.

After buying a yearling, and showing her in Hunter Breeding with the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Sallie Sexton, her interest was piqued to the combinations that make talented horses.

She began breeding on a small scale using what she learned from Sallie’s extensive knowledge and incredible attention to detail.

“I researched and researched all the different bloodlines and different stallions and how important it was to put a combination together. I knew that I really wanted an Argentinus mare.

So fortunately I was able to find one, Ornella and got her in foal to Balou Du Rouet who I had really admired.

Nobody else even knew who he was at that point. And that’s how I got Bliss.”

Bliss MF was born on Fullington’s farm in Florida. In a time where most prized stallions were (and still are) imported from Europe, Bliss MF represented a strong beginning. He would go on to be named 2021 and 2022 USEF leading sire for Hunter Breeding.

His full sister, Optimum M, is still a coveted broodmare at the farm.

But Fullington wasn’t done. She continued her meticulous research and narrowed in on her next combination.

Her daughter’s junior hunter Lady Bug, who also had a career as a successful

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jumper, had movement and temperament that made her important to breed.

They bred her to the famous sire King David. The result was Royal Envy MF, who inherited her mother’s beautiful movement and went on to become an elite mare for Marabet Farm. Fullington bred Royal Envy to Corlando and got her next exceptional stallion, Carry On MF. “We researched and designed all these breedings ourselves,” says Fullington, who stresses the importance of careful breeding, using excellent mares and the realization that building generations of breeding here in the U.S. is rare—but necessary to grow quality programs stateside.

“We started our own breeding program, and it has produced mares, and those mares have produced babies and now we have six generations.”

A KENTUCKY HOME Fullington and Hunton’s relationship started simply. Chatting over the phone a few times, Hunton bred some of her mares to Fullington’s stallions, Bliss MF and Carry On MF. One morning, Vicki found her prized Shine broodmare had passed away in her stall. Vicki was devastated, and desperately wanted to preserve her line. She rushed to get the mare’s ovaries to Texas A&M. In the early hours, she called Fullington.

“She called me in a panic really early in the morning and said can you get me semen quickly?” says Fullington.

“I said, ‘absolutely’. I literally hung up the phone and went out and I collected two of my stallions and flew two boxes to her. I would say that’s probably the thing that cemented our relationship.”

After that, the two met at the next USEF annual meeting in Wellington.

PHOTOS: SHAWN McMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP); LIZA RICHARDSON

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT:

Shine stands proud. Shine and Liza Richardson competing in the 2010 Fleur de Lis International Hunter Derby; Vicki Hunton with Shine on the farm; Vicki Hunton, Liza Richardson and Shine at the stallion’s retirement ceremony

PHOTOS: KARINDA K. EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP); DAVID MULLINIX

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COVER STORY FROM LEFT:

Carry On MF, Corlando/King David; Pilandro Blue, Plot Blue/Contendro/Lanadel; Bliss MF (bottom right), the 2021 and 2022 USEF Leading Sire for Hunter Breeding; Beyond Bliss M, the newest stallion standing at Marabet Farm

They had dinner and hit it off.

“She called me one day and said, ‘I’m looking for a farm in Kentucky, but I can’t be there all the time. Would you be interested in sharing a farm with me?’

And I said, “Absolutely!’ That’s how this all happened,” says Fullington.

“The reason I chose Kentucky was the grass. I bought the farm in Paris and Bourbon county where the grass is excellent,” Hunton says. “It gives the babies a good start. Plus, the hills are so much better for them. So, everything will be born there, and we will spend the summers with the show horses in Kentucky. In addition to the show horses, the young horses will also go for three months to work on running up and down the hills and just being a horse.”

SETTING A NEW STANDARD In January of last year, Fullington and her daughter Christy moved onto the 264-acre property now known as Alesi Farms. Five stallions stand at the farm and more than 20 broodmares

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“We breed for the amateur market, but we breed athletes.”

—MAGGIE FULLINGTON

representing more than five generations also live on the property. The name, Alesi, was Shine’s registered name before he came to the United States—an homage to the horse that changed it all for Hunton, and a reminder that the farm is building a legacy.

“We breed for the amateur market, but we breed athletes,” says Fullington.

“Our most important thing is a good brain. All of our stallions have really good brains and that’s something we’re very proud of,” says Fullington. “I’m not saying occasionally we don’t breed a talented jumper or dressage horse, but the bottom line is that a hunter is a very specific thing, and that’s what we’re breeding for here.”

At Alesi Farms, a common phrase is, ‘The mare is more than 50% of the equation’.

“Both Vicki and I are very proud of the fact that we have a lot of mares from our own stallions, as well as really good mares that we’ve collected over the years to build our programs,” says Fullington.

“People forget that a good mare makes all the difference in the world. You ask anybody in Germany, they will say, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, stallions are a dime a dozen—but a good mare, they’re hard to find’. Mares raise the foals, the first learning experiences they have is from their mothers. And as much as I love my boys, we are really about our mares.”

Hunton and Fullington know that growing a prized breeding program in the States that can withstand the test of time is not easy. It is expensive, and it is not supported by the same systems that European countries like Germany and Belgium already have in place.

MEET THE STALLIONS BALT’AMOUR “Alesi Farms enables both of us to expand our breeding programs and Pilandro one do moreBlue, for people in the United ofStates, five stallions that ” says Fullington.

“I would like stand at Alesi Farms this to be a place, a destination, where people can come in and go to multiple breeding farms and have all us work together and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got customers coming in, what have you got? Let’s bring them to everybody, because ultimately, that’s going to help all of us. That’s sort of my goal, to make the Lexington area a spot where people can come and look at a lot of young horses the way you can in Germany.”

beyond blood relatives. “I just love it when I get pictures and videos from my buyers and they talk about how happy they are and how much they love their horses. That’s what keeps me going,” Hunton says. “Relationships are everything to me.”

“People with similar goals often gravitate toward each other,” says Fullington. “That’s true not only with Vicki and I but with the breeders that we meet along the way. A common goal is great horses, whichever direction you’re taking. Sometimes your family is blood, and sometimes your family is made. In this case that’s very true.”

BLISS MF • Balou Du Rouet/Argentinus/Pik Trumpf • 2006 Bay Homozygeous Black/ Bay Sabino 16.1 ½ h

CARRY ON MF • Corlando/King David • 2008 Bay Homozygeous Black/ Bay Sabino 17 h

PILANDRO BLUE

A FINAL NOTE

• Plot Blue/Contendro/Lanadel • 2014 Bay Stallion Homozygeous Black/Bay Sabino 16 ½ h

The Plaid Horse would like to send our deepest condolences to the Hunton family on the passing of Vicki’s mother, Charlotte. Charlotte passed away as this story was being put together. Charlotte was an unwavering supporter of Vicki’s riding and breeding pursuits, and was excited for the future of Alesi Farms.

• Bliss MF / L’Attitude MF • Newest breeding stallion to be approved in spring • 2017 Bay Stallion Homozygeous Black/Bay Sabino 16.2h

THE LASTING LEGACY Last year, when Fullington packed up Marabet Farm in Florida and moved to Kentucky, her daughter Christy joined her.

“Christy left a lucrative job teaching to come help me run this farm because I’m not as agile as I used to be. This will all be hers someday,” says Fullington. “I couldn’t do this without her.”

And those family bonds extend

• Balta’Czar/Ariadus • 2004 Black Stallion Homozygeous Black/Bay 16.2 h

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: ANGELA PRITCHARD; NICOLE BROWN; ANGELA PRITCHARD; MAGGIE FULLINGTON

BEYOND BLISS M

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SPOTLIGHT

WORDLEY MARTIN The Arena and Footing Experts on How to Maintain Your Riding Arena WORDS: AMANDA PICCIOTTO FEITOSA / JUMP MEDIA

Even footing of the highest quality will not perform to that standard without the right maintenance

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REGARDLESS OF DISCIPLINE, the maintenance of your arena can make the difference between

a premium riding surface and subpar footing. Watering, dragging, and annual upkeep are all common practices, but the nuance of getting it all just right takes a more advanced understanding.

International Grand Prix riders Sharn Wordley and Craig Martin have competed in arenas at top venues across the globe, gaining a strong sense of the best footing available. They’re sharing their expert advice on keeping your arena in tip-top shape based on their vast experience as riders and co-founders of arena design and equestrian surfaces company Wordley Martin.

CATCH UP WITH THE FIRST ARTICLE IN THIS SERIES ON ARENAS AND FOOTING IN THE DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 ISSUE OF THE PLAID HORSE.

PHOTO: MEGAN McDERMOTT

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SPOTLIGHT

FOOTING

WATERING

Quality footing is an essential component of every ride, helping keep horses sound and happy. It’s the footing itself that supports each footfall of the horse, so starting with a high-caliber sand mixture, which both gives to and holds up to impact, helps ensure a smooth ride. Soundness issues tend to crop up as a result of missteps or slips, which can happen when the horse sinks into the footing more on one step than it did on the previous one.

Having consistent quality footing throughout the arena mitigates those circumstances.

“For all footing, it doesn’t matter what it is, there are a few key factors that create injury, which are that the footing is either too hard, too soft, or too inconsistent,” says Wordley, an Olympian who rides for New Zealand internationally. “Those are what mainly cause injury. No matter whether it’s grass or any kind of sand footing, you’re looking for the right balance of concussion and consistency. You want the footing to be firm enough that the horse can train without slipping but soft enough to cushion impact.”

Of course, having quality footing is just the start. A superstar horse only performs at its peak with proper training, and similarly, even the best footing only performs at its best with proper maintenance.

The right moisture level is essential for optimal footing texture, meaning it is important to add water when the footing is too dry and loose and equally important to be able to drain away excess water. Some irrigation systems spray water over the top of the arena and have a drainage system that allows excess water to flow out. Other arena set-ups add water from underneath the footing like how a giant bathtub fills from the bottom, raising and lowering the water level as needed through an ebb-and-flow system. In any case, watering the arena evenly is key.

“It’s important to have an irrigation system that waters the arena consistently everywhere,” says Wordley. “Water is the binding agent for the sand so that each foot fall is the same and consistent.”

Geographic location and weather conditions can be determining factors in how much water needs to be added to or taken away from the arena.

Ideally, the timing and the amount that the irrigation system is used can be modified as needed depending on the natural levels of precipitation and evaporation.

“Typically, we’ll have our irrigation system go off twice,” says Wordley of his routine at his base in Ocala, FL. “We will irrigate in the early evening and then again at five or six o’clock in the morning so that the moisture content is high enough for the day’s work.”

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PHOTOS, UPPER LEFT AND BOTTOM: KATHERINE HAY PHOTOGRAPHY

“No matter whether it’s grass or any kind of sand footing, you’re looking for the right balance of concussion and consistency. You want the footing to be firm enough that the horse can train without slipping but soft enough to cushion impact.”

—SHARN WORDLEY

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

Wordley and Martin advise to drag the arena at least once per day, ideally after watering it; Having consistent quality footing throughout the arena that both gives to and holds up to impact is an essential component of every ride to keep horses sound and happy; Many irrigation systems spray water over the top of the arena to add moisture, but the key is to wet the arena evenly; Professionally laser grading the arena once a year will keep it in top condition for years to come

PHOTOS, TOP AND FAR RIGHT: STARSHIP FARMS MEDIA

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ABOUT THE EXPERTS SHARN WORDLEY has competed at numerous venues across 22 countries, giving him a strong foundation for quality arena conditions.

He was previously ranked among the top 50 show jumping riders in the world and has represented his home

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country of New Zealand at the highest level of the sport, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC. CRAIG MARTIN is one of a select list of professionals worldwide February 2023

who are qualified as a Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) Approved Footing Specialists. In addition, he operates a successful real estate business and is a competitive Ironman and ultra-marathon athlete.

Together, they have

leveraged their decades of athletic experience and expertise to found Wordley Martin, specializing in creating equestrian arena architecture, construction, installation, and footing products for a personalized, ideal riding environment. With an exceptionally high

standard of execution, Wordley Martin has become the top choice of athletes and owners in the three Olympic disciplines of show jumping, dressage, and eventing.

Learn about building your own Wordley Martin arena at WordleyMartin.com/ Welcome PHOTO: STARSHIP FARMS MEDIA

SPOTLIGHT

Understanding the functionality of each of the drag features, including the rollers, ripper teeth, and spring teeth is important to properly maintain the arena footing

DRAGGING

“The best thing to do is to drag after the irrigation system has watered the footing. Having that moisture will give you the most optimal resulting texture.” —SHARN WORDLEY

Dragging the arena helps keep the footing even after the sand gets jostled around from riding, lunging, and other regular use. Therefore, the frequency of dragging somewhat depends on the amount of use the arena footing sustains. For example, a private arena where 10 horses are worked each day might only need to be dragged once in the morning ahead of the day’s activities. An arena with the same footing at a busy horse show should be dragged more often, usually a few times over the course of the day. More intense jumping and turning causes horses to dig in to the footing more when they step, so the type of riding in the arena can also affect the need to drag.

“We recommend that everyone drag their arenas at least once per day,” says Wordley. “The best thing to do is to drag after the irrigation system has watered the footing. Having that moisture will give you the most optimal resulting texture. Dragging when the footing doesn’t have enough water can make it feel a little looser and potentially not hold up as well to more demanding riding use.”

Wordley and Martin have developed their own customized series of drags with features they find essential to preparing the footing.

Their drags feature an initial roller, followed by ripper teeth, spring teeth, and a final roller. Martin advises that the rollers need to be parallel to achieve the desired consistent result.

The ripper teeth (metal protrusions that can be raised or lowered) cut through the footing to break it up.

Then, the spring teeth help realign the sand before the second roller smooths everything over.

“You want to be able to allow the ripper teeth to groom into the footing approximately between one and a half to two inches,” says Martin of the ideal drag set-up. “The spring teeth should be set at about a 45-degree angle relative to the sand footing. You

also want to have decent pressure on the spring teeth so they’re going into the footing and they leave a nice aesthetic finish.”

The drag itself needs regular maintenance in order to function correctly. Wordley and Martin recommend adding grease to the grease points on the drag one to two times per month. To help keep everything in good working condition, it’s also a good idea to spray off the drag in between uses to avoid any build-up. Finally, the ripper teeth will wear down, so it’s important to change them every two to three years as needed.

ANNUAL UPKEEP Even when the ring is consistently watered and dragged correctly, it needs additional attention on a regular basis to remain in the best condition possible. Laser grading, a more serious service provided by footing and construction professionals, achieves the most level footing. With laser grading, any subtle unevenness that might not be noticeable to the naked eye can be detected and adjusted, making this an important annual investment in addition to regular routine maintenance.

“Sand moves around due to factors like the rain, the tractor, and the horses, so it’s really important to laser grade your arena at least once a year,” adds Wordley. “For our clients, we like to schedule this along with a rototiller grooming of the arena to keep everything in top-notch condition.”

If you’ve put a lot of time, money, and effort into creating an ideal riding environment, it is worth investing in this service to make sure you’re getting the most out of every ride year after year.

For information about troubleshooting arena difficulties, stay tuned for the next part of our Ask the Arena and Footing Experts series on The Plaid Horse website.

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BOOK EXCERPT

HORSE: A NOVEL

By Geraldine Brooks IT WAS ONLY WHEN

Lexington walked right into a barrow that someone had carelessly left in the midst of the paddock that Jarret began to suspect the truth.

He pulled a kerchief from his pocket and flapped it. The horse leaped sideways and Jarret felt a rush of relief. But when he tried the same test on the other side, the horse made no response at all.

One eye was failing. There had been signs: a manner of tilting his head to favor the better eye, the way he dropped his muzzle to probe the ground, especially where surfaces changed suddenly from dark to light. The horse had been resourceful. In the familiar surrounds of Metairie, he’d made his own mental maps and compensated even as his world began to darken.

A blind horse has other acute senses: smell and hearing and the delicate sense of touch in the fine hairs of his face. He can travel well through his known world using these. But away from his familiar home, there was fear.

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Harry had always told Jarret that Boston went blind because of a savage beating. He’d been sure that the blindness wouldn’t be passed down to his foals. But now Jarret wondered if his father had been mistaken. Perhaps Boston’s blindness was hereditary. He walked Lexington to his stall on the Saratoga farm and examined his eyes closely. There was no discharge, no clouding. But then his fingers found the lump of misshapen bone. He felt the other side—no lump. That, at least, was good. He knew of many horses who raced just fine with sight in only one eye.

But what could have happened to deform

his bone in this way? Jarret had been with the horse his whole life, except for those hard weeks at Fatherland, and even there, he’d watched him from a distance and would have known if the horse had injured himself. Pryor had called on him for the colic; he would have done the same, surely, for any other crisis. He couldn’t think what, besides a bad injury, could misshape a bone and rob a horse of vision in that way.

When they left Saratoga and transferred to the stables at the National Race Course in New York City, Jarret made various excuses as to why Lexington should not be turned out with other PHOTO: RANDI BAIRD

A blind horse has other acute senses: smell and hearing and the delicate sense of touch in the fine hairs of his face. He can travel well through his known world using these. But away from his familiar home, there was fear.

horses and why he alone should have the handling of the stallion. It was easy enough to convince the hands that the stallion had a foul temper, since so many did. They were willing to take Jarret at his word and leave everything, from the mucking of the stall to the morning gallops, entirely Then, when Captain Stuart sickened and died from the cholera, the misfortune gave cover for their untimely return south. Stuart had been the one with good connections at the new course, and Ten Broeck had relied on him to create interest in a northern contest.

With the death of his friend, Ten Broeck seemed to lose heart for promoting such COVER IMAGE: PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

a race, and sent word to bring the horse home, by slow stages, keeping him in condition for the Race Against Time.

Jarret had done so, taking every opportunity on that journey south to build on his strong bond of trust with the horse and to expand the range of verbal commands Lexington responded to.

They had stopped for long rests at farms where Ten Broeck had connections, and in every strange place, Jarret worked from first light to last on building Lexington’s confidence. He slept in the pasture so that the horse would be reassured by his familiar scent. By the end of the journey even a strange paddock held no terrors.

He had been confident Lexington would run brilliantly in the Race Against Time. He was just as certain that if he had time to heal the soreness in his feet, Lexington would defeat Lecompte.

Maybe, with a worthy challenger to press him on, he would even beat his own world record.

Jarret wanted this chance. The blindness was progressing rapidly. Despite his hopes, the sight in the good eye had begun to fade. Soon, he feared, Lexington would be completely blind. And no one would risk racing a stone-blind horse.

But if Lexington beat Lecompte, he would prove himself beyond doubt the champion stallion of the age, assured of a good life as a coddled stud sire. He didn’t need to see to do that.

Jarret lifted Lexington’s hoof out of the soaking tub and dried each leg vigorously.

Gilpatrick held the stall door as he carried the tub to the barn entrance and threw the water in a wide sparkling arc.

The two men stepped out into the warm spring morning. A grimace of vexation deepened the lines on the smaller man’s face. Jarret sighed. “You really think he gone call this thing off if you tell him?”

“Yes, I think—I expect—” “Then you don’t know him. There ain’t nothing gone make him do that. He plans to make this thing the race of the century.

He reckons it’s bigger than American Eclipse and Sir Henry back in 1823, bigger even than when you raced Boston up against that Fashion filly in forty-two.”

“But there were seventy thousand people at that race! He can’t possibly think—” “But he does. That’s exactly what he thinks. He saw how many folk came out just to watch a race against a clock, and now he reckons this rivalry—the two great sons of Boston—is sure to take hold of the racing press and fire up

every single person ever liked a horse race—rich, poor, old, and young. That what he thinks. You, me—nothing we say is gonna stop him.”

Jarret looked around, to make sure they weren’t overheard. “But what you might do is rowel him up to some kind of foolishness. Just like we talked of last time. That man might do anything. You know that.”

Gilpatrick stared up at the tall youth, considering. He’d raced against talented Black jockeys all his long career and ridden winners trained by expert Black horsemen. Any notions he’d had about natural inferiority had long ago been rasped away by the evidence of his own experience. He knew Jarret’s gift with horses was prodigious. But was he also a judge of the motives of men—especially of such a subtle player as Ten Broeck?

Gilpatrick wasn’t sure.

In the end, he said nothing, and the race date was set for April 14. The sporting press waxed enthusiastic, as Ten Broeck had predicted, hailing Lexington and Lecompte as “the great lions of the day” and proclaiming that their contest merited the “same interest and avidity as the probable fate of a nation.”

Readers apparently agreed. New Orleans filled to brimming, once again, with racing fans lured by Ten Broeck’s promotional flair. Wells’s friends from the Red River district crowded the city, avid to see their man put the northern interloper back in his place. The Kentuckybred horse and his New York owner could not be allowed another triumph.

Wells’s sister boasted that half of Rapides Parish had come to bet on Lecompte, “not only because they considered him the best horse in the world, but because he was Jeff Wells’s horse.”

By midday, coaches and drags packed the infield, carrying their noisy parties.

As the clock eased slowly to the three p.m. race time, strolling bands of minstrels, acrobats, and Creole dancers entertained the crowd. Vendors carried trays piled high with fruits and iced drinks. Ten Broeck had ordered the stands decorated with festoons of bright fabric and soon the gaudy tiers were crammed. Trees sagged and boughs cracked under the weight of spectators. It was, the French denizens proclaimed, a “succès fou,” even before the horses left the stable.

From HORSE by Geraldine Brooks, Published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2022 by Geraldine Brooks.

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US Equestrian Leading Pony Owner 2022

TI P S F O R R I D I N G S U C C E S S: B E A G O O D L E A R N E R

Good learners want to know anything and everything they can about training, showing, and horse care. They watch videos and read books and listen to podcasts about horses and training.

They ask good questions of me, the vet, the farrier, the grooms. They never stop learning.

PHOTOS © ANDREW RYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY, SHAWN McMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY, SARA SHIER PHOTOGRAPHY, COPPER ARROW PHOTOGRAPHY

Stonewall Farm • Text: 920-889-0028 S TO N E WA L L P O N I E S@YA H O O.C O M • IXO N I A , W I S C O N S I N

Best of Luck to all SWF Sales Graduates in 2023!

TI P S F O R R I D I N G S U C C E S S: B E R E S P O N S I B L E

Responsible students know that, ultimately, they have to take control of their own learning.

It’s not up to their trainer, their parents, nor their horse—especially not the horse. The horse didn’t sign up for this sport. We ask them to let us ride, train, and jump them. Most of the time they comply.

If the horse doesn’t, the responsible rider asks why and tries to be a good listener and good learner.

PHOTOS © ANDREW RYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY, SHAWN McMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY, SARA SHIER PHOTOGRAPHY, COPPER ARROW PHOTOGRAPHY

Stonewall Farm • Text: 920-889-0028 S TO N E WA L L P O N I E S@YA H O O.C O M • IXO N I A , W I S C O N S I N

“This book series is the perfect read for horse lovers of all ages! l love following the story of the riders at Quince Oaks and it reminds me of my days growing up in the barn. Great read!!”

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RIDERS

HANNAH SELLECK’S

HORSE GIRL AESTHETIC The jumper rider shares her style— and a bit of her story WORDS: JULIE CLAIRE MA

H

ANNAH SELLECK is

the type of person who, when asked to name her favorite Canadian, snubs Drake in order to name Ian Millar, the legendary ten-time Olympian show jumper.

Jumper rider Selleck, who grew up with plenty of exposure to fame, prefers the grounding and rural equestrian world to the celebrity scene—but is able to move easily between both.

Selleck’s first exposure to show jumping was in Calgary. As a child, she spent the summer in Alberta while her dad, Tom Selleck, shot a Western film.

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PHOTO: SHELBY PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: ASHLEY NEUHOF PHOTOGRAPHY

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RIDERS

Her family was invited to attend an event at Spruce Meadows, and after that, she was hooked. Selleck now competes at some of the biggest horse show venues across North America—in Miami, New York City, and Calgary.

Selleck’s personal style captures the contradiction inherent in equestrian sport: the rusticity of the horses (there is dirt; there is manure) juxtaposed with the glitz and glamor of international show jumping.

“My style spans each end of the spectrum. It’s so much fun. I’m either in riding clothes, workout clothes or dressed up. Most of the time, our day to day isn’t super glamorous because we are in the stables. But when there is an event, I do love a good dress-up moment. I love renting from the highend rental places that have couture and the newest looks.”

On show days Selleck will be found in the standard and chic horse show uniform of white breeches, tall black riding boots, riding jacket and helmet.

On off days, she prefers a timeless look with a feminine touch.

“I like sporty, I like timeless classic lines. I always wear dark colors— black breeches and black shirts. My Kask helmet is sparkly and I wear the sun visor too. The big visor, it does something for the face. It’s more feminine.”

Selleck loves to bring in her equestrian aesthetic to her street style.

“I have a really cute equestrian bag from Caroline Herrera that matches my boots. It’s a tote with little crop handles.

I love Ralph Lauren.”

For her beauty routine, Selleck strives to keep it simple since she doesn’t get much time away from horses. “I try not to heat style my hair too much, I let it be healthy and air dry. I use sunscreen, an AHA wipedown, and just Vitamin C and A at night. When I’m in my spots in LA and NYC I get my brows done with the aestheticians I like. I’ve found some good people over the years and I stick with them. I’ve got a good black book of beauty.”

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“Most of the time, our day to day isn’t super glamorous because we are in the stables.

But when there is an event, I do love a good dress-up moment.” —HANNAH SELLECK Selleck has had to maintain an exercise and wellness regimen after a bad fall off her horse in 2018 left her with a broken leg.

“I love spin. I’m a big SoulCycle girl.

I love running but I couldn’t run for quite a while with my injury. I worked hard to get that back and this year I started to run outside again. That’s my favorite for my mind to work off some angsty steam. I try to do cardio at least three times a week to stay fit, and when

I’m in LA I have a Pilates instructor I like. I try to do something five days a week, but I try to be less hard on myself, you can’t beat yourself up. The routine has to be possible.”

Selleck, who has been involved in the upper echelon of the sport since she was double gold medalist at the North American Young Rider’s Championships as a teen, remains passionate about the sport of show jumping.

“It is the great equalizer. Anyone PHOTOS: ASHLEY NEUHOF

can end up in the dirt from one round to the next. You could be winning, then the next round you can be chucked off—doesn’t matter. We love it. We love the animal. We love those bonds,” she says.

“It doesn’t matter how well you ride, there’s a part you have to give over and trust your horse knows what to do. I’ve got to tell her, communicate to her: I love you, I trust you, you’ve got this, you can do this. You’ve got to trust

you’ve done what you can for your horse and now they are going to do what they can for you.”

Her parents encouraged her enthusiasm for the sport. “Being artists, they encouraged me to be passionate, to develop my craft, to have a work ethic. My dad said if you want to do this, you’re going to have to work at it.

We will help you where we can, but we aren’t able to give endless support—this is a crazy sport.”

Meaning: An expensive one. Grand Prix-caliber horses are often worth millions of dollars. Selleck has ridden professionally over the years, eventually working her way up to a show rider for a top stable.

“I was a working student, you know, paid my dues, under great people. I’ve developed young horses and taught riders,” she says.

As for her famous last name, Selleck says growing up the children of celebrities isn’t necessarily what readers may think.

“My parents were pretty grounded. I was aware that my dad was a celebrity, that he was known, especially when I was younger and paparazzi was such a thing,” she says. “So, I was aware of that. But this [show jumping] world, a lot of wealthy or high-profile people are drawn to it because it does provide anonymity. And you know at the end of the day you can be mounted really well, but you still have to work at it.”

“The celebrity, you know it’s there, it definitely gives you some opportunities but also sometimes I have to work twice as hard to be legitimate in this, to be credible, to be taken seriously.

It’s a different monkey on your back,” she concludes with a laugh. “We don’t choose our things!”

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Photos by Carmen Elisa Franco

EARLY LOOK

SHOW STRIDES BOOK 5

PACKER PRESSURE Order your copy at theplaidhorse.com/books or on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)

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“CAMERON? Like the Cameron? The barn favorite who wins everything and everyone loves?”

“Yup,” said Tally, laughing at her friend’s wideeyed expression.

“Tally, this is huge!” said Mac, wrapping her friend up in a hug. Mac’s pony, Joey, nudged the girls with his nose, eager to get in on the celebration.

“I know,” said Tally, bending down to unwrap one of Joey’s polos alongside her friend.

February 2023

“I’ve never ridden a horse this experienced. It’s going to be weird!”

“It’s going to be awesome,” Mac corrected her. Mackenzie (Mac) Bennett was Tally’s best friend at the barn. At this point, probably her best friend, period. Mac had arrived about a year ago with Joey, a.k.a. Smoke Hill Jet Set, her partner in the Medium Pony Hunter division. When the girls first met, Tally knew next to nothing about the A circuit, having ridden only in the lesson program and at the barn’s in-house schooling shows. Now, Tally had competed several times at rated shows off the property, spectated at Devon and Pony Finals, and spent many sleepovers with Mac watching live streams and replays of the biggest shows in the country. There was nothing she loved more than immersing herself in the world of horses and showing.

“How was your lesson?” Tally asked.

“Great. Really great, actually,” Mac said, rubbing her chestnut pony’s neck. Joey licked Mac’s hand, in case a treat should materialize there. “But Ryan said he wanted to meet with me and my parents tonight, so I’m not sure what that’s about. How was your lesson?”

“It was good, I rode Obie and then I got on Toots because he was being extra spooky for his rider. I wish I’d known it was my last ride on Obie, though…Ryan has a kid who’s going to lease him. I wish I could have explained to him what’s happening. Or something…” Tally paused. “That sounds stupid right?”

Mac shook her head no, her expression serious.

“I’m so excited for Cam, but it’s still a little hard to move on. Remember when I cried in the porta-potties after I saw Goose at a show?” Goose was a green small pony that Tally helped bring along for Ryan. He got sold over the summer and it wasn’t easy seeing him with his new owner at a show back in September.

“Aw, Tal, that’s what makes you so good at this, though. You really love them,” said Mac.

“And they love you, too.”

“I hope so,” Tally said with a sigh.

“And it’s great for Obie to have a person of his own. Ryan told me it’s one of his newer students who’s going to show in the Long Stirrup.”

A gust of wind whipped down the aisle. Joey raised his head on the cross ties and Mac jogged for the doorway.

“Hold on, everybody!” she called to the horses before sliding the big, heavy door closed. The mood on the aisle calmed down within seconds.

Mac disappeared into the tack room and Tally slipped into Cam’s stall. He was already wearing his blanket for the night but she couldn’t

resist a quick goodbye.

“Hi, sweet boy,” she said. Cam turned to face her. His eyes were big and soft. Tally could feel his kindness, just looking at him.

“I can’t believe I get to ride you for a month. Might even be two,” she said, stroking the horse’s neck. Cam wasn’t super tall—probably 15.3 hands or so, Tally guessed—but he was big through his body. She’d seen him around the barn, of course, but she had very little idea of what he’d be like to ride.

Down the aisle, both Tally and Cam heard the unmistakable swish of grain being dropped into a bucket. It was dinner time. Cam turned away from

Tally and stuck his nose in the feed bucket in the far corner of his stall.

“Well, it’s not there yet, buddy,” Tally said laughing. “Are you reminding us where your dinner should go?”

Cam faced her again. Something about his expression, those huge, soft eyes, filled Tally with affection. She didn’t even know this horse yet, but she already felt a fondness for him. Cam nickered and turned his head toward the sound of the feeding crew, heading in his direction.

“Have a good dinner, Cam,” Tally said, giving him one more pat before heading home.

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WindhavenMeadows.com or WindhavenMeadows@gmail.com

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February 2023

HORSES

NAHLEA’S STORY The founder of Eques Pante opens up about moving on after the loss of her dear partner WORDS: JESSICA ANDREWS

PHOTOS: STEPHEN RIVERA

Reprinted with permission from Eques Pante

T

HE YE AR 2023 started with putting my horse Nahlea, to sleep. It was one of the hardest, saddest days I have been through.

That day I said goodbye to a horse that had been my great friend and adventure partner for over 8 years. I have never bonded with a horse quite like her, we loved and trusted each other generously.

That evening I was talking to a friend I met through having Nahlea, and realized how much she helped shape and change my life. She wasn’t an easy ride and, without her, I probably wouldn’t have sought to advance my riding skills and subsequently have the need to create Eques Pante, and therefore wouldn’t have had the confidence to move life from California.

Some animals come into our lives and have a life-changing impact. Nahlea was one of those and although our journey was tough at times, I am forever grateful. This is our story...

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HORSES

A

T THREE MONTHS

old, Nahlea was sold to a “meat man” and loaded up as part of a shipment filled with sheep and goats headed to Mexico from an auction in Northern California. She was severely malnourished and untamed. A rescue volunteer intercepted the truck and bought Nahlea from the goat trader preventing her from being shipped to Mexico. Her history before then I do not know.

I met Nahlea in a dry dusty lot in Southern California with active, loud train tracks very close by. Having grown up in England and always having horses in the countryside among trees and rolling hills, this was an unfamiliar environment for a horse, but there was something about meeting this little red filly that made me want to get to know her.

On our second meeting, she saw me from across the pasture and came galloping toward me with an abrupt stop.

She was curious and had such a sweet eye. That night, I had a conversation with my partner about buying Nahlea, but being hesitant as she was so very young, he said, “buy her, you guys will have a great relationship.” His answer couldn’t have been more word-perfect.

It took me a while to gain her trust. I went slow, meeting her twice a day for short periods. Some days we would make great progress and others she did not want to know but I knew she wanted to bond, she just wanted to take her time.

Once I gained her trust, she followed me everywhere. We went for hand walks in the hills and through forests. It was one of my favorite times with her. Watching her learn and grow was such fun and there was something about us being side by side walking on trails that felt like great bonding time. I saw a once scared filly blossom into a confident, cheeky teen.

Although mentally Nahlea was doing much better, physically, her rough start caught up. She needed surgery and rehab. I was nervous about her being so far from me after surgery as the rehab was four months and eight hours drive but it felt necessary to get her the best surgeon and rehab time for success. She arrived back from rehab radiant and

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“I live in the hope someday I will experience Nahlea’s sweet and fun spirit again. But, I have our memories and all the lessons she brought me.

With all this comes reflection of how lucky I was she chose me and I her. ” —JESSICA ANDREWS, FOUNDER OF EQUES PANTE

cheeky. She was ready for work!

A barn friend told me of a great trainer—it was time for me to get ready for this spirited girl. I started riding her big-moving warmbloods and learning to ride all the movements and suppling exercises.

I began to get hot spots, rashes, and all the discomfort that comes with learning our sport. I tried every underwear on the market. Nothing really fully worked, and I felt there was nothing out there that fi xed all the issues. In conversation with girlfriends at the barn, they explained they had the same issues

and they just put up with it.

Hearing “equine bum acne—oh yes, it’s a thing,” I thought, oh, I MUST create something! As with most barns, our barn was family. I met so many wonderful, eccentric, loving people. People that would stay in my life for a long time and be loyal, great friends.

This was the time when fires were rampant in Southern California. Nahlea was at a ranch when a fire struck in the early hours. Those loving people, our horse-crazy community, risked their lives to save our horses that day.

There were so many things that took

place before and during that day that ensured this red lady’s safety. She and her four-legged friends just got out. The ranch up the road unfortunately wasn’t so lucky. After that, I took her out of the mountains and to the dressage facility where I was learning. She would be well cared for and safe there.

The pandemic really pushed me to start designing and creating Eques Pante.

In 2020 when the hair and makeup business I had worked so hard building had to stop, like so many of us, I was in a state of panic. To keep my sanity, I needed to put pen to paper. With the

help of a US pattern maker and factory, the first prototype was made.

At this point, I moved Nahlea again to a pasture with other horses. The facility had those beautiful rolling hills I was used to riding on. My first ride with the prototype was wonderful. I felt comfortable, relaxed and so happy I had found the solution. I thought well, even if no one else agrees, I have found something so I can enjoy my passion, and that’d be good enough for me!

After a year of tweaking and having others test the prototype, I launched the Pante in February 2021. The Pante

reached riders all over the world.

The reviews came in and riders of all disciplines and ages loved it!

This brings me to today. A day where I am at the beginning journey of Eques Pante without my joyful steed. Science tells us energy is not destroyed, it merely changes form. I live in the hope someday I will experience Nahlea’s sweet and fun spirit again. But, I have our memories and all the lessons she brought me. With all this comes reflection of how lucky I was she chose me and I her. What’s more, I have a brand to build and riders to reach.

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“Four factors make up every successful jump: pace, line, balance, and distance.” ~ GEOFF TEALL

on Riding Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation: Developing a Winning Style Purchase at theplaidhorse.com/teall

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February 2023

“The most important thing for me is that I always start by asking: What’s the right thing to do here? Is it right for the horse? Is it right for this person to show in this horse show?

Is it right for this person to move up in this division? The questions are infinite, but the real question of ‘What is the right thing to do?’ is what’s important. If you really look at a situation, and determine to the best of your abilities what is right, and you do that, it will work. It might not work instantly, but it will absolutely work out over time.”

—G E O F F T E A L L

GET YOUR COPY AT

THEPLAIDHORSE.COM/TEALL

RIDERS

STA

FF

EDI

TIO

N

It Happens!

We all make mistakes.

But horse people, as a group, aren’t always the best at handling them.

So TPH reached out to some top riders to share their own show ring bloopers to prove, once and for all, that mistakes really do happen to the best of us!

Hear more It Happens moments on the #Plaidcast at theplaidhorse.com/listen

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February 2023

SARA ROCHE

RENNIE DYBALL

In the late ʼ90s when I was doing the Big Eq, I had my best medal round ever at Old Salem. As I was in my closing circle, they announced my score: 89!

At the same time, a trailer was exiting the show grounds and loudly broke a tree branch. My horse spooked unexpectedly and I fell off as I was exiting the ring. There was a big steward meeting and a checking of the rule books because it was unclear if my score counted since it had already been announced…but I did also fall off before exiting the ring.

In the end I was disqualified, but I’ll always remember it as my best score!”

For the first two weeks that I showed in Venice last winter, my divisions went in ring 2. My barn friends and I got to know the starter for that ring and became friendly with him. I also became accustomed to hearing his voice when he was announcing hack classes and results.

On our last week of showing in Venice, my division was moved to ring 1. During the under-saddle class, I heard the announcer ask the class to walk, so I did. That’s when I saw my trainer waving her arms wildly at the gate and stage-whispering, ‘TROT! TROT!’ I glanced around the ring. Everyone else was trotting. I’d been listening to my friend, the ring 2 announcer, by mistake! I hurriedly asked my poor horse to step back up to the trot, but I asked too hard and he jumped up into the canter.

Lesson learned—be careful who you’re listening to when you go under saddle.”

MANAGING EDITOR

PHOTOS: SEL PHOTOGRAPHY; SHAWN MCMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY (2)

Amazing Equestrian Property Thermal, California

LILY MUZZY This year was my first visit to Capital Challenge. I had qualified for the THIS and the 3’3” Junior Hunters on my amazing horse, Baldeur. While I was new to this experience, Baldeur had been there several times.

He is a seasoned competitor who never blinks at a jump, and no matter what distance I show him, he always gets me to the other side.

Knowing this about my horse, all I had to do was remember the course, set a good pace, and focus on the instructions and suggestions provided by my trainer, Shayne Wireman, during our course walk.

We were participating in the equitation classes as a warm-up for the THIS. We entered the arena and laid down the most beautiful round…except I had chosen the wrong last jump and, despite meeting it beautifully, we were off course. It was a bummer because that round was seriously the best that we had ever produced together.”

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BOOK EXCERPT

ULTIMATE EXERCISE ROUTINES FOR RIDERS: FITNESS THAT FITS A HORSE-CRAZY LIFESTYLE

By Laura Crump Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer ALL TOO OFTEN, my clients tell me that the number one barrier

to exercise is a lack of time. Between horses, competitions, family, careers, and other obligations of daily life, many riders are already overloaded. How can they possibly shift their priorities to fit yet another thing into the mix? I get it; everyone is busy. But to be frank, this mindset is horseshit.

As riders, we know it takes countless hours to develop our skills. We have no qualms about spending precious time and money on training and conditioning, having the proper equipment, and optimizing nutrition for our horses.

However, our own bodies are too frequently an afterthought. Rider fitness is important for many reasons including improved safety, greater connection with your horse, and treating yourself like the athlete you expect your horse to be.

Despite what the skeptics in your family might say, riding is a sport and simply by participating in it you are an athlete. It’s time to start acting like one.

If you want to ride at peak performance for as long as possible, finding an effective exercise program that fits your life can’t just be wishful thinking; it’s absolutely imperative. The longer you delay, the faster your body will start to fall apart. Trust me when I say, it happens faster than you might think.

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February 2023

When I was 14, I was told that I had the spine of a 90-year-old by an orthopedic surgeon. This was from not only the abuse of hitting the ground many times but also from the wear and tear of lifting heavy water buckets and wheelbarrows improperly and excessively. I was very much of the mindset of “fit it in” to make one less load to carry!

This led to chronic back pain that I still live with, to this day, now more than 15 years later and is proof that you do not have to be jumping massive fences or starting young horses to get injured riding. Actually, fitness-related injuries are often incurred while mounting and dismounting, which can happen on even the most bombproof of horses.

So we need to recognize that poor rider fitness leads to injury or making costly mistakes. When you are fatigued, you are more likely to take a risk that you would not have taken otherwise—for example, going for the “long spot” when it really

THE AUTHOR

LAURA CRUMP ANDERSON A lifelong equestrian, Anderson realized from an early age the importance of recognizing and caring for riders’ bodies as athletes. She found herself with a chronic overtraining injury to her spine without ever having set foot in a gym. Through physical therapy, she was able to continue riding.

This inspired her to get her degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science. She is now an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. She founded Hidden Heights Fitness in Lovettsville, Virginia, and has worked with equestrian athletes of all ages and levels—from weekend warriors to former Olympians in the disciplines of dressage, eventing, and show jumping.

COVER IMAGE: TRAFALGAR SQUARE BOOKS

is not there. Not only are strong bodies less prone to breaking down and more able to withstand the impacts of riding, but also the habit of working at a high intensity out of the tack makes you more clear-headed when you have to make a quick decision in the tack because your body is used to being at a heightened state of awareness and performance.

LACK OF FITNESS HOLDS YOU BACK FROM REACHING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL Why do we neglect our health as riders when doing so could even keep us out of the saddle for good? As I mentioned, not having enough time for exercise is the number one excuse I hear from clients.

I get it—we are all busier than ever. And if we could somehow find the time, it’s hard to know which types of exercise will have the greatest impact on our abilities PHOTOS: TYLER RUSS (AUTHOR); LAURA CRUMP ANDERSON

in the saddle and on the ground with our horses. Most fitness programs are not designed to meet the specific needs of riders, and even if you hire a personal trainer, most of them do not have experience with horses and do not understand the particular strengths and weaknesses we tend to develop in the tack. (Personal trainers are also expensive—I know because I am one!)

In our perpetual time crunch, we also tend to want to devote every spare moment we have to horse care and riding.

There is always more work to do at the barn. And beyond that, it’s fun! Why else would we work so hard? Quality time with our horses is what we live for: it’s relaxing (most of the time!) and a source of great joy and fulfillment.

We’re also taught that time in the tack is paramount, that it’s the only thing that will really help us improve our skills as riders. Although nothing can replace experience in the saddle, and any rider fitness program should obviously have riding at its center, riding and caring for your horse alone will never be enough to keep you fit for a lifetime of peak riding performance. In fact, I am of the somewhat controversial opinion that while riding is obviously a physical activity, it does not actually count as exercise.

Exercise is the act of moving the body in a way that is intended to build or maintain physical fitness, health, and wellness. We do not ride to stay fit, we ride because we enjoy it. You clean your barn because it must be done, not as a means to improve your physique. Although riding does provide a good aerobic workout, which is a key component of my fitness program and doing chores has some physical and mental side-benefits, in many cases, these activities can actually lead to overall degradation of the body—the exact opposite of why we exercise.

In general, I think it’s safe to say that rider fitness is undervalued as a factor in our overall performance, safety, and effectiveness at communicating with our horses. For most of us, it is an afterthought…or not even a thought at all. However, doing the right cross-training exercises out of the tack can improve connection, coordination, reflexes, precision of the aids, strength, overall energy, and stamina to make you the best rider—and partner to your horse—you can be.

Reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books, HorseandRiderBooks.com.

GIVE THIS EXERCISE A TRY My routines are designed to be practiced at home or your barn (or anywhere) with minimal equipment.

No weights are required—you use your own body weight to create resistance to strengthen your muscles—but a yoga mat might make floor exercises more comfortable. Have a timer on hand for exercises that need to be done for a certain duration.

A

B

TRICEP DIPS Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet in front of you, resting on your heels.

Place your hands behind you under your shoulders with your fingers facing toward your body and your elbows bent. (IMAGE A) Straighten your arms to lift your butt off the ground. (IMAGE B) Lower yourself back down slowly and with control.

Repeat for two minutes.

February 2023

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PHOTO GALLERY

Brass Ring Holiday Horse Show WYNDSOR FARM • ELVERSON, PA DECEMBER 18, 2022

PHOTOS: KMK PHOTOS

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February 2023

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“We don’t want you to jump lower, we don’t want you to go slower.

We just want to use the technology to make the sport as safe as we can—and then let’s go on and do what we love.”

—JOE DOTOLI, USHJA BOARD MEMBER & SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIR, discussing current and future research in helmet and vest safety in equestrian sports

WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify

theplaidhorse.com/listen

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As a horsewoman, I am most proud of my determination. • As a horsewoman, I would most like to improve on my patience. • I’d be lost without boot polish in my tack trunk and Band-Aids in my ring bag. • My favorite horse book is Black Beauty. • My favorite non-horse book is A Man Called Ove. • I’m a sucker for a good canter. • On Mondays, you’ll find me walking my dogs.

I sometimes wish I had the time to learn other languages. • I’m afraid of the deep deep sea. • Something I say ten times a day is “in review.”• One of my greatest show ring victories was the regional derby championship win in 2021 with MTM Hay Day.

My absolute favorite show is Capital Challenge because the time of year and the atmosphere and the first Indoors show is pretty exciting. •One of the best horse names I’ve ever heard is Flying Pancake.

My motto is:

Get up early 92

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February 2023

PHOTOS: JERRY MOHME PHOTOGRAPHY

MY BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR YOUNG RIDERS IS

persevere

Alexis Kletjian

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need to learn if they're to thrive outside the home.

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Readers’ Favorite

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nding Way Farm, horses are our passion. emphasizes that trust beth and I come from very different equine doesn't come easy and s, we both have enjoyed a love of horses must be earned... ood. A love that we now enjoy sharing lessons every child ldren. Elizabeth islife an accomplished horseman need to if they're to years of show experience withlearn Saddlebreds. elf, I was more of athrive backyard cowboy until outside theI home. eding, training and racing thoroughbred - Marta Tandori for now enjoy breeding Friesian horses together, Readers’ Favorite s horses without treats? Not us!

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PHOTO GALLERY

Desert Holiday I

CSI 2*/CSI 5* w/ MLSJ DESERT INTERNATIONAL HORSE PARK THERMAL, CA NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 4, 2022

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1 Holiday Derby Ribbon • 2 Natalie Dean and Acota M – MLSJ (USA) • 3 Karl Cook and Caillou 24 – MLSJ (USA) • 4 Nick Haness PHOTOS: TORI WEED / TRW PHOTOGRAPHY

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5 Karen Banister and Magnolia Young Hunters • 6 Lillian Loftin and Casino De Luxe • 7 Darragh Kenny and Volnay Du Boisdeville Winner of Whittier Trust $74,200 1.50 CSI 2* • 8 Kaitlin Campbell and Palina De L’Escaut Winner of $50,000 Brown Advisory National Grand Prix • 9 Lorcan Gallagher and Copcat – MLSJ (Ireland)

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SPOTLIGHT

WHITETHORNE LLC How This Women-Led Business Is Creating Opportunities for Others WORDS: TYLER BUI

PHOTOS: SARA SHIER PHOTOGRAPHY & BETHANY UNWIN PHOTOGRAPHY

IN THIS SPORT, education

and opportunity are invaluable—and Whitethorne LLC strives to contribute their share of each for the industry.

Led by Georgy MaskreySegesman, Whitethorne LLC develops top Grand Prix and jumper mounts, provides rehabilitation and wellness care for horses, and works to promote growth and development within the sport. With big goals in mind, Maskrey-Segesman, along with her team of professionals and riders, sets an exemplary example for the industry.

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Whitethorne, Maskrey-Segesman’s childhood home in England, sat right next to a stable that bred horses.

Her bedroom window overlooked the pasture with the mares and foals.

And so, from a very young age, she knew horses were going to be a part of her life. When she turned 10, Maskrey-Segesman and her family moved to the US, where she continued to ride and develop her relationship with the sport.

“I just couldn’t imagine my life without horses. I couldn’t imagine having a regular job and not being around horses all day,” she tells The Plaid Horse.

During her junior years, she began riding with Tom Blakiston, eventually taking on a role as a working student and an employee.

After completing her degree in business administration, MaskreySegesman developed a plan to attend law school, which prompted her family to look into purchasing a farm to stable her horses while she completed her studies.

In 2001, the property in Somis, CA, was purchased and named after her childhood home. The original plan to buy a small farm was replaced with a 22-acre, 76-stall property, and Maskrey-Segesman made the final decision to pursue her career as a

LEFT: Georgy Maskrey-Segesman, Mavis Spencer, and Con Calle ABOVE: Horses stabled at Whitethorne LLC

SPOTLIGHT

professional and devote 100 percent of herself to Whitethorne and the sport.

With such a large property to care for, the first step was to fill stalls to get Whitethorne up and running. Julia Balcom was the first to take her business to Whitethorne, bringing her string of over 20 horses to the farm. The two merged their businesses about 10 years after Balcom’s move to Whitethorne, and they worked together for 17 years.

“In the beginning, I took anything that came in off the road. It didn’t matter what it was. I had a Paint Percheron who jumped around in the 80 centimeters, and I had off-track Thoroughbreds,” says Maskrey-Segesman. “Whitethorne became a laboratory of education because we had so many different horses, horses that you can make really great in their own rights.”

In 2014, Karen Healey moved her business to Whitethorne, cementing a pivotal moment in Maskrey-Segesman’s career.

“I sat on the fence, I paid attention, and listened and learned. I would say that was the turning point for my business into the equitation sport,” she says.

“Sitting there and learning how to do the sport classically from Karen was really important. I found that I really enjoyed the equitation, I really saw where you could build a solid foundation out of the equitation and then I decided I would put my own twist on it. I very much subscribe to the forward style of riding.”

During a visit to Germany, MaskreySegesman met her current partner, Tjeert Rijkens, right around the same time she established Whitethorne LLC, but the two did not begin doing business together until about eight years later, when she shifted her business to be more sales-focused and less on clients. Today, Whitethorne LLC focuses primarily on sales and their show jumping team, in addition to Maskrey-Segesman’s ventures to provide opportunities and promote education.

THE WHITETHORNE LLC SHOW JUMPING TEAM In February 2020, Maskrey-Segesman found herself without a rider. In addition to finding a rider with talent, she was looking for a well-rounded, true horseman. Mavis Spencer caught her eye.

At the time, Spencer was working in the horse industry but was not competing.

“I sat down and I talked to her and I said, ‘It’s my greatest dream to go to

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FROM LEFT: A horse exercises in Whitethorne’s custom aqua-treadmill; Maskrey-Segesman leading Spencer and Ekarlus; Junior rider Caspian Ellis giving her horse PEMF treatment after a ride

the top of the sport in show jumping as a coach and as an owner.’ I think she looked at me like I had three heads, wondering if this could actually be true.

We’ve been slowly developing a string of really great horses along with a delicate balance of selling horses to make sure that we can maintain the momentum.”

Some of Spencer’s current mounts include 9-year-old Carissimo 25, better known as “Curly,” who recently took home fifth in the $138,000 CSI3* Grand Prix 1.50 m and third in the $37,000 CSI3* Welcome Stake 1.45 m at The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF). At the Kentucky Spring Classic, Curly and Spencer rode to second place in the Commonwealth Grand Prix.

He has also placed in eight of his last nine international starts with Spencer.

Con Calle is a 13-year-old bred by Rijkens. Spencer rode the gelding to two second place finishes at the Devon Horse Show in the $37,000 CSI4* Main Line Challenge 1.45 m and the $37,000 CSI4* Devon Speed Derby 1.45 m. Most recently, at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, he placed fourth in the $37,000 CSI2* Welcome Stake 1.45 m, fifth in the $37,000 CSI2* Two Phase 1.45 m, and sixth in the $37,000 CSI2* Speed Classic 1.45 m.

Contonio, half brother to Con Calle, is another horse bred by Rijkens. Ekarlus is a horse owned by Ken Dickey who has

been brought along to the 5* level, and then there’s the up-and-coming 6-year-old mare Contra. Working together, the two women have big goals to accomplish.

“Georgy is one of the most genuine people I have met in this industry,” says Spencer.

“She cares deeply about the horses and people around her and is constantly striving to create opportunities for all of us. It is really refreshing to see that and be a part of it. It feels more like a big family at Whitethorne.

Her love of the sport and creating opportunities is not just limited to us though. She is constantly looking for ways to make the sport more accessible and doesn’t just talk about it—she really puts her ideas into action and there is a lot to be said for that. I have so much to be grateful to her for and have so much respect for her as a horsewoman, partner, mother, and true friend.”

“I would very much love for Mavis to be able to go to the Olympics. I think we’re hopefully well on our way,” says MaskreySegesman. “Patience and listening is my philosophy when it comes to horses. They tell you what they want to do, they tell you what they don’t want to do. They don’t have to fit into our box, we have to fit into theirs.

I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Alongside Maskrey-Segesman and Spencer are Whitethorne’s professionals Chelsea James, Killian McGrath, and Ivey Burns.

“Everybody has their own specific sphere

“Patience and listening is my philosophy when it comes to horses. They tell you what they want to do, they tell you what they don’t want to do. They don’t have to fit into our box, we have to fit into theirs.”

—GEORGY MASKREY-SEGESMAN

that they operate in and they do a great job,” says Maskrey-Segesman. “Killian was my original rider at Whitethorne, we did the Longines Masters in Los Angeles, she went to Spruce Meadows and jumped the 1.50-meter on one of my horses. Now, she’s teaching, riding, and keeping everything going. Ivey helps out at the horse shows occasionally as well, and Chelsea travels to horse shows and also trains as well.”

CARING FOR MORE THAN JUST HER OWN Working as its own separate entity is Whitethorne’s rehabilitation program. While it was not originally part of the overall plan, the program has developed into a top-notch facility fitted with the most innovative technology for the highest quality care.

“I originally bought these pieces of equipment for my horses, starting with a saltwater spa and the Horse Gym Treadmill,” Maskrey-Segesman says. “I realized I had a 14-stall barn that I was not doing anything with, so I decided to build an in-ground aqua treadmill and turn the barn into a rehabilitation scenario. My idea has always been trying to make things affordable and doable for most.

That doesn’t mean compromising quality, but that it should be accessible to everybody. For the health and welfare of the horse.”

Not only is Whitethorne’s rehabilitation there for horses recovering from injury, it also

offers a great place for show horses to rest and recover after show season. Whether it’s being turned out in a grass pasture, using the saltwater spa, or keeping up fitness on the aqua treadmill, the program offers a program for any type of horse.

CREATING OPPORTUNITY After years of experience in the sport and also running her own business, MaskreySegesman knew there was more she could do to make an impact in the industry. Today, Whitethorne offers both the Whitethorne Equitation Challenge and the Whitethorne/ Elvenstar Equitation Tournament, two opportunities for riders to grow in both their education and riding skills.

“I have always wondered why there isn’t more transparency in the sport of equitation. I thought it would be so beneficial to have some feedback,” she says.

The Whitethorne Equitation Challenge pairs a top trainer outside of the California area with a judge who often is judging a national championship that year. The two will sit with scribes while judging the class, and after, riders participate in a meeting where they are able to ask the judges questions. A sports psychologist is brought in to talk to the riders, and a short film is usually shown.

“The interesting thing about the class is that riders tend to grow. They tend to

improve upon their scores, they tend to learn something, and they really enjoy it,” Maskrey-Segesman says. “The trainer wins a cash prize, the rider wins a saddle, and it just ends up being something different but all for education, growth, and learning.”

The Whitethorne/Elvenstar Equitation Tournament is run in conjunction with Elvenstar and West Palms Management.

It’s similar to the USET final with a flat phase, gymnastics phase, show jumping phase, and a final phase where the top four riders trade horses. The class is open to juniors and professionals and offers a $20,000 prize.

“I wanted to do something that gets people excited about the equitation, but mainly something that is beneficial for the sport,” she adds.

In addition to the Whitethorne Equitation Challenge and the Whitethorne/ Elvenstar Equitation Tournament, MaskreySegesman makes an impact as she personally sponsors a select group of riders.

“I do very much believe in giving back.

Trying to help people who are in need.

I sponsored Emma Pacyna for her last two junior years, and one of my fondest memories was going on that journey with Emma. For her and I both, getting a ribbon at national level was a massive success. It was something that was so incredibly rewarding.”

“I feel like there aren’t enough opportunities out there, and I feel very strongly that if we’re able, we should give opportunities to kids who need a little bit of help,” she says. “I just want to be able to have a positive impact on the horse community. I think that is the most important thing.”

Learn more at whitethorne-llc.com.

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EDUCATION

WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE

Equestrian Studies College Courses Online This Summer A Q&A with Plaid Horse publisher Piper Klemm

HE PLAID HORSE publisher Professor Piper Klemm, Ph.D., is

offering her equestrian studies online courses for college credit again this summer. The courses run in June and July, and are being offered through Clarkson University:

• Business and Bias in the Equestrian Industry • Grit, Toughness, and Contemporary Equestrian Coaching • English Riding: History, Culture, and Industry Evolution

Prof. Klemm earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2012 and became publisher of The Plaid Horse in 2014.

She has run her own pony-leasing business since 2011. In addition to teaching in grad school, she has been teaching university-level courses since 2018. Klemm is also the co-author of Show Strides, an equestrian middle grade novel series.

Tianna Vestri, one of Klemm’s students last summer, said, “I am loving every book, article, lecture, podcast and more that we’re engaging with, and it’s really providing depth to my equestrian experiences and helping me make some great connections. I’m so glad I decided to take these three courses.”

Want more info on the classes? Read on for more in our Q+A with the professor herself and visit www.theplaidhorse.com/college.

What made you decide to teach equestrian courses in the first place?

I think our industry lacks a lot of structure on how to learn within it. Like most people in the horse business, I have learned much the hard way.

Through these courses, we use traditional academic framework to approach the equestrian business and our own knowledge systemically, and using a building block approach.

Who would benefit from taking these courses?

The great thing about these courses is that everyone can take responsibility for their own learning and equestrian experience, and take away valuable knowledge and data. Riders as young as middle school to parents of riders and excited amateurs all benefit from the courses while adding a great mosaic of experiences to class discussion. The class size is small enough that we can focus on specific situations and tailor the material to be of the most interest to each individual class.

My child is horse-obsessed but college isn’t on our radar yet. Can I still enroll them? Can I enroll myself?

Absolutely! Young riders can earn college credit to transfer to the eventual college of their choice while learning about their sport, strengthening their connections, and enhancing their resume.

We welcome parents as well!

I’m not majoring in anything equestrian-related.

Is this course still for me?

Yes! These courses are to expand your knowledge of the sport, yourself, and how to best manage hobbies, business and your approach to our sport. They are a great tool for all majors. They can be transferred

Want more info? Visit theplaidhorse.com/college

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“When setting goals for your riding, beware of focusing only on results. I have seen many riders concentrate so intensely on their ultimate goals that they completely destroy their chances of achieving them.”

—G E O F F T E A L L

per your college’s policies to use credit toward graduation or specific distribution requirement.

I’ve already graduated from college! How would I benefit from these courses?

This sport is unique because it is a lifelong sport.

Handling decision making, finances, emotions, and understanding the market forces can always be improved upon. This investment will benefit you for decades to come!

What sort of feedback did you get from students last summer on how they were able to implement what they learned into their lives with horses?

Students were able to use decision-making processes to further their careers—including evaluating facility purchases, horse purchases, and investing further into our industry and using techniques learned in class.

Klemm also co-hosts the #Plaidcast and runs various entrepreneurial projects. Her mission is to educate young equestrians in every facet of our industry, and to empower young women in particular to find their voice and story and share them. She shows in the amateur hunter divisions with her horse of a lifetime, MTM Sandwich.

GET YOUR COPY AT

THEPLAIDHORSE.COM/TEALL

PHOTO GALLERY

Traci & Carleton Brooks Clinic at River Run Farm WELLINGTON, FL • DECEMBER 2022

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1 Traci and Carleton Brooks with Lilly Yinger • 2 Ki-Juan Minors • 3 Riders and auditors listening to Carleton Brooks • 4 Participant goody bag 5 Carleton Brooks watches • 6 Traci imparts knowledge • 7 Eva Coords PHOTOS: IBACH MEDIA

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Applications Now Open for

2023 Higher Learning Scholarship Open to high school seniors graduating in 2023 and all current college and trade school students, the scholarship has awarded over $15,000 to students pursuing higher education.

DEADLINE: March 31, 2023 To apply, visit theplaidhorse.com/education

RIDERS

MARY CRANE AND FOREVER BERNARDINI:

2022 NORTH AMERICAN FIELD HUNTER CHAMPIONS

M

ARY CRANE riding her Forever Bernardini won

both the 2022 Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship as well as the Dr. Mathew Mackay-Smith Award for the Highest Placing Thoroughbred in the weeklong competition held in Middleburg, VA. No horse and rider has ever won both of these titles before, never mind in the same year. Open to competitors from all over North America, the competition is aptly held Middleburg VA, well known as the nation’s horse and hunt capital.

“To win this historic event, that for 38 years has attracted the best horse-and-rider pairs from across North America, is amazing.

My horse Bernie is so amazing! He’s the ultimate ladies’ foxhunter.

He is a Cadillac ride, the classic Thoroughbred foxhunter. Smart, careful and athletic. Owning and hunting this horse is such a privilege,” Crane says.

Forever Bernardini is a 9-year-old son of Eclipse-Award winner Bernardini, who raced on the flat and over fences prior to Crane purchasing him last year. Crane, ex-mfh of the Norfolk Hunt, is a lifelong rider who also competes her horse Legitimo on the national show circuit. Crane divides her time between Dover, MA, and Upperville, VA.

TAKE COLLEGE COURSES ONLINE with

Professor Piper Klemm, Ph.D. THREE COURSES

Business and Bias in the Equestrian Industry Grit, Toughness, and Contemporary Equestrian Coaching English Riding: History, Culture, and Industry Evolution

ONE 6-WEEK SESSION

June 26 - August 5, 2023 Limited registration

MORE INFORMATION AT

theplaidhorse.com/college

HERE’S WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING...

“This class has helped me gain confidence in making decisions and voicing my opinions. In general, I avoided making any decisions at all for fear of disappointing others.

Specifically, I am intimidated by horse people, and feel uncomfortable talking about horse stuff (except with my mom) for fear of being incompetent or telling people things they don’t agree with or don’t want to hear. This class has pushed me out of my comfort zone by allowing me to assert my point of view about horserelated topics, and educated me with information to do so. By practicing my decision-making the past few weeks, I hope to be more confident in making decisions about all aspects of my life.”

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