The Plaid Horse Questionnaire with Jessica Lohman

Photo Credit: RAMSAY
  • Competes in: Amateur-Owner Hunters
  • Show Manager: The Maryland Summer Classic and the Maryland Horse and Pony Show
  • Hometown: Poolesville, MD

I am most proud of my husband Alan for the business he has built and his course designing success. • I would most like to improve on my accuracy riding to the jumps. I am very hit or miss. • I’d be lost without gum in my tack trunk and hind jumping boots in my ring bag. • I think the biggest misconception about our sport is that everyone who participates is wealthy. • My favorite horse book is Horse by Geraldine Brooks. • My favorite non-horse book is a tie between Verity by Colleen Hoover and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. • Being a horse show manager is about making exhibitors happy with kindness, empathy, common sense, hospitality, a great horse show staff, and good prizes. • The most challenging part of running a horse show is the overhead costs.

Photo Credit: HOOF PRINT IMAGES

On Mondays, you’ll find me at my computer working for Cargill Animal Nutrition. • I sometimes wish I had the time to learn to ski without the fear of breaking every bone in my body. • I’m afraid of poor health. • Something I say ten times a day is “for fox sake.” But “fox” isn’t the actual word I use. • One of my greatest show ring victories was 2015 WIHS Adult Hunter Finals win on Davenport (owned by Dani DiPietro) when the show was still downtown. “Dylan” was such a showman and really shined in that kind of atmosphere. • Women in our sport are tough as nails. • Working amateurs in our sport are exhausted. • One of the best horse names I’ve ever heard is Best Of. • My absolute favorite show is Keswick Hunt Horse Show. • The horse person I most admire is: my late godmother, Sally Lamb. • My motto is: I have two mottos that I love. The first one is: “Choices have consequence. Make wise choices. And my second one is: “Proper planning prevents poor performance.”

Photo Credit: RAMSAY

My best piece of advice for young riders is:

You get out of this sport what you put into it. I am very open about the fact that I really struggle with juniors who are on their phones ad nauseum, as opposed to hand-grazing their horses, taking care of their horses, or sitting at the show rings or warm-up ring WATCHING AND LEARNING! Riding a horse is one of the greatest privileges in the world. Absorb all the knowledge you can.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR