Thursday, September 28, 2023
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Glenda Monkarsh: Chasing Her Hunter Dreams Despite Partial Blindness

BY LILLIAN KENT The Las Vegas adult amateur rider has fought through repeated setbacks in her equestrian journey From the outside looking in, Glenda Monkarsh has the picture-perfect set up. Riding two talented geldings, Monkarsh has...

Game Changer: A Bold USHJA Rule Will Change the Small Junior Hunter Division

BY Isabella Littlejohn USHJA is voting to change the height of Small Junior Hunters from 16.0 hh to 16.1 hh. The proposed rule and justifications are outlined in the below proposal. Up until now, Small Juniors...

Judges Scott Hofstetter and Bill Talbert Answer The Questions You’ve Been Wondering About Hunters...

BY MACKENZIE SHUMAN This year at the Colorado Hunter Jumper Associations Medal Finals, I was able to sit down with the two judges at the end of the show and ask them a few questions...

A Timid Amateur and the OTTB That Opened Up Her World

BY LINDY GUTMAN I am like many of you.  I’d posted those ads that said 15.2 – 16.2 hand gelding between 5 and 10 years of age. Versatility is a must, prefer hunter type movement...

Can a Braid Kill Tradition? The Helmet Hair Debacle

BY KIMBERLY MALOOMIAN Recently, I seemed to have caused quite a ruckus by announcing that I would be wearing my hair down outside of my helmet in a braid for the fore seeable future in...

Stacey Reser and the Thoroughbred Comeback

by Ann Jamieson Like most horse people, Stacey Reser started as a youngster, at the tender age of seven. Living in Ontario, Canada, with her single mom and siblings, Stacey picked the most expensive sport...

Is it a Bay and Gray World? Loud Coat Colors in the Hunters

BY LILLY JOHNSON Though we have all seen our fair share of unique colored horses showing in hunter divisions; bays, greys, and solid colors are the most common. You don't often see many unique patterns,...

Betty Oare: It’s Been A Good Life, So Far

by Ann Jamieson Starting Out Betty Oare first entered a horse show when she was about four. Her father, legendary Arthur Reynolds, Sr., ran the Metamora Hunt Club stable, that hosted the show. Riding a pony...

Straight From the Judge’s Booth: Strategies for the Under Saddle

BY R JUDGE SISSY WICKES The more I judge, the more I am surprised that riders do not think more about how to ride an under saddle class. Yes, a good mover is a good...

Horse Show Reprise (a Redemption Story)

BY KATRINA BALDING BILLS I’d finished braiding Fella’s mane for this show just a few moments before loading him into the trailer. Even in the relative warmth of the barn, my hands were cold from...

What Determines How You Place in the Hunters?

BY DAPHNE THORNTON OF TWO BIT TRAINING We are pretty committed to client education at Two Bit Training. Our unmounted lesson topics range from leg wrapping to taking a temperature and pulse to walking a...

Roxy Sorkin: Writer, Director, Producer, and Adult Amateur

BY KARLA CAMPBELL Roxy Sorkin might only be nineteen-years-old, but this girl is on a roll. Known for being the daughter of screenwriter, director, producer and playwright Aaron Sorkin, Roxy has certainly shown people that...

Alesi Farms: Creating a Legacy in American Hunter Breeding

Home of Marabet Farm and Olde Oaks Farm By Victoria Sheehan Paris 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...

“I Do Lessons, Not Lunch” — How Karen Healey’s Passion for Teaching Launched Her To...

BY NANCY JAFFER She’s a firecracker; always has been. Nothing can slow down the perennially energetic Karen Healey, who attacks her mission to teach, judge, or give a clinic with the same enthusiasm that began...

The Legacy of Rox Dene

BY SISSY WICKES It is 1994 and the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida is in full swing. Horses everywhere- hunters, jumpers, equitation, ponies. Horses walking down the path that cuts through the show grounds-...

Leslie Steele: All I Ever Wanted

BY ANN JAMIESON Like many of us, Leslie Steele was drawn to horses as a child. When she was a tiny, Steele “crawled out of my grandparent’s house, through the fence, and into a field...

Hero Bean Stevenson: A Deep Love for Horses—and a Desire to Improve Mental Wellness...

The mental health podcast host and therapist-in-training shares her story and her hopes for the horse world at large. BY HERO BEAN STEVENSON Candid conversations about mental health are on the rise. Simone Biles made headlines...

What is The Hunter Derby?

By TPH Intern Caroline Gabus, Photos by Adam Hill The Plaid Horse is proud to sponsor a special award for the Top Scoring Junior Rider and the Top Handy Round Score at all the USHJA...

The Plaid Horse Questionnaire With: Alex Anseth

Status: Head Trainer, Augusta Pines Farm • Hometown: Magnolia, TX 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...

Don’t Let Anyone Talk You Out of Buying a Thoroughbred for the Hunters

BY LAUREN MAULDIN I love looking at warmblood hunters. They're fat, dappled, athletic. A lot of them look like they were absolutely made for the job, like slowly cantering over beautiful hedges is what comes...

How to Braid a Mane and Tail for the Hunter Ring

By Katie Lenkart Ever wondered how to hunter braid? Braiding is both a fun activity and a way to spend some valuable extra time with your horse. Just like with every other skill, practice makes...

In the Judge’s Booth

by Ann Jamieson We've all been there. You put in a terrific round, and you get...nothing. Or you were a disaster, with multiple chips and missed changes. Yet, unbelievably, you get called back in third...