Ask Andre: Are We Showing Too Much and Practicing Too Little?
By Andre Dignelli
When I was younger, my mentor Judy Richter used to say to me: We mistake quantity for quality. At the time, I didn’t understand what she meant by that. I heard it,...
Trainer Takes: What is Catch Riding?
By Tatum Mitchell
Catch riding is a regular activity within the horse industry, but for someone new to the sport, it’s a phrase that doesn’t quite translate directly. Even for veterans of the sport, the...
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...
OTTB Betcha Know Me Now Takes a Meaningful Ribbon in USHJA National Derby at...
By TATUM MITCHELL
Sierra Steigerwald and her off-track Thoroughbred Betcha Know Me Now finished sixth in the $2,500 USHJA National Derby at Lamplight Equestrian Center during HITS Chicago Spring Spectacular.
“He never looks at the jumps...
It Happens: Ailish Cunniffe, KC Claffee and Nada Wise
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,...
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...
American Bred Mr. Manhattan Takes Home Devon Blue in $3,500 Green Hunter 3’6” Stake
By Tatum Mitchell
American Bred Mr. Manhattan came out on top in the 2022 Devon Horse Show’s $3500 Green Hunter 3'6" Stake at the 2022 Devon Horse Show in what was the Martin Schaeppi-owned gelding’s...
Championing the Thoroughbred Breed: The Successful Riding Career of Lily Layman and Red
BY GEORGIA ANN SMITH
Just like many other horse-obsessed little girls, Lily Layman developed a love for horses at an early age. Layman’s parents let her start taking lessons at the age of seven when...
Cynthia Hankins: Between Two Worlds – Part II
BY ANN JAMIESON
Back East
Through the horsemen's grapevine, Cynthia learned that Linda Hough was looking for an equitation trainer for Megan Johnstone. Linda handled the hunters and jumpers Megan rode. It was her last junior...
It Happens! Laena Romond, Molly Ashe Cawley, Tim Maddrix
By Tyler Bui
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...
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...
French Horse Exports: Bridging the Gap Between the European and American Horse Markets
By Tyler Bui
Many dream of importing their own horse from Europe, but for some, the process may seem too complicated and difficult to even begin. Katherine McMahon and Alizé Jeandon of French Horse Exports...
St. Michael’s Freshman Student Hampton Baker Swaps Jeans for Breeches
BY LAURA DUGGAN
Breaking with her western cowboy family tradition was not the goal for Hampton Baker’s young self. She simply wanted riding lessons – not being content to share space on her dad’s saddle...
Derby @ the Vineyard – A Horse Show at a Winery
BY SOPHIA BONSIB
A horse show at a winery? While not a traditional venue, this pairing has been very successful. Kimberly Riale of Paradox Country Farm LLC is bringing back the classic hunt field format...
5 Strides With: Mr. Wonderful
An “interview” with the Amateur-Owner Hunter (via his rider, Caitlin Buckley!)
1. What’s the best part about being in the show ring?
I love being the center of attention, so it’s fun to have all eyes...
When the Long Road is the Only Road
By Rennie Dyball
As a kid in the early nineties, there was nothing I loved reading more than the free equestrian magazine stocked at my local tack shop. It was the only thing in there...
Letters to the Editor: How to Request Feedback from the Judge
*Introducing a new column, Letters to the Editor, in which we share correspondence that we believe may help others. Do you have a story to share? We want to hear it! Email piper@theplaidhorse.com
This...
It Happens! With Halie Robinson, Richard Slocum, and Emma Fletcher
By Tyler Bui
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...
Publisher’s Note: You Must Really Love It
PIPER KLEMM, PH.D.
I was recently discussing my riding with someone I’d just met. As we got chatting about the sport and how timid (read: terrified) I can be in the saddle, she said, “Wow....
To the Ones Who Always Clap
BY CIRA PACE MALTA
Breaking news—this sport is really, really hard. No matter how long you’ve been riding, how many blue ribbons you have won or how much you were able to spend on the...
Every Moment with Horses Is Worth It: Julia Salisbury on Her Roundabout Route to Show...
By Tyler Bui
Julia Salisbury has always been passionate about horses. But it wasn’t until a chance encounter that she discovered the hunter jumper world five years ago and immersed herself in it. Today, she...
Matt Cyphert Puts on the Ritz to Win $5,000 De Cillo Equine Clinic USHJA...
Katy, Texas – Matt Cyphert and Ritz, owned by Katie McDonnell, claimed victory in the $5,000 De Cillo Equine Clinic United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) National Hunter Derby on Friday, February 25, during...