Explore every episode of the podcast The Plaidcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaidchat: Plaidcast in Person Retired Racehorse Project | 27 Oct 2026 | 00:55:20 | |
In this special episode of Plaidcast in Person, host Piper Klemm connects with the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), an organization dedicated to helping Thoroughbred racehorses successfully transition into second careers beyond the racetrack. The Retired Racehorse Project works to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) in equestrian sports while supporting the trainers, farms, and organizations that prepare these horses for their next chapters. Through educational programs, industry partnerships, and events like the annual Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park, the RRP highlights the versatility, athleticism, and potential of retired racehorses. This episode shines a light on the importance of Thoroughbred aftercare, the opportunities available to horses after racing, and the people working to create a brighter future for these incredible athletes. To learn more about the Retired Racehorse Project, visit www.therrp.org. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 512. Plaidcast in Person Woodside Show Series by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 23 Oct 2026 | 01:10:48 | |
Join host Piper Klemm for a special Plaidcast in Person featuring the team behind the Woodside Show Series at The Horse Park at Woodside in California. Piper sits down with members of the Woodside Show Series team to discuss the show series, its role in the equestrian community, and the importance of creating opportunities for riders and horses to learn, compete, and grow. The Horse Park at Woodside is a nonprofit organization dedicated to equestrian sport, education, land conservation, and community involvement. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the park welcomes riders of all levels and disciplines through competitions, clinics, and training opportunities. Beyond equestrian activities, the park supports environmental stewardship, wildlife conservation, and outdoor recreation, providing a space for the broader community to connect with nature. Learn more about The Horse Park at Woodside and its mission at www.horsepark.org. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Katie Armstrong & Dr. Maureen Long DVM | 20 Oct 2026 | 00:55:22 | |
In this episode of The Plaidcast, Piper Klemm welcomes Katie Armstrong and Dr. Maureen T. Long. Katie Armstrong is the owner of Building Better Hunters, a business specializing in behavioral rehabilitation of show horses and colt starting. Katie discusses the importance of incorporating Western training foundations into English riding programs and how recovering from a significant injury changed her perspective on horse training. She shares her experience learning from Western professionals, the gaps she sees in foundational training within the English riding industry, and how proper groundwork, clear boundaries, and effective handling techniques can create safer, more confident horses and handlers. Dr. Maureen T. Long, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, is a professor emeritus at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and an expert in equine infectious diseases. Her research has focused on West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, and Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). A board-certified specialist in large animal internal medicine, Dr. Long has made significant contributions to equine health through research, education, and vaccine studies. She is also the co-editor of Equine Infectious Diseases and received the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine's Distinguished Service Award in 2024. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 511. 2026 USEF Medal Finals Judges Jen Bauersachs & Geoff Teall by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 14 Oct 2026 | 00:47:25 | |
Jen Bauersachs is one of the most respected hunter riders and horsemen in the country, and together with her husband, Rolf, she owns and operates Spring Hill Farm in Frenchtown, New Jersey. With a specialty in developing young horses, the Bauersachs produce high-level, winning hunters and jumpers that consistently make their mark at the East Coast's most prestigious competitions. Under Jen's guidance, Spring Hill Farm has become known for producing champions and grand champions across the professional, amateur, and junior hunter divisions at shows such as the Devon Horse Show, the Washington International Horse Show, the Pennsylvania National, the Hampton Classic, and Old Salem Farm. Her own record in the ring reflects that same consistency at the highest levels. Among her many highlights, Bauersachs was champion in the High Performance Conformation Hunter division at the Winter Equestrian Festival aboard Another Love, sweeping the model and under saddle en route to top honors in the grand hunter ring; earned top results at the Capital Challenge with Blink; and led the victory gallop in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Saratoga Women in Business Spectacular aboard Minturn Mile. Known for her patient, correct approach and her eye for a quality horse, Bauersachs has built a reputation not only as a top competitor but also as a trusted developer of talent — both equine and human. Her expertise has increasingly carried into the judge's box as well; she was selected to officiate the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final at the 80th Pennsylvania National Horse Show, one of the sport's most coveted judging assignments. Based in New Jersey with a winter season in Wellington, Florida, Bauersachs continues to ride, train, and produce top hunters at the sport's premier events. Geoff Teall is one of the country's leading hunter and hunt seat equitation trainers, with more than three decades of experience in the hunter industry as a trainer, judge, clinician, and author. Horses and riders he has developed have earned championships, medals, and ribbons at the sport's most prestigious events, including Devon, the ASPCA Maclay Finals, the Capital Challenge, the Pennsylvania National, the Washington International, the USET Talent Search, and the National Horse Show. A USEF "R" judge in both hunters and hunt seat equitation, Teall has officiated at many of North America's marquee competitions, among them the National Horse Show, the Washington International, the Royal Winter Fair, the Winter Equestrian Festival, and the WIHS Equitation Finals. His contributions to the sport were recognized in 2006, when he was named both the Chronicle of the Horse Show Hunter Horseman of the Year and the USHJA Volunteer of the Year. Beyond the ring, Teall has been a driving force in shaping the hunter discipline. He is a co-founder of the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation and the World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) program, has served on the USHJA Board of Directors and Foundation Board, and has chaired US Equestrian's National Hunter Committee. He is also the author of Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation: Developing a Winning Style, a widely respected guide for riders at every level. Teall travels extensively throughout North America and Europe to teach, judge, and conduct clinics, and lives in Tryon, North Carolina. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Rennie Dyball Show Strides Workbook 4 | 13 Oct 2026 | 00:24:06 | |
Rennie Dyball is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author who has written, co-authored, and ghostwritten more than 20 books, ranging from picture books and middle-grade novels to celebrity memoirs and prescriptive nonfiction. A lifelong equestrian, she has built a career that blends her love of writing with her love of horses. Together with co-author Piper Klemm, Dyball created the beloved Show Strides series — middle-grade equestrian novels originally published by The Plaid Horse and now reissued by Andrews McMeel Universal — which has earned multiple Equus Awards for equestrian fiction. Her middle-grade novel Good Boy, Eddie won a Purple Dragonfly Award, and she collaborated with top trainers Carleton and Traci Brooks on With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Her picture books include B Is for Bellies: A Celebration of Every Body, named Best Read Aloud in the Bookstagram Best of 2023, and Fiona and the Peculiar Praise. Dyball began her career at People magazine shortly after graduating from Penn State University, spending some 15 years as a reporter and writer for the magazine and later as an editor for People.com, where she continues to contribute as a freelance book critic. She launched her ghostwriting career in 2008 and has since given voice to a range of celebrity-driven memoirs and autobiographies, including projects with Terry Crews and Rebecca King Crews, Andrea Barber, and fashion designer Christian Siriano, along with The ADHD Field Guide for Adults. Beyond her own books, Dyball works as a freelance editor, a collaborative author, and a college essay coach, mentoring new writers and students alike. An avid competitor in the adult hunter and equitation rings, she lives in Maryland with her family Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 510. Harold Chopping by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 09 Oct 2026 | 00:37:32 | |
Harold Chopping has built his career around developing young horses and competing at the upper levels of the sport. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Harold grew up on a farm where horses quickly became a major part of his life. His early years included everything from riding inexpensive horses with his sister and building their own cross-country jumps to eventually receiving formal training with John Weir at Joker’s Hill. As a junior, Harold gained international experience competing on team trips to Mexico and Cuba, along with provincial teams and Young Riders classes. Those early opportunities helped shape his approach to competition and prepared him for a professional career in the equestrian industry. After moving to the United States, Harold continued pursuing top-level competition and eventually established his training base in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where he has been based for the past 20 years. Today, much of his work focuses on developing young horses, particularly 4- and 5-year-olds, and building them from their earliest training through the show ring. With decades of experience riding, training, competing, and evaluating horses, Harold has seen firsthand how the sport has evolved. His approach emphasizes preparation, patience, confidence, and understanding the increasingly athletic and sensitive horses produced through modern breeding. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: 2026 USEF Talent Search Finals Judge Michael Tokaruk & USEF Medal Finals Judge 2026 Geoff Teall explains the new scoring system | 05 Oct 2026 | 01:35:02 | |
Michael Tokaruk is a top rider, trainer, and USEF "R" judge, and the owner of Tokaruk Show Stables, a full-service hunter, jumper, and equitation training and sales operation based year round in Wellington, Florida. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 509. Inside Your Ride with Tonya Johnston, MA, & Dr. Cindra Kamphoff by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 02 Oct 2026 | 00:58:06 | |
In this episode, we highlight Dr. Cindra Kamphoff and her work in confidence, grit, and mental performance. Dr. Kamphoff is the author of The Confidence Habit, Beyond Grit, and Beyond Grit for Business. Through her work, she helps athletes, professionals, and individuals strengthen their mindset, build confidence, and perform at their best. Dr. Kamphoff is the founder of the Mentally Strong Institute and leads the Mentally Strong Kids nonprofit organization. Her professional experience also includes four years providing mental training for the Minnesota Vikings. Her books can be purchased here: https://cindrakamphoff.com/store/ For many years Tonya taught in the Sport Psychology Master’s program at John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA. She taught classes including Performance Enhancement A and B, Psychology of Injury, and Camp Development as well as working as a supervisor for applied sport psychology interns. In 2010 Tonya was awarded Teacher of Year in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at JFK University, and in 2013 she was awarded the Alumni of the Year. Tonya received her BA in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz, and her Master’s in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. Tonya is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, and APA Division 47 – Exercise and Sport Psychology. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 508. Braider McKenzie Armour Gramling by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 25 Sep 2026 | 00:52:27 | |
McKenzie Armour Gramling is a professional body clipper, braider, and the owner of Armour Equine Services, based in the Carolinas. Specializing in clipping, braiding, and full-service grooming, she has built her business around providing riders and their horses with reliable, high-quality care and polished turnout for the show ring. With a strong eye for detail and an emphasis on professionalism, Gramling approaches each horse individually, prioritizing safety and well-being throughout the grooming process. Her work combines the technical skills required for top-level turnout with an understanding of the care and patience that go into working with horses, making her a trusted resource for riders looking to have their horses feeling and looking their best. Beyond her professional grooming services, Gramling is passionate about education and helping others strengthen their own grooming skills. Through clinics offered to barns and individual riders, she shares her knowledge of clipping, braiding, grooming, and overall turnout, giving equestrians the tools and confidence to improve their own horse care and presentation. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: My Show Strides School Vacation with Kayleigh Tansey & Shetland Pony Racing with Regina Welsh | 22 Sep 2026 | 00:33:23 | |
Kayleigh Tansey and Piper Klemm discuss My Show Strides School Vacation, the third interactive workbook in the Show Strides universe. Join The Plaid Horse Kids' Book Club! Regina Welsh is the founder and director of the US Pony Racing. She has been a voice behind expanding the sport of steeplechase racing and making it accessible to the younger generations. The USPR offers opportunities to young riders who may not have access to ponies and provides mounts for the kids to race with. Regina has been a main factor in bringing the Shetland Pony Races to the Washington International Horse Show. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Elizabeth Letts, Three Mares, and Cara Cheska | 22 Sep 2026 | 01:41:26 | |
On this episode of The Plaidcast, Piper Klemm is joined by guests from across the equestrian world to talk about giving back to the sport, the relationship between horses and humans, and new opportunities for the next generation of riders. Elizabeth Letts Bestselling author Elizabeth Letts joins Piper to discuss her latest historical fiction novel, Fallen for France, and the experiences that shaped the story. Elizabeth shares how her lifelong connection to Morocco and her love of horses influenced the novel, which follows an Arabian mare taken from the Sultan’s palace to France during World War I. Piper and Elizabeth also explore the human-horse connection, the importance of observation and “feel,” and the value of stepping away from our increasingly digital lives to develop patience, empathy, and a deeper connection with horses. Three Mares Kendall Michaud and Carrie Kehring of Three Mares join Piper to discuss their mission to create positive change through equestrian sport. Three Mares acquires like-minded brands and uses profits and product donations to support organizations working to make sports safer, more accessible, and more inclusive. They share how the company supported 15 organizations with more than $151,000 in its first year, their goal of donating $1 million in products and profits over 10 years, and why supporting small businesses and positive stories within the equestrian community matters. Cara Cheska & the WIHS Pony Jumper Championships Cara Cheska joins Piper to talk about the rapid growth of the pony jumper division and the upcoming Washington International Horse Show Pony Jumper Championships, presented by World Wide Technology. Cara discusses how the division is creating new opportunities for ponies and young riders while teaching confidence, strategy, pace, and resilience. She also shares what riders can expect from the championship, where a limited field of 18 small, medium, and large ponies will have the opportunity to compete during Barn Night in a true championship atmosphere. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 507. Course Designer Meghan Rawlins Returns by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 18 Sep 2026 | 00:53:14 | |
Meghan Rawlins is a licensed coach, professional horsewoman, and internationally certified course designer, and the owner of Cedar Vista Stables in Victoria, British Columbia. A lifelong rider, she competed in the hunters, jumpers, and eventing from a young age before launching her professional equestrian career in 1993, apprenticing under top professionals — including Claudia Cojocar — as she developed her craft. Rawlins discovered course design early in her professional life, first lending a hand at local Vancouver Island shows in exchange for entries so she could ride more horses. Encouraged by veteran FEI course designer and show organizer Peter Holmes, she pursued her certification through Equestrian Canada and went on to sharpen her eye at the sport's highest levels, including time spent assisting at Spruce Meadows. Today she is certified as both an Equestrian Canada and USEF course designer. In 2022, Rawlins reached a career milestone by earning her FEI Level 3 course design certification — placing her among only a handful of designers in Canada to hold the credential and distinguishing her as the only woman in the country, and one of very few women in North America, to achieve it. That same year she designed the hunter, derby, and equitation courses at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto — Canada's largest and most prestigious horse show — building 15 to 20 courses across its nine days while also assisting with the jumper classes. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 506. Brooke Goodman- The September Fashion Issue of The Plaid Horse by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 11 Sep 2026 | 00:30:36 | |
Read Brooke Goodman's Cover Story. Brooke Goodman is a New York–based fashion model represented by The Management NYC and Karin Models in Paris. Standing 5'10" with brown hair and striking hazel eyes, she brings an elegant, editorial presence to the runway and the lens, pairing classic bone structure with an easy, magnetic confidence in front of the camera. A summa cum laude English graduate of The George Washington University, Brooke balances her modeling career with a lifelong devotion to horses, competing in the jumper ring and working within the equestrian industry. That dual life—equal parts high fashion and horsemanship—gives her a distinctive range, from polished editorial and campaign work to the poised athleticism of equestrian-inspired shoots. Grounded, articulate, and effortlessly photogenic, Brooke is a fresh face who moves seamlessly between the show ring and the fashion world. Brooke Goodman is an Account Executive at The Plaid Horse, where she combines a lifelong passion for horses with a talent for storytelling and connecting brands to the equestrian community. Horses have always been in her blood—her grandparents were renowned breeders of Trakehner sport horses—and her own riding journey began at an eventing barn when she was just eight years old. After years spent traveling and competing in the jumper ring, she now treasures quiet rides and quality time with the horse who gave her everything, Oskar 253. Brooke first discovered The Plaid Horse in 2015 and became a devoted reader, officially joining the TPH team in the spring of 2025 during her final semester at The George Washington University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA and top honors in English. Since joining, she has represented The Plaid Horse at premier venues—presenting awards at the Devon Horse Show and speaking to young riders about building a life and career around the sport—while championing education and horsemanship throughout the hunter/jumper world. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 505. Tonya Johnston's Inside Your Ride with Winn Alden by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 04 Sep 2026 | 00:55:18 | |
In this episode hosted by Tonya Johnston, Metal Skills Coach: Winn Alden Winn Alden is an accomplished hunter/jumper professional based in Virginia, where she runs Winn Alden Equestrian, a full-service boarding and show barn offering both horse training and rider coaching. With decades in the sport and a résumé of wins at many of the country's top shows across the hunters, jumpers, and equitation, she has earned a reputation as one of the East Coast's most respected horsewomen. A consistent winner in the show ring, Winn has piloted top mounts to championships and blue ribbons at premier venues. Among her many highlights, she swept multiple features at the Tryon Fall Festival at TIEC in 2019—claiming a Welcome Stake, a Jumper Classic, and a USHJA National Hunter Derby—and captured the Grand Conformation Hunter Championship and the Robert M. Reel Perpetual Trophy at the Lexington Spring Encore aboard Genuine. She also topped the USHJA National Hunter Derby at the Lexington National Horse Show with Attila. In addition to riding and training, Winn is a USEF licensed "R" judge in both Hunters and Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation, with a judging schedule that has included numerous IHSA and IEA shows, among them two IHSA regionals. She is also a sought-after clinician, sharing her eye for correct, quality riding with students at every level. Tonya's Tips to Prepare for Inportant Fall Shows Tonya Johnston, MA, is a Mental Skills Coach and author who works with riders all over the world. Tonya specializes in working with equestrian athletes from disciplines such as hunter/jumper, three-day eventing, reining and dressage. Tonya’s book is called “Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse.” Tonya’s individual clients range from youngsters just starting out in the pony divisions all the way up to professionals competing at international championships. She conducts mental training clinics at private barns throughout the country and also works with high school and university equestrian teams, including the Stanford, Savannah College of Art and Design and USC Equestrian Teams. Tonya has presented mental skills workshops for the USHJA, USEF, CPHA and PCHA associations. Tonya has a monthly podcast called “Tonya Johnston’s Inside Your Ride” that is a part of the Plaid Horse Magazine’s Plaidcast. She has presented at the U.S. Dressage Federation and the U.S. Eventing Association national conventions, as well as the national conference for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Tonya had regular columns in Practical Horseman and Eventing USA, which at the time was the official publication of the U.S. Eventing Association. Tonya has appeared in a variety of equestrian magazines including The Chronicle of the Horse, The Equestrian News, The Plaid Horse, Equine Journal, iJump, Horse Showbiz, Equine Wellness, Paint Horse Journal, Riding, and Hoofbeats. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 504. Lila Kilby, Kat Markham, and Balsam Mountain Preserve in Person by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 28 Aug 2026 | 01:14:57 | |
Lila Kilby is the Equestrian Director at Balsam Mountain Preserve, a 4,400-acre private residential community in Sylva, North Carolina, set amid the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. A Greenville, South Carolina native, Lila was bitten by the horse bug at age six on the back of a gentle Tennessee Walker named Sonny, and she never looked back. She earned her B.S. in Animal Science from Clemson University in 2016, then spent that year's show season working for a hunter/jumper veterinarian, traveling to circuits in Chicago, Traverse City, and Tryon. At Balsam Mountain, Lila oversees a growing equestrian program that includes the care of a dozen horses, boarding, lessons, guided trail rides across more than 40 miles of mountain trails, and a full calendar of horse-related community events. She's known for her passion, her warm sense of humor, and her ever-present barn dog and unofficial mascot, Goose. Balsam Mountain Preserve is a private, resort-style residential community set on roughly 4,400 acres high in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Sylva, North Carolina, surrounded by the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Built around a philosophy of low-density living and land conservation, the Preserve pairs breathtaking mountain scenery with a close-knit community spirit and a genuine commitment to preserving its natural landscape. Residents enjoy an exceptional range of amenities, including an 18-hole championship mountain golf course, a full equestrian center, dining at The Summit House and The Mine Tavern, and more than 40 miles of well-maintained trails winding through peaks, valleys, and forests. The equestrian program, led by Equestrian Director Lila Kilby, offers boarding, lessons, and guided trail rides, and continues to grow with recently completed facilities that complement the community's original 14-stall barn. With its blend of outdoor adventure, refined amenities, and mild mountain summers, Balsam Mountain Preserve stands out as one of the most desirable communities in the Carolinas for individuals and families seeking a life immersed in nature. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 503. 2026 Gladstone Cup Equitation Champion Emi Richard by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 21 Aug 2026 | 00:31:46 | |
Emi Richard is a top junior hunter/jumper and equitation rider from Middlefield, Connecticut, competing out of Zone 1. At 16, Emi Richard has accomplished more in her Junior career than most equestrians achieve in a lifetime. A gifted catch-rider, she has built a reputation for her adaptability in the irons and her deep connection with the horses and ponies she pilots. In June 2026, Emi captured one of the sport's prestigious junior titles, winning the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic—East at the Kentucky Horse Park during the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, aboard Nick Haness's Maybach. She topped a competitive field of 122 riders. Her earlier successes include topping the $10,000 Pony Hunter Winners Stake and being named Best Child Rider on a Pony at the Pennsylvania National. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 502. Plaidcast in Person from Spy Coast Farm- Dr. Michele Frazer, DVM, Berry Porter, & Eleanor Rudnicki by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 13 Aug 2026 | 01:28:26 | |
Dr. Michele Frazer, DVM, is a board-certified equine veterinarian at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky — one of the world's oldest and most respected equine veterinary practices — where she holds dual diplomate status in two of the most demanding specialties in veterinary medicine. A diplomate of both the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, Dr. Frazer represents the kind of deep, specialized expertise that the most complex equine cases demand. Her passion for horses and the equine industry was always present, but her specific desire to become an equine veterinarian crystallized in a memorable moment: watching Seattle Slew win the Triple Crown. From that spark, she built a career at the highest levels of equine medicine. Her professional interests center on neonatal medicine and the treatment and research of Lawsonia intracellularis, a bacterial pathogen that causes significant disease in young horses and remains an active area of veterinary research. Dr. Frazer describes her first week at Hagyard as her favorite memory of her veterinary career — a dream come true because of the people, the horses, and the extraordinary location in the heart of the Thoroughbred world. Outside of work, she is an enthusiastic supporter of the arts and shares her life with an impressive menagerie that includes horses, llamas, dogs, cats, saltwater fish, rabbits, and lizards. Berry Porter is one of the most respected and inspiring professionals in American hunter-jumper sport — a trainer, judge, volunteer leader, and community builder whose career is as much a story about what is possible in this sport as it is about what he has accomplished within it. Porter's introduction to the hunter-jumper world came through a pony ride as a young child in the Houston area — a single moment that set the course of his life. At 22, he attended his first hunter-jumper competition at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, arriving without a groom — cleaning all the stalls himself, arriving at 3 or 4 am to do chores before stepping into his role as professional rider and trainer. That combination of humility and relentless work ethic has defined everything he has built since. Berry Porter is the head trainer at Brookside Pine Farms in Conroe, Texas, where he has developed many riders from the beginner level, progressing to compete in the collegiate ranks and succeed at the top levels of equestrian competition. He once watched Frank Madden, Stacia Klein Madden, Andre Dignelli, and Missy Clark on television and thought they were rock stars — and now has those same professionals on speed dial while his students go toe-to-toe with theirs at championship shows. His competitive accomplishments are substantial. At the 2025 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final — East, Porter took Leading Trainer honors after coaching riders Eleanor Rudnicki and Emily Jurnovoy to the top two finishes. His contributions to the governance of the sport are equally significant. Porter voluntarily serves on the USHJA Hunter Working Group and the Joint Equitation Task Force, and in December 2025 was awarded the USHJA President's Distinguished Service Award at the USHJA Evening of Equestrians — an honor bestowed upon members who have gone beyond the call of duty to bring the sport to a new level. In May 2026, he was named a recipient of the Ethos Award presented by Ethos Award Equestrian, Inc., which celebrates and elevates the contributions of Black and Brown equestrians who are creating meaningful change and inspiring a more inclusive future in the sport. Porter was among the initial members of the USHJA Diversity Task Force, formed in 2020, and has consistently approached conversations about race and access in equestrian sport with the levelheadedness, generosity, and fundamental optimism that characterize everything he does. Berry Porter is, in every sense, a professional whose presence in this sport makes it measurably better. Eleanor Rudnicki is one of the most compelling success stories in American hunter-jumper sport — a young professional from Conroe, Texas whose journey from a small local barn and a cart-bred pony to the winner's circle of the nation's most prestigious equitation finals is the kind of story the sport tells about itself at its best, and one she actually lived. Her start in the sport was far from glamorous. Growing up in Texas, she began at a small local barn with a pony originally bred to pull a cart — and that same pony, through hard work and persistence, carried her all the way to Pony Finals. The barn where she learned to ride focused primarily on jumpers, but Eleanor was drawn early and irrevocably to the hunters and equitation. She moved to Berry Porter's Brookside Pine Farm in Conroe, Texas at age twelve, and that partnership would prove to be the foundation of everything that followed. What distinguished Eleanor throughout her junior career was not just talent but an extraordinary ability to catch ride — to get on a horse she had barely met and produce a performance that looked like years of partnership. Many of the horses she rode were new to either the equitation or hunter ring, and she fell in love early with the experience of feeling their progression and growth. That versatility produced results across the country at the highest levels of junior competition. In 2019, she won the THIS National Children's Medal Final, and that same year emerged victorious in the Hamel Foundation National Horse Show 3'3" Equitation Championship — impressively, during her first year competing in the equitation ranks and her first indoors season, on a horse she had ridden for the first time only one week prior. She went on to win the ASPCA Maclay at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show and captured the Overall Grand Championship in the 3'6" Junior Hunter National Championship — West in 2023, earning scores of 90 across all three phases on a catch ride. The crowning achievement of her junior career came at the 2025 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals — East, where she and Qwantreau, a 2016 Belgian Warmblood gelding, were crowned champions after navigating a technical 1.15m course featuring bending lines, unrelated distances, and an open water jump. The win made her the top finisher in one of the most coveted equitation-to-jumper transition competitions in the country and confirmed what the industry had known for years — that Eleanor Rudnicki was ready for whatever came next. Now competing as a professional, she manages horses, clients, and staff while transitioning into the open jumper ranks, with her sights set on five-star shows and ultimately the U.S. Equestrian Team. The cart pony from Texas has taken her a very long way, and she is just getting started. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 501. Tonya Johnston's Inside Your Ride with Hailey Enyon and Sophia Donald by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 07 Aug 2026 | 00:49:34 | |
Send us Fan Mail Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with researcher Janet Jones, Ph.D. about her new book, A Horse's World: A Neuroscientist's Journey Into the Equine Mind. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| The 500th Anniversary Live Episode! by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 31 Jul 2026 | 01:47:44 | |
Emily Elek is one of the most respected and prolific figures in American pony hunter sport — a trainer, breeder, and program builder whose Stonewall Ponies in Ixonia, Wisconsin has become one of the largest and most recognized pony operations in the country. While attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where she majored in zoology, she helped establish the school's equestrian team and competed in the open equitation divisions and the Cacchione Cup. That combination of academic rigor and hands-on equestrian leadership was a preview of the career she would build. While Elek was still in school, her mother purchased 38 acres that would become Stonewall Farm in Ixonia, Wisconsin — and what began as family land became the foundation of one of the Midwest's most significant equestrian programs. Today, Elek operates one of the largest pony leasing, sales, breeding and training operations in the country, taking a holistic view in developing ponies and riders for lifelong success. Her breeding program has produced generations of competitive hunter ponies, and her leasing model has long been recognized as one of the most thoughtful and accessible in the sport. Her stated goal — to produce top quality ponies while allowing kids to have the same opportunities she had — is evident in the reach and structure of Stonewall's program, which sends ponies to riders across the country and annually fields one of the largest strings at USEF Pony Finals. At Pony Finals, the Stonewall show team competes on average about 20 ponies in barn and has leased or sold annually up to 100 other competing ponies. Beyond the ring, Elek has emerged as a genuine voice in the governance and structure of pony sport. She has written and spoken publicly about the format and future of USEF Pony Finals, advocating for changes that prioritize partnership between pony and child rider — a perspective shaped by decades of watching young riders develop through the division she has dedicated her career to. As a horsewoman, she has said she is most proud of her older ponies that are still out there teaching kids how to ride — proof, in her view, of a strong foundation and good care when a horse or pony is happily working in their late teens and twenties. Emily Elek is, in every meaningful sense, one of the great stewards of the pony world — a professional whose program has launched countless junior careers and whose commitment to accessibility and quality in equal measure has made Stonewall Ponies a name that resonates from the Midwest circuit to the championship rings of Kentucky. Lily Bisson is a Maryland-based equestrian, horse farm owner, and nonprofit founder whose response to one of life's most difficult diagnoses became a gift to an entire community. An avid foxhunter with clubs in Maryland and an amateur eventer at local venues, Lily owns a horse farm in Clarksburg, Maryland — a life built entirely around horses and the tight-knit community that surrounds them. She was diagnosed at 40 with breast cancer during her first routine mammogram, a moment that would change the trajectory of her life in ways she could not have anticipated. When she joined a few online support groups for women with breast cancer, most didn't quite fit. "It was the women in my local horse community who truly understood," she said. That realization planted a seed. During her recovery from a double mastectomy, while she couldn't ride, Bisson launched Gallop For Life, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — channeling the energy she could not put into the saddle into something that would reach far beyond her own barn. Gallop For Life is a grassroots organization that sends equestrian-themed gift baskets to newly diagnosed women across the country, each basket handmade by Meredith Ingram, one of the group's survivors. While the support group is specific to breast cancer, the charity sends baskets to women diagnosed with any type of cancer. What began as one rider's determination not to face a devastating diagnosis alone has grown into a national network of horsewomen supporting each other through the hardest rides of their lives. Among the organization's future initiatives is establishing a financial aid process specifically targeted to help horse professionals who are self-employed — jockeys, farriers, and trainers — who need assistance during treatment. The reach of Gallop For Life has extended into the hunt field as well. In 2024, the "Chase for the Cure" brought together members of five different hunts, with all proceeds benefiting the charity — a testament to how deeply Bisson's mission has resonated across the equestrian community she has always called home. Gallop For Life's mission is to stand beside every equestrian woman battling cancer, providing the support and assistance they need to navigate through the challenging journey — because horsewomen, as Lily Bisson knows firsthand, are fiercely strong, independent, and far less likely to ask for help than they are to need it. Sally Batton is one of the most accomplished and innovative coaching minds in American collegiate equestrian sport — a hunter-jumper educator, author, clinician, and institution builder whose career spans four decades and touches every level of the sport from first grade through Division I athletics. She served as the head coach of the Dartmouth College Division I Varsity Equestrian Team for thirty years, coaching dozens of riders to regional, zone, and national titles — a tenure that established her as one of the most respected figures in the IHSA universe and one of the most effective developers of the complete equestrian athlete in the collegiate space. She is the past Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Steward, was presented with the IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 in recognition of her contributions and leadership within the organization, and in 2020 was inducted into the inaugural class of the IHSA Hall of Fame — a distinction that places her among the founding pantheon of the organization's most celebrated contributors. Batton is a certified instructor with both the United States Hunter Jumper Association and the American Riding Instructor's Association, and in 2008 was named ARIA Instructor of the Year. She holds an Equestrian Studies degree from Lake Erie College and a master's degree in Communications from Fairleigh-Dickinson University. Her contributions extend well beyond the show ring and the coaching box. Batton is the Founder and President of the Athletic Equestrian League, an organization which offers horsemanship education and competition opportunities to riders from first grade through adult, and she hosts the Athletic Equestrian Riding in College Podcast. In 2023, her training tool invention, the Sally Batton Pommel Blocker, was launched by Correct Connect, the industry leader in rider training aids. As an author, she co-wrote The Athletic Equestrian and Equicize, both Horse & Rider Books publications written alongside co-writer Christina Keim — books that have found devoted audiences among coaches and competitive riders at every level for their practical, biomechanics-based approach to developing strength, suppleness, and position in the saddle. Today, Sally travels all over the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, teaching clinics to riders of all ages and levels — bringing a career's worth of insight and methodology to every corner of the country where someone wants to become a better rider. Raegan Comeaux is a Louisiana-based hunter-jumper trainer, USEF licensed official, USHJA credentialed coach, curriculum developer, and founder whose career represents one of the most comprehensive visions of equestrian education currently operating in the American hunter-jumper world. She has been showing in the hunter-jumper discipline since the age of 8, and her professional life has been built entirely around transforming that lifelong passion into structured, accessible, high-quality equestrian education for riders at every level. A graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Animal Sciences with a specialty in Equine Science and a minor in Business and English, Comeaux brought both academic rigor and practical expertise to the facility she built alongside her mother from the ground up. Starting with Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 499. Plaidcast in Person- HorseGrooms' Dinette Neuteboom Live from Hartford, Connecticut by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 24 Jul 2026 | 01:21:11 | |
Read about Dinette here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/kcndc/hvwa/#p=1 Dinette Neuteboom is a Dutch-born equestrian professional, writer, and educator, and the founder of HorseGrooms — a platform dedicated to supporting and educating grooms around the world. She grew up in Hattem, the Netherlands, where despite coming from a non-horsey family, a friend in elementary school introduced her to horses and she was immediately hooked — spending hours absorbing everything she could about horse care, riding, and showing jumpers. That early passion quickly found a second outlet: she began writing for her equestrian club's quarterly journal, which quickly morphed into covering equestrian sports for Dutch regional and national papers. After earning a degree in education and her international trainer's license through the Dutch Equestrian Federation, Neuteboom combined her work as a teacher at an equine college with riding young show jumpers, training horses and riders, singing in a classical choir, and writing for equestrian magazines. Then, in 2009, she made a decision that would define the next chapter of her life: at age 34, she quit her job, sold her horses, said goodbye to family and friends, and left for what she thought would be a trip of a lifetime — an around-the-world journey without an expiration date. What followed was a career that spans five continents and almost defies summary. She worked as a trainer of young show jumpers in Argentina and China, was a barn manager in New Zealand, and eventually made her way to the United States — including working a summer riding across the plains and mountains of Wyoming and becoming part of the teams behind some of hunter-jumper sport's most celebrated performances. She experienced the highs of the equestrian world by being part of the teams of the winning horse in the WCHR Peter Wetherill Hunter Spectacular and the International Hunter Derbies at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington — and also the lows, including horses breaking a leg, dying from colic, and suffering difficult lives. She even has the distinction, delivered with characteristic candor, of having been fired by George Morris because the tack trunk didn't come back clean enough after a summer of showing horses all over the East Coast. Today, as the founder of HorseGrooms, Neuteboom believes the industry is only beginning to understand how much responsibility rests on the shoulders of the people working behind the scenes — and she has made amplifying and supporting those voices the central mission of her work. Through HorseGrooms, she has launched educational partnerships, including a legal education series with equine attorney Kimbrell Hines, to give horse care professionals practical knowledge before they need it. Whether developing educational resources, writing for a global audience, or helping equestrian teams refine their practices, her guiding question remains the same: what does the horse need, and how can we help people see that more clearly. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 498. Shelby Dennis, Equine Welfare Advocate by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 17 Jul 2026 | 00:57:33 | |
Shelby Dennis is an acclaimed professional horse trainer, equine advocate, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) certified equine behavior consultant, and cofounding member of the Alliance for Horse Welfare in Sport. A driving force in the equestrian world, she is known for her compassionate approach to horse training and her unwavering commitment to the well-being of horses. With a lifetime of experience in the saddle and a deep understanding of equine behavior, Shelby has dedicated her career to promoting a more empathetic and respectful relationship between horses and humans. Growing up in the picturesque landscapes of British Columbia, Canada, Shelby developed a profound love for horses from an early age. Her journey into the world of horsemanship began when she was four, as a young rider showing Arabian horses. Armed with an Equine Science Certificate from the University of Guelph and years of hands-on experience as a professional horse trainer and educator, Shelby has inspired countless riders to adopt methods rooted in empathy, patience, and respect for the horse's natural instincts and behaviors. As the founder of Milestone Equestrian, she hopes to provide a sanctuary for both horses and riders seeking a deeper connection and a more harmonious partnership. Her innovative training techniques, based largely on the research findings of modern equine scientific study, focus on developing mutual trust and understanding to foster a relationship built on cooperation rather than dominance. Shelby's latest book Secrets of the Horse: A New Approach to Training and Understanding Horses is available for purchase on Amazon and anywhere fine books are sold. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: The Five-Dollar Horse + My Show Strides Activity Book | 13 Jul 2026 | 00:49:58 | |
The Five-Dollar Horse by Ellen Feld A boy, a horse, and an impossible dream... When the school bully started teasing Drew Anderson, the young boy found solace riding his mother's old horse, Rusty. Whether spending time grooming the horse or galloping through the pasture, Drew found that the stresses of school and the constant bullying faded when he was with Rusty. When it was time to retire Rusty, however, Drew felt lost without a horse to ride. That was until he heard about a national essay contest where the first prize was a horse! When the call came informing Drew that he had won the writing contest, he was thrilled to meet his new horse, Rimfire, a beautiful young Morgan. Together, they learned about trail riding, bumblebees, and snowstorms. Entering the show ring, Rimfire carried Drew to many blue ribbons, and that's when he heard about the Morgan Grand National, the pinnacle event of the Morgan show world. Drew dreamed of making a victory pass at the Grand National on his beloved horse, but as time went by, it seemed unlikely they would ever have the chance to compete at the prestigious show. Would Drew and Rimfire ever make it to the biggest show in the Morgan world? And what about that victory pass? Based on a true story, The Five-Dollar Horse proves that no dream is impossible if you work hard and never stop believing. https://www.willowbendpublishing.com/shop/p/the-five-dollar-horse My Show Strides Activity Book by Piper Klemm and Rennie Dyball Show Strides readers, this book is for you. Literally! It's all yours to fill in the blanks, fill in the boxes, and design your own courses. After publishing My Show Strides Journal, we decided to add another DIY title to our library where you get to be the author and fill in your own answers. In My Show Strides Activity Book, we challenge you to solve horse-related calculations, design your own courses, and test your knowledge with a series of crossword puzzles and word jumbles. Keep learning and keep reading! https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=ocf73Bo9NCLcjmAxAnG5kSvDy6npeb5cLgQXDGfgzqI Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 494. US Center for Safe Sport CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley | 10 Jul 2026 | 00:27:57 | |
Benita Fitzgerald Mosley Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley is the CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. An established international leader in nonprofit, sports, and business, Benita has served as CEO of Multiplying Good, a nonprofit committed to cultivating greatness through service to others. She has also served as the President of FundPlay Foundation, the VP of Community & Impact for LeagueApps, and the CEO of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, where she helped leverage the power of sport to build thriving kids and communities across the nation. A world-class athlete, Benita won a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, making her the first American woman to accomplish this feat. She was a member of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic Teams, an alternate on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, and a gold medalist in the 1983 Pan American Games. She is an inductee into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Committed to furthering athlete well-being, Benita serves on several committees and boards, including the International Olympic Committee Commission, and the Boards of Special Olympics International and Athletes for Hope. She also served on the Senate Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics. Benita graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, where she competed on the track and field team, becoming an eight-time national champion and a 14-time NCAA All-American. She lives in Virginia with her husband and they have two kids in college. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 493. Dr. Erica Lacher, DVM, Equine Veterinarian and Owner of Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic | 07 Jul 2026 | 00:48:26 | |
Dr. Erica Lacher is an equine veterinarian and the owner of Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida, near Gainesville. With more than twenty years of experience running her own equine practice, she has also served on the admissions committee for the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, where she has reviewed hundreds of student applications. Beyond the clinic, Dr. Lacher is a podcaster, speaker, and equestrian whose practice runs on two philosophies: a better educated client is a better client, and hire the right people and keep them happy. Recognizing the need for client-facing veterinary education, she co-founded the podcast Straight from the Horse Doctor's Mouth, where she and co-host Justin Long cover horse healthcare, care, and maintenance for owners of every kind of horse — "whether your horse is an athlete or a lawn ornament." The show has grown into one of the top podcasts in its category. She is also a published author, co-writing How to Become an Equine Veterinarian: A Guide for Teens with Justin B. Long, and speaks regularly to the general public, horse owners, and fellow veterinarians on a wide range of topics. Her stated goal in everything she does is to make the world a better place for horses. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 492. Inside Your Ride with Tonya Johnston by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 03 Jul 2026 | 01:09:56 | |
Tonya Johnston, MA, is a Mental Skills Coach and author who works with riders all over the world. Tonya specializes in working with equestrian athletes from disciplines such as hunter/jumper, three-day eventing, reining and dressage. Tonya’s book is called “Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse.” Tonya’s individual clients range from youngsters just starting out in the pony divisions all the way up to professionals competing at international championships. She conducts mental training clinics at private barns throughout the country and also works with high school and university equestrian teams, including the Stanford, Savannah College of Art and Design and USC Equestrian Teams. Tonya has presented mental skills workshops for the USHJA, USEF, CPHA and PCHA associations. Tonya has a monthly podcast called “Tonya Johnston’s Inside Your Ride” that is a part of the Plaid Horse Magazine’s Plaidcast. She has presented at the U.S. Dressage Federation and the U.S. Eventing Association national conventions, as well as the national conference for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Tonya had regular columns in Practical Horseman and Eventing USA, which at the time was the official publication of the U.S. Eventing Association. Tonya has appeared in a variety of equestrian magazines including The Chronicle of the Horse, The Equestrian News, The Plaid Horse, Equine Journal, iJump, Horse Showbiz, Equine Wellness, Paint Horse Journal, Riding, and Hoofbeats. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Olivia Ferro, trainer and author of lowercase | 29 Jun 2026 | 00:55:29 | |
Olivia Ferro is a 24 year old author, equestrian, producer, and writer based in the United States. She describes herself as an author and equestrian who rides with Metro Stables and is a proud Fresno State alumna, where she competed on the varsity equestrian team. Her second book, lowercase, is available here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/lowercase-olivia-k-ferro/34c37ae1bf3b6983?ean=9798295680519&next=t As a collegiate rider for the Fresno State Bulldogs, Olivia competed primarily in the jumping seat discipline, earning multiple Match of the Performance honors and competing at the national championship level. Her time as a collegiate athlete gave her a deep foundation in the hunter/jumper world that continues to inform her writing and creative work. Beyond the barn, Olivia is a poet and prose author bringing the same precision and focus she developed as a rider into her creative career. She works across writing, production, and digital media, with a portfolio that spans equestrian content and beyond. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 491. Photographer Amy Dragoo by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 26 Jun 2026 | 00:40:57 | |
Amy Dragoo has been shooting the Kentucky Three-Day Event for over 24 years, and she's been a photographer for Practical Horseman for more than 30 years. If you've ever opened a copy of Practical Horseman, Dressage Today, or the Chronicle of the Horse, you've almost certainly seen her work.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Dr. Clair Thunes on Beet Pulp & Sonja Ochadlik on Purchasing Expectations | 22 Jun 2026 | 01:11:32 | |
Listen to the Scoop & Scale Podcast here: https://scoopandscale.com/ Dr. Clair Thunes nutrition consulting: https://clarityequine.com Sonja Ochadlik — Show Jumper & Equestrian Entrepreneur Sonja Ochadlik is a show jumping rider originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who is now based in Ireland. Her transatlantic journey — from the American Southwest to the heart of Irish equestrian country — gives her a distinctive perspective that bridges two very different horse sport cultures. She runs Stonehall Sporthorses, a business specializing in producing young horses and sourcing and selling top-quality horses and ponies. She operates the business alongside her husband Johnathon, with a focus on equine welfare and longevity in sport. Beyond riding and trading, Sonja has become a vocal voice in the broader conversation about the future of show jumping. She is passionate about the training and welfare of horses and working towards making the sport of show jumping more inclusive. She has written for The Plaid Horse magazine on topics such as innovations in American show jumping, including updates to U.S. Pony Jumpers and proposed changes to Young Jumpers, with an emphasis on correct, safe, and welfare-driven development of both young riders and young horses. Sonja represents a growing cohort of American riders who have relocated to Europe to immerse themselves in the deeper pipeline of quality horses and a more established competition structure, while maintaining strong ties to the U.S. market and community. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| 490. The Devon Horse Show Amateur Owner Champions- Martha Ingram, Melissa Jacobs & Stephanie Danhakl by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 19 Jun 2026 | 00:57:11 | |
Piper interviews the Amateur Owner Hunter Champions at The Devon Horse Show 2026- Stephanie Danhakl, Martha Ingram, & Melissa Jacobs. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: USHJA Programs Amy Center (EAP) & Megan Thiel (Zone Jumper Championships) | 15 Jun 2026 | 00:55:50 | |
The MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program (EAP) is a development initiative run by the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association to help up-and-coming riders build both their riding skills and their horsemanship knowledge. Created in 2009, the program has become a launching pad for many riders who've gone on to succeed in major equitation and jumper finals, including the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, the ASPCA Maclay, and USEF Prix des States, among others. The program is open to junior, amateur, and professional members ages 12 and older as of December 1 of the current competition year, with sections offered at 0.90-meter and 1.0-meter fence heights. To apply, riders must meet eligibility requirements, submit an application and fee, gather recommendation forms, and pass a Horsemanship Quiz Challenge with a score of at least 80%. From there, 16 riders are selected to advance to the National Training Session, chosen based on their performance and potential during the regional sessions, with eligibility limited to members ages 12 to 25. A select group of standout non-riders may also be invited to attend as stable managers. The national session is a multi-day intensive held with top clinicians — for 2026, that's Joe Fargis for riding and Colleen Reed for stable management, hosted at Midway University in Kentucky. Financial support is also part of the program: the USHJA Foundation awards up to $6,000 total in grants to help offset costs for EAP participants, with individual grants capped at $500. EAP combines hands-on riding instruction with serious horsemanship education, aiming to produce well-rounded equestrians — not just skilled riders, but knowledgeable horsemen and women who understand every aspect of caring for their horses. -- The USHJA Zone Jumper Championships are a series of regional team and individual competitions for Junior and Amateur jumper riders, held across the USHJA's geographic zones each summer. There are actually a few related programs under this umbrella, organized by fence height. The 1.00/1.05m Junior/Amateur Zone Jumper Championships give riders a competitive team experience and a chance to earn Zone Horse of the Year points in their respective sections, with championships held by zone consisting of both team and individual competition. To qualify, riders submit an application and must accumulate at least 20 points in their section at USEF-licensed competitions during the qualifying period. At the higher end, the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships serve Junior and Amateur Jumper riders in the 1.10/1.15m and 1.20/1.25m divisions, while the related Platinum Jumper Championships cover even higher sections. Competitors in these championships are considered USHJA Emerging Jumper Riders for that year and have the opportunity to earn the title of USHJA Gold Star Emerging Jumper Rider, along with a spot at a USHJA Gold Star Clinic. For 2026, the championships are organized regionally — Northeast (Zones 1-2), South (Zones 3, 4, 7), North Central (Zones 5-6), and West (Zones 8-10) — each hosted at a different venue, with riders from Zones 11 and 12 free to choose whichever championship location they'd like to attend. New this year, jump-offs will be used to break ties for Individual and Team Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. To enter, riders must submit an application with a $75 non-refundable fee and earn at least 20 qualifying points in their section at USEF-licensed shows before their zone's deadline. Submitting an application doesn't commit a rider to attend, but it does let their points count toward qualification. Individual medalists also earn a notable perk: an invitation to a USHJA Gold Star Clinic of their choice within two years, offering four days of mounted and unmounted instruction from leading clinicians. Altogether, the Zone Jumper Championships give developing jumper riders a structured path toward team competition experience, individual recognition, and continued mentorship — bridging the gap between regular show circuit competition and higher-performance opportunities. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Tonya Johnston's Inside Your Ride with Janet Jones, PhD, by Taylor Harris Insurance Services | 12 Jun 2026 | 01:04:05 | |
Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with researcher Janet Jones, Ph.D. about her new book, A Horse's World: A Neuroscientist's Journey Into the Equine Mind. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Janet Jones earned her Ph.D. in cognitive science from UCLA and taught the neuroscience of perception, language, memory, and thought for 23 years. She trained horses at a large stable early in her career, and later ran a successful horse training business of her own. She has schooled hundreds of green or difficult horses, rides many breeds and disciplines, and has competed in hunter, jumper, halter, western riding, and reining. She uses the basic principles of dressage in all horse sports. Janet developed brain-based horsemanship and offers it to horse enthusiasts in Horse Brain, Human Brain. In her latest book, A Horse's World: A Neuroscientist's Journey Into the Equine Mind, she broadens her perspective to invite the general public to learn why some of us love horses so much.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: The Black Stallion Reading Project & the USEA TEAPRO Grant | 08 Jun 2026 | 00:51:27 | |
In this week’s Plaidchat, we welcome guests from two unique corners of the horse world, plus a Trainer Tuesday segment with Eric Chapman. First, Nancy Thrower joins us to discuss the Black Stallion Reading Project, a literacy initiative bringing horses and reading together for thousands of children in Marion County, Florida. Nancy is a lifelong horsewoman and advocate for youth engagement through equestrian education. Through the Black Stallion Reading Project and the Ocala Horse Alliance, students receive copies of The Black Stallion, participate in horse-centered educational experiences, and are introduced to the many opportunities within the equine industry. We also discuss The Plaid Horse’s recent donation of 4,000 copies of Show Strides: To Save a Stable to Marion County fourth graders, along with complete Show Strides book series donations to local school libraries. Next, Rachel Medbery joins us to discuss the USEA Foundation’s TEAPRO grant program. Rachel is an event rider and educator who was selected as one of the inaugural TEAPRO grant recipients, a program designed to support educational opportunities and horsemanship development for riders pursuing long-format eventing goals. Then in Trainer Tuesday, Eric Chapman joins us to discuss helping a rider who twists in the saddle, sharing exercises and strategies to improve rider balance, straightness, and effectiveness. Listen in for conversations about literacy, education, horsemanship, and becoming a better horseperson both in and out of the saddle. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidcast in Person at Savannah College Art & Design with Archie Cox | 05 Jun 2026 | 01:32:31 | |
Recorded live at the Savannah College of Art and Design Piper is joined by National Horse Show Hall of Fame Horsemen Archie Cox for a live discussion with the 2026 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association national champions Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. Horses have always loomed large in Archie Cox's life. As a junior rider on the East Coast, he was already competing on the national level — in 1985, he became the first male rider in ten years to win the United States Equestrian Team Gold Medal, and earned ribbons at both the AHSA Medal and ASPCA Maclay Finals. In the spring of 1992, Archie moved to California, where he worked for several years with top trainer Karen Healey before opening his own business, Brookway Stables, in December 2000 — named after his grandparents' farm in Maine — at Middle Ranch in Lakeview Terrace. In this conversation, Archie and Piper explore what it means to build a career in this sport from the ground up, the responsibility trainers carry in shaping young riders, what classic horsemanship looks like in today's show ring, and why programs like SCAD's matter for the future of the equestrian industry. SCAD's equestrian program is set on the 180-acre Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center in Hardeeville, South Carolina, constructed expressly to support SCAD's national-caliber program, and the energy of that world-class environment comes through in every moment of this conversation. Whether you're a junior rider dreaming of Finals, a student considering your future in the horse world, or a longtime professional reflecting on the craft, this episode has something for you. The Plaidcast is hosted by Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Tina Silva & Lizzie Rinehart | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:37:58 | |
Tina Silva is the founder of Equestrian Safety Group and Executive Director of Devil Dog Ranch. A former Lieutenant in the fire service, she brings real-world emergency response expertise to equestrian safety education. With a background spanning multiple disciplines, farm management, and coaching vaulters and riders, Tina's mission is to make the equestrian world safer for horses and riders at every level. Elizabeth Rinehart was recently named Best Child Rider at the prestigious Devon Horse Show. "Lizzie" grew up riding practically from the time she could walk, and she comes from a true horse family. Her parents, Richard and Catherine Rinehart, own Rinehart Farms, which means Elizabeth has had horses in her blood her entire life. Piper's mission is to educate young equestrians in every facet of the industry and to empower young women in particular to find their voices and stories — and to share them. She has spent her entire career focusing on education through various channels, including The Plaidcast, North America's most listened-to horse show podcast; co-authoring the Show Strides book series; and by providing educational articles, grants, and experiential learning opportunities for riders of all ages and levels. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Orchid Bertelsen (on Dover Saddlery) by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 29 May 2026 | 01:01:51 | |
Orchid Bertelsen is one of the most distinctive and analytically sharp voices to emerge in equestrian media in this year. She built a twenty-year career at the highest levels of digital marketing and e-commerce before the horse world pulled her back in and gave her something new to write about. Her professional background spans Fortune 5 accounts at Dentsu, leading digital strategy across more than 40 consumer brands at Nestlé USA, and running operations at Common Thread Collective, a DTC e-commerce growth agency where she built the financial systems that helped brands grow profitably across paid media, creative, and retention. That resume alone would make her an interesting voice in any industry conversation. What makes her genuinely unique is where she is applying it. Orchid rode as a child, competed on the B circuit in Illinois and Wisconsin, then stepped away for nearly 30 years. After 30 years away from horses, she returned to the saddle at a historic equestrian club 10 minutes from her home in Grosse Pointe, Michigan — what started as a Christmas gift of six lessons has since taken over her entire personality. She currently leases a horse named Beau, and that experience of returning to the equestrian world with fresh eyes and a sophisticated marketing brain has given her an unusual and valuable vantage point on an industry she now sees clearly as both an insider and an analyst. Her Substack publication, Back in the Saddle, is built around the belief that the equestrian industry is a $12 billion market that still approaches e-commerce and digital marketing the way most consumer categories did a decade ago — and that the brands that figure it out first will have a real and lasting advantage. Her writing on the collapse of Dover Saddlery broke through well beyond the equestrian community, demonstrating that the industry's business stories are as compelling as any in mainstream consumer retail when told by someone who knows how to tell them. She writes about the adult amateur community as the largest and most underserved segment in the sport — and has made changing that the mission of her platform. Follow Orchid on Substack here: https://orchid.substack.com/ Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: My Show Strides Journal & Madi Sanders of Elite Equestrian Marketplace | 26 May 2026 | 00:50:37 | |
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with co-author of the Show Strides series Rennie Dyball about book 9, Tally's Turn. Piper also speaks with Madison Sanders, lifelong hunter/jumper rider and the founder of Elite Equine Marketplace, a modern, map-based platform designed to streamline how equestrians buy, sell, and connect. In Show Strides Book 9, as the new trainer at Quince Oaks, gets settled in, she gives Tally a special opportunity. Nona's friend Emily Elek of Stonewall Ponies needs some extra help at a horse show, and Nona asks Tally to go. At the show, Tally gets to be a groom, an extra set of hands to assist the team, and even has the chance to take a lesson with Emily. But when a younger, greener rider is having trouble in the show ring with her pony, another junior rider will need to step up to help to school the pony and set up his owner for success. Will Emily ask Tally to step into the irons? And will Tally be up to the task? Madison Sanders is a lifelong hunter/jumper rider and the founder of Elite Equine Marketplace, a modern, map-based platform designed to streamline how equestrians buy, sell, and connect. With nearly a decade of experience in the tech industry and a degree from the University of Virginia, she brings a unique blend of industry insight and innovation to the equestrian space. Now based on a farm in Virginia, Madi manages a full barn while actively riding and competing as an adult amateur, giving her firsthand perspective on the needs of today’s riders, trainers, and equine businesses. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Roxane Durant by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 22 May 2026 | 00:47:56 | |
Piper speaks with the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Co-Founder and Executive Director, Roxane Durant. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Liz Ormesher (Event Director of BETA International) | 19 May 2026 | 00:17:10 | |
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with Liz Ormesher who is the Event Director of BETA International- the go-to trade show for discovering products, trends, and connections in the equine and country sectors. Listen in and share with your friends!
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidcast in Person with Patricia E. Kelly by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 15 May 2026 | 01:16:52 | |
Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live audience at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut with Patricia E. Kelly of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidcast in Person at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont | 12 May 2026 | 01:03:49 | |
Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live audience at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont with Chrissy Rohan, Alyx West, Hadley Rogerson-Leach and Dr. Jenny Wilkinson.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidcast in Person at Oldfields School with Julie Winkel & Linda Allen by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 08 May 2026 | 01:21:56 | |
Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live audience at Oldfields School in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland with Julie Winkel and Linda Allen. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: Ryan Haselden (TPH May/June Cover Feature) | 05 May 2026 | 00:19:54 | |
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with Ryan Haselden, our May/June cover feature story of The Plaid Horse magazine. Listen in and share with your friends!
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Tonya Johnston's Inside Your Ride with Ava Stearns by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 01 May 2026 | 00:50:37 | |
Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with equitation commentator Ava Stearns who herself was a past winner of the ASPCA Maclay National Championship, Grand Champion at Junior Hunter Finals and an All-American Athlete for Auburn University. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidcast in Person at Linden Hall School for Girls in Lititz, Pennsylvania | 28 Apr 2026 | 00:54:47 | |
Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live audience at Linden Hall School for Girls in Lititz, Pennsylvania.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidcast in Person at Maryland Horse Library & Education Center with Rob Burk by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 24 Apr 2026 | 01:07:19 | |
Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live audience at Maryland Horse Library & Education Center in Reisterstown, MD with Rob Burk, CEO of the US Eventing Association. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Plaidchat: My Show Strides Journal | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:15:03 | |
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with co-author of the Show Strides series Rennie Dyball about My Show Strides Journal. Listen in and share with friends!
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Michael Tokaruk (on the Winter Season) by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 17 Apr 2026 | 00:37:52 | |
Piper speaks with rider, trainer and judge Michael Tokaruk of Tokaruk Show Stables about the winter season and his next big moves. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| The Plaidchat: Taryl O’Shea (CEO of the Arabian Horse Association) | 14 Apr 2026 | 00:24:15 | |
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with the newly appointed CEO of the Arabian Horse Association, Taryl O’Shea. Listen in and share with friends!
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| Guilherme Jorge (on Course Design) by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services | 10 Apr 2026 | 00:47:32 | |
Piper speaks with FEI Level 4 Course Designer, Technical Delegate and Course Director Guilherme Jorge who recently designed the $1,000,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix at Wellington International and served as the Jumping Technical Delegate at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||
| The Plaidchat: Dr. Julie Vargas (on Preventative Care & Rehabilitation Medicine) | 07 Apr 2026 | 00:41:44 | |
Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with Dr. Julie Vargas of Limestone Equine Performance Medicine about preventative care and rehabilitation medicine. Listen in and share with friends!
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us. At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize. Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here. We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place. Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring! | |||