Heather Wu: Connemara Ponies and Eventing Dreams

By Sarah Welk Baynum

Portraits by Sara Farrell

 

Before Heather Wu ever dreamed of galloping a cross-country course or building her horse-centered career from the ground up, a single pony ride sparked a lifelong love affair with horses.

“The … [Read more]

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Melissa Mason: Swapping Scrubs for Strokes of Paint

By Shya Beth

After years of balancing the demands of nursing with the pull of painting, Melissa Mason chose to trade hospital halls for canvases and horse pastures. What began as quiet moments painting horses after work here and there … [Read more]

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Junior to Amateur: A Challenge of Growth

By Margie Sugarman

 

Transitioning from the Junior to the Amateur ranks is more than just a change in competition—it’s stepping from the familiar into the unknown. The shift carries a mix of nerves and excitement, a tug-of-war between leaving … [Read more]

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A Busy Fall for U.S. Dressage

By George Williams

This seems like it might be the busiest fall on record, especially if you’re like me and think fall basically starts with Labor Day weekend and goes into December. Fitting in nine GAIG/USDF Regional Championships, one CDI3*, … [Read more]

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Sofia Popescu: Jumping Into the Future

By Laura Scaletti

Portraits by Melissa Fuller

As a child in Vancouver, Canada, Sofia Popescu enjoyed watching “Sesame Street.” In particular, she loved watching the adventures of Grover. It was Grover, along with his trusty steed, Fred the Wonder Horse, … [Read more]

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Unbridled With Jan Westmark Bauer

By Britney Grover

Jan Westmark Bauer has been editor-in-chief of Sidelines magazine since 2012, which means she has put out 164 issues. “That’s a lot of stories, which means I have talked to so many horse people over the years … [Read more]

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Wyatt Rofey: Learning to Fly

By Jessica Grutkowski

Portraits by Sophia Donahue

Wyatt Rofey fell in love with horses when he was just 3 years old. After his first pony ride at the Hampton Classic, he was still too young for pony camp but that … [Read more]

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Sandra Dalman: Riding Through Hard Realities

By Jessica Grutkowski

Portraits by Melissa Fuller

Equestrians are admittedly a resilient group, rarely letting illness or injury get in the way of their saddle time. But when professional show jumper Sandra Dalman was diagnosed with lupus—an autoimmune disease that … [Read more]

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Shelly Francis: Learning to Savor the Dressage Journey

By Laila Edwards

Portraits by Kacy Brown

Dressage rider Shelly Francis fell in love with horses at a very young age and from the beginning, joy encompassed her in every moment that horses were around.

“My family had a Volkswagen … [Read more]

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Morgan Kennedy: Solving Puzzles and Developing Happy Horses

By Jessica Grutkowski

Portraits by Sophia Donahue

As a pint-sized pony camper in Traverse City, Michigan, 10-year-old Morgan Kennedy had big dreams of a life with horses. “My dad wanted me to take lessons with the barn’s top trainer,” Morgan … [Read more]

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