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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 wit
theplaidhorse.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!

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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.
theplaidhorse.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!

Send us Fan Mail
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.
theplaidhorse.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!

Send us Fan Mail
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
theplaidhorse.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!

Send us Fan Mail
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.
theplaidhorse.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!