The monster-sized garbage truck was headed straight for the horse I was riding down busy Columbus Avenue, at the height of evening rush hour on New York City’s Upper West Side. Gears grinding loudly, the vehicle kept chugging toward us as I maneuvered my horse as close as possible to the parked cars along the curb in an attempt to avoid a truck-horse-human collision.
The perpetually rearing wooden horse still stares out the enormous picture window oblivious to the constant bustle of New York City, just as he’s done since 1912. All around him, the world has changed. The once plentiful shops offering equestrian accouterments to clients with names like Rockefeller and Kennedy have disappeared, leaving Manhattan Saddlery as the sole surviving tack shop in the borough.
It was 8:45 p.m. on a Thursday evening. It was dark, wet and cold outside. I had 24 hours until the chili cook-off fundraiser I’d been planning for the Area II Young Riders, and the anxiety was setting in, as it always does before any function I plan.
I was doing my best to balance my time between my full-time job at Sinead Halpin Eventing, my part-time job at Prestige Saddles, my commitment to Young Riders, my part-time job teaching at River Edge Farm, and my personal commitment to fitness.
After the recent baby boom in high performance equestrian circles, how do these mothers balance feedings and diaper changes with competing at the top of their sport?
Sometimes, it starts with a secret. Dutch Olympic gold medalist in dressage and international reining competitor Anky van Grunsven was four months pregnant when she competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
This Irish entrepreneur brings more than business sense to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
He calls himself a storyteller, a fatalist, a brewer, a father, a husband and a businessman, but even these titles don’t fully define Pearse Lyons. While his family—wife Deirdre, son Mark and daughter Aoife—is most important to him, making a difference in the world is a close second to the owner and founder of the World Equestrian Games’ title sponsor, Alltech.
MIDDLEBURG
Welcome to the nation's horse and hunt capital and home of the Chronicle! Perhaps the most long-standing equestrian area in the country, Middleburg appeals to the equine-inclined of all disciplines. Hunts, events and horse shows are held nearly every weekend. A drive through the countryside can comprise a pleasant afternoon in and of itself; but, of course, the area is not without its share of upscale restaurants, inns and attractions.
Showing horses in the United States often requires a whole lot of travel, sometimes over great distances. Without planning ahead, it’s all too easy to live on fast food and convenience store snacks—and these poor food choices may adversely affect your performance during competition.
Forget that imposing fence—juggling work, riding and family can be the biggest challenge of all.
It’s a tough reality for most amateur riders that there really and truly are just 24 hours in a day, because it never seems like enough time.
Making decisions about how to use those precious 1,440 minutes the most efficiently is a constant battle. How do you squeeze in work, family life and the horses? It’s all about prioritizing. Everyone does it, but they all do it differently.
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