This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Tribute Equine Nutrition and Farnam, is with hunter/jumper trainer and rider Kelsey Epperson. We spoke with Kelsey in early May as she was gearing up for summer horse shows with her horses and clients.

To give you a little more background on Kelsey, she started riding at a young age alongside her mom and competed on the local hunter circuit in Michigan. As a junior, Epperson decided she wanted to become a professional trainer. She made the leap after getting her college degree, and today she works with Heather Irvine at Hillside Farm in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Some of Kelsey’s notable achievements are winning the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby with Didgereedoo VDL at the 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival and being the reserve champion in the $10,000 WCHR Developing Professional Challenge with More Fun at the 2025 Capital Challenge Horse Show.

In our discussion, Kelsey talks about what she enjoys about the hunter and jumper disciplines, her training philosophy, how she handles show nerves and more.

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This episode is brought to you by Farnam, celebrating 80 years of trusted equine care, and Endure Gold Killer Fly & Mosquito Control, a new fly spray for horses.

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This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Dechra, is with eventer Tommy Greengard. We talked to Tommy in spoke in early April after his 1-2 placing in the Galway Downs International CCI4*-S.

To give you a little more background on Tommy, he started riding at the age of 6 at a local dressage and eventing barn in Malibu, California, training with Robyn Fisher. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, he began training with Andrea Pfeiffer. After graduating with a degree in environmental science in 2021, Tommy decided to become a full-time trainer at Pfeiffer’s Chocolate Horse Farm in Petaluma, California.

In recent years, he has amassed several top placings with his horses. In 2022, he won the USEA Young Event Horse West Coast 5-Year-Old Championship with That’s Me Z. Two years later, the pair competed in the FEI Eventing World Championship for Young Horses in the seven-year-old CCI3*-L division, finishing in 16th place. Fast forward to 2025, Tommy won the Aspen Farms CCI4*-S with Joshuay MBF and the CCI3*-S with Balladeer Kilbrackens Lad. Later in the year, Tommy and That’s Me Z won the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final at the USEA American Eventing Championships.

In our discussion, Tommy talks about what he enjoys about eventing, his training philosophy, how he handles disappointment and more.

Every horse deserves to feel their best. That’s why veterinarians trust Dechra Veterinary Products—a global leader in equine health. From joint comfort and mobility to reproduction, skin and eye care, and essential fluid therapy, our solutions support horses through every stage of life. When your veterinarian recommends Dechra products, you can be confident your horse is receiving high-quality, proven care. Because at Dechra, we’re dedicated to helping your horse live healthier, longer, stronger.

Thanks to Dechra for our coverage of the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. It includes lead-up events, rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more.

This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Zoetis, is with Derek Braun, the competition organizer of the FEI World Cup™ Finals Forth Worth 2026. We talked to Derek in mid-February as he and his team were busily preparing to host this premier event in Fort Worth, Texas.

To give you a little more background on Derek, he grew up in New York and competed on the hunter/jumper circuit as a junior, winning the 2001 U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Talent Search Finals – East and team gold at the 2002 USEF Junior Jumper National Championships at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. After graduating from Rollins College in 2007, Derek turned professional and started his training and sales business, Split Rock Farm. He competed successfully at the national and international levels, including as a member of the U.S. Nations Cup team in Brazil in 2013.

Derek realized he wanted to shift his focus from competing to organizing competitions, and in 2015, he created the Split Rock Jumping Tour. Today, the hunter/jumper series runs 10 shows in four cities, stretching from Lexington, Kentucky, to Los Angeles, California. Derek and his team are also taking on the job as the organizers of the FEI World Cup™ Finals Forth Worth 2026 from April 8-12, which consists of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final and the Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final.

In our discussion, Derek talks about special horses from his riding career, how he got into competition organizing, details about the FEI World Cup Finals and more.

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This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Equi-Analytical, is with hunter/jumper trainer and rider Amanda Steege. We talked to Amanda in mid-March as the winter circuit was winding down for her, her clients and her horses after solid performances at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala.

To give you a little more background on Amanda, she grew up on her parents Red Acre Farm in Stow, Massachusetts. Amanda had a successful junior career in the equitation, hunter and jumper rings, then she went off to Boston College to figure out her future, only riding during the summers. After earning a psychology degree in 1998, she returned to the horse world ready to take the leap into becoming a professional. Amanda worked for several trainers before going off on her own and starting her premier hunter/jumper show, training and sales business, Ashmeadow Farm, based in Ocala, Florida, and Califon, New Jersey.

Over the years, Amanda has had several top results in the hunter ring with horses such as Unseen, Candlelight, Kingpin, Mirror Image, Balou and, most recently, Laffite de Muze. With “Lafitte,” Amanda has won the 2021 $50,000 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, 2024 and 2025 $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, 2025 High Performance Hunter Champion title at the Devon Horse Show and is a three-time winner of the WCHR Professional Challenge (2018, 2024 and 2025)—just to name a few of their results.

In our discussion, Amanda talks about what she enjoys about the hunter discipline, her training philosophy, her special partnership with Lafitte and more.

At Equi-Analytical, we know the importance of a well-balanced diet for your horse. Our laboratory can test hay, pasture, water or any type of feed you give to your horse and provide a nutrient analysis report. This information is significant for the well-being of your horse. To learn more or submit a sample for testing, visit equi-analytical.com today!

This Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by Dechra, is with five-star show jumper Callie Schott. We talk to Callie about her special partnership with KWPN gelding Garant and their many successes, the wisdom she learned from working with Beezie and John Madden, how she keeps her horses fit for show jumping and why she’s so passionate about the sport.

Callie grew up in an equestrian family at River Mountain Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, with her dad Trey Schott, who’s an equine veterinarian and polo player and her mom, eventer and hunter/jumper trainer Elaine Schott. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Callie spent five years working with Beezie and John Madden where she sharpened her riding and horsemanship skills and learned various training methods that have made the Maddens some of the most successful riders and trainers in the world.

Callie has established herself as a rising star in the sport of show jumping, as well as revisiting success in the hunter ring. She campaigned at some of the best shows in North America earning top honors in prestigious competitions at Spruce Meadows, The American Gold Cup, The New Albany Invitational Classic, Winter Equestrian Festival, The Vermont Summer Festival, The Hampton Classic and the Kentucky Horse Shows series.

In recent years, Callie and Garant have had dynamite success. The pair began 2023 with top-10 placings at the Winter Equestrian Festival and were third in the Grand Prix of Traverse City CSI3* and the Agero Grand Prix CSI3* during the Traverse City Horse Shows.

In 2024, Callie made her senior team debut at the Longines League of Nations™ Abu Dhabi with Garant, helping the NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team to a sixth-place finish in a highly competitive international field. She and Garant were short listed for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and represented the U.S. Jumping Team in the FEI Longines League of Nations Netherlands CSIO5* in Rotterdam.

After a brief hiatus from the competition ring due to an injury, Callie made her comeback debut with Garant last summer at Traverse City Horse Shows’ Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, where they won the CSI03* Grand Prix during Nations Cup Week. They also took top honors at the Go Rentals CSI5* Grand Prix at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California.

About This Episode’s Sponsor, Dechra

Every horse deserves to feel their best. That’s why veterinarians trust Dechra Veterinary Products—a global leader in equine health. From joint comfort and mobility to reproduction, skin and eye care, and essential fluid therapy, our solutions support horses through every stage of life. When your veterinarian recommends Dechra products, you can be confident your horse is receiving high-quality, proven care. Because at Dechra, we’re dedicated to helping your horse live healthier, longer, stronger.

This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by USRider, is with five-star eventer Cosby Green. We talked to Cosby in early January at the start of a new competition year with new goals ahead for the world number 10 rider on the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings.

To give you a little more background on Cosby, she made her five-star debut at Pau in 2023 with Copper Beach. The following year, the pair completed the Badminton and Burghley CCI5*-Ls. 2025 was an illustrious year for Cosby, starting off with her senior team debut at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Great Britain, where she and Highly Suspicious helped the U.S. team earn silver. Next, she competed in the Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L, finishing in the top eight with Highly Suspicious and Jos UFO de Quidam. Cosby then rode Clever Louis at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Belgium, helping the U.S. earn another silver-medal finish. She piloted MBF Party Time to fifth place in the FEI Eventing World Breeding Championship for 7-year-olds. Cosby closed out the year with two strong finishes at the Pau CCI5*-L.

While Cosby is originally from Lexington, Kentucky, her current training base at Chedington Equestrian in Dorset, England.

In our discussion, Cosby talks about taking the leap of going to learn and compete overseas, what she enjoys about eventing, her training philosophy and more.

This Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by USRider, is with top hunter, jumper and equitation rider and trainer Nick Haness. We talk to Nick us about his partnership with Cavaletto Loma Z and other horses who shaped his career, what drew him to hunters and jumpers and what he attributes to his success as rider, trainer and horseman. He also provides us with an update on the collection of rescue animals at his farm.

After a self-funded successful Junior career, hunter/jumper rider and trainer Nick started his own training and sales business at Hunterbrook Farms in Temecula, California, in 2009. Over the next several years, he achieved multiple top placings in the hunter divisions including back-to-back wins in the 2012 and 2013 World Championship Hunter Rider Handy Hunter Challenge and the championship in the 2016 First Year Green divisions at the Devon Horse Show and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

Nick and Verdict were the reserve champion at the 2019 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships, and a month later, he finished first and second on Crowd Pleaser and Reese’s at the $50,000 Stal Hendrix Green Futurity Finals at the HITS Saugerties Championship. He also earned the 2019 USEF’s Emerson Burr Award and was voted by his peers as the 2019 USEF National Equestrian of the Year.

More recently, Nick and Cavaletto Loma Z had a number of notable recent wins in 2025 including the Platinum Performance USHJA International Hunter Derby Regional Championship at Traverse City and the USHJA International Hunter Derby at Desert Circuit Week 9. He also won the 2025 WCHR Professional Finals for the second time this past October.

While Nick will be spending time in Wellington for the upcoming winter show season, he continues to operate his Hunterbrook Farms with his partner Ryan May.

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This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by USRider, is with five-star eventer Sydney Elliott. She spoke with us in mid-November as the competition season was winding down after her CCI4*-L win with QC Diamantaire at The Event at TerraNova in Myakka City, Florida.

To give you a little more background on Sydney, she first competed at the five-star level at the Kentucky Three-Day Event with Cisko A in two thousand sixteen. Two years later, the pair made their U.S. team debut at the Great Meadow International Nations Cup, helping the U.S. to a third-place finish. With her partner of nearly 10 years, QC Diamantaire, also known as Q, Sydney tallied numerous Nations Cup appearances, including earning team silver in Aachen, Germany in two thousand twenty-one and in Boekelo, the Netherlands that same year. In two thousand twenty-three, Sydney and QC Diamantaire competed in the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, collecting the silver medal as part of the U.S. team. Last year, they were the traveling reserve pair for the Paris two thousand twenty-four Olympic Games. Since then, the duo has continued to have strong competition results.  

In addition to her success on the international stage, Sydney runs Elliott Eventing, a training business, based in Benton, Louisiana, and Hoffman, North Carolina.

In our discussion, Sydney talks about what she enjoys about working with horses, her training philosophy, how she handles her show nerves and more.

About This Episode's Sponsor, USRider

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This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Dechra, is with leading high-performance coach and nervous-system expert Natalie Hummel. She coaches top professional athletes in all sports, but her experience as a former upper-level eventer enables her to especially relate to riders.

Natalie started riding at 10 and after moving up the ranks she eventually achieved three-star status and started working for Michael Pollard. But after back-to-back tragedies involving the unexpected death of several horses, her heart was too broken to continue in the sport and the energy and passion she’d felt for riding started to shift toward pursuing higher education.

After getting her PhD in clinical psychology, she went on to develop Natalie Hummel Coaching—her personal performance coaching program that aims to help equestrians break through mental and emotional blocks. Drawing from neuroscience and somatic integration, Natalie helps elite athletes rewire their physiological response to stress so they can access clarity, consistency and flow when it matters most.

She’s worked with a number of top eventers—including Boyd Martin and Hannah Sue Hollberg—and countless other riders who came to her stuck in negative repeating patterns that often surface at the worst moments—the centerline, in-gate or in the quiet corners of everyday life. Through her coaching methods, Natalie focuses on helping riders reset their baseline, release subconscious performance blocks, and compete with more ease, power and purpose.

In today’s podcast, Natalie talks about her journey from being an upper-level eventer to becoming a coach and discusses the unique mental and emotional challenges faced by riders. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the nervous system, dealing with fear and separating one's identity from performance.

The conversation also touches on the misconceptions surrounding talent and support in equestrian sport, the significance of learning from failures and the emotional aspects of recovering from injuries. Additionally, Natalie highlights her upcoming projects, including a masterclass with Boyd Martin and a new program focused on self-mastery and performance mastery.

Dechra is a global specialist in veterinary pharmaceuticals and related products. Our expertise is in the development, manufacture, sales and marketing of high-quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide. We are driven by our purpose of sustainable improvement of local animal health and welfare.

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This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products, is with international show jumper and hunter rider and trainer Jacob Pope. He spoke with us in early September as he was preparing for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup qualifier in Traverse City, Michigan.

To give you a little more background on Jacob, he grew up on his family’s small horse farm in Columbia, Maryland. He had a successful junior career, winning the 2011 USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Finals, the 2012 USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – East and the 2012 ASPCA Maclay Finals. After graduating from college in 2017, Jacob turned professional and now competes in both the hunter and jumper divisions. He has had top results in several hunter derbies, including winning the 2017 Deeridge Hunter Derby. In 2022, he won his first FEI grand prix with Highway FBH. The following year, the pair was on the U.S. Jumping Team at four CSIO3* Nations Cup competitions, helping the team win gold in Uggerhalne, Denmark. In July of this year, Jacob and Highway FBH again helped the U.S. win gold this time in the $75,000 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Traverse City CSIO3*.

In addition to his success in the competition ring, Jacob runs Hickory Ridge LLC, a showing, training and sales business based in Wellington, Florida and Traverse City, Michigan, with Nick Pongracz.

In our discussion, Jacob talks about what he enjoys about working with horses, his training philosophy, how he handles his show nerves and more.

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