Hunter rider and trainer and U.S. Equestrian Federation “R” judge Tom Brennan started riding school horses at a local hunt-seat barn in Massachusetts. As a freshman at Stonehill College, he joined the school’s Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association riding team. By the end of his college career, he had won two individual championships at the IHSA Nationals and captained his team to the IHSA team championship title in 2003. He graduated with a degree in psychology and was going to become a counselor for at-risk youth but ended up working first as a groom for champion hunter rider Tony Workman and eventually riding and competing himself, earning many championships with horses such as Dividend, Gramercy Park and Purple Heart. In this podcast, Tom shares that journey as well as his approach to teaching and giving his students confidence and the challenges he sees many amateurs riders have—riding too slow—and how overcome them. He also talks about why he thought it was important to become involved in the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association and the U.S. Equestrian Federation and gives his thoughts on SafeSport.

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International show jumper Kevin Babington has represented his native Ireland in numerous international competitions including the 2002 World Equestrian Games and the 2004 Olympic Games. Based in the U.S., Kevin continues to train and compete at the highest level of the sport and has a passion for teaching. Hear about his early years riding in Ireland, what it was like working for Frank and Mary Chapot, some of his favorite horses, qualities he values in show jumpers, why he loves teaching and more.

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Upper-level event rider Matt Brown has been a familiar name at the top of the sport for the past decade. Hear about his unique background, training philosophies, top horses and find out how he overcomes challenges to stay focused on his goals.

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Top eventer Selena O'Hanlon has been a stalwart of the Canadian team, competing at the 2008 Olympics, three consecutive World Equestrian Games and the Pan American Games. In this episode, she shares insight into her early riding education, how she got over her fear of jumping big jumps, what she's learned from her mentors, the horses most influential in her life, a simple training exercise for horses and riders, her aspirations for the future and much more.

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Top hunter rider Liza Towell shares her path to success, which includes learning how to handle mistakes and manage nerves. Liza also speaks on what, as an instructor, she sees students having trouble with in their own rounds and encourages people to focus on the basics—pace, balance and track. She shares how she has maintained her health after being diagnosed with a mild form of epilepsy and how she balances motherhood and her career as a professional rider.

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Hunter/equitation trainer Shelley Campf is a top West Coast hunter/equitation trainer and rider, who wrote a training article for Practical Horseman magazine, “Get ‘In the Zone’ for Better Jumping.” In the article, she describes her training philosophy and program that teaches riders to allow their horses to jump rather than feeling the need to make their horses jump. Listen as Shelley speaks with her one-time student Practical Horseman Editor Sandy Oliynyk about how a rider should NOT focus on seeing a distance but instead concentrate on track, rhythm, pace and rider position. This allows the horse to focus on his job—jumping his best.

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For over a decade, Allison Springer has been one of the top event riders in the United States. It’s not just her victories in competitions that make her a fan favorite—her horsemanship and focus on safety are paramount. Listen as Allison shares insights into these topics as well as training philosophies, mental-skills strategies and memories of some of her most successful equine partners.

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Dynamic husband-and-wife duo Dom and Jimmie Schramm are two of the most popular rising stars in the sport of eventing in the United States. In this week’s podcast, you’ll hear the entertaining story of how this unlikely pair from Australia and Texas met and how they kicked off their successful training business. They also share training tips and teaching philosophies, reflect on their unique past experiences and give a sneak peek into their exciting plans for the future.

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British Olympian William Fox-Pitt is one of the most respected and successful riders in the history of eventing. Over the past 20 years, he’s won dozens of accolades at some of the world’s biggest events. He shares a few of his training philosophies and reflections on his career, as well as how he was able to recover from a serious head injury and return to the sport he loves. 

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Five-star eventer Sharon White has been a staple in the world of elite eventing for decades. Sharon shares insight into how she got started in the sport, how much she loves learning and what riders have served as mentors for her. She also talks about her favorite horses, including her current top mount, Cooley on Show, and much more.

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