The Plaidcast

Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with Val Renihan, one of the country's top trainers. Tonya also discusses looking back on your defining moments as a rider as a way of claiming your best qualities and traits. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Tonya Johnston, Visit her Website, Facebook and buy her book Inside Your Ride 
• Guest: Val Renihan is the owner and head trainer at Findlay's Ridge LLC where she specializes in hunters, equitation and jumpers. Val has ridden and shown all of her life and started training students at the age of 16. Val has had success at virtually all of the top horse shows across the country and has had many riders who have gone on to have meaningful and decorated professional careers. 
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
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• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard, Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows, Sentinel Horse Nutrition, Laurel Springs School, and Great American Insurance Group

Piper speaks with Maja Lindemann about how she approaches course designing and the process of becoming a course designer. Leigh Tricker also joins to talk about the education opportunities that HITS is offering to create a pipeline for equestrians to become licensed officials. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Maja Lindemann grew up riding and showing in California with the Karazissis family. She moved north to attend UC Davis and graduated with a BS in Animal Science. Maja became a professional horse trainer in 2005 and worked for a few operations in Northern California before opening her own business. In 2022, Maja was presented with the opportunity to course design at a local show and decided to get her license. Maja currently lives in New Jersey and course designs at top horse shows such as HITS Hudson Valley, New York and the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship - West in Del Mar, California. 
• Guest: Leigh Gallagher Tricker is a lifelong equestrian and a marketing and project management consultant for HITS LLC. After graduating from The Johns Hopkins University in 2002, Leigh worked for a global macro hedge fund for more than 20 years before retiring in 2023 to pursue other interests. Leigh is also a USHJA Zone 1 Committee member and was recently elected to the USHJA Board of Directors.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, LAURACEA, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows, and Great American Insurance Group

Piper speaks with FEI level 3 course designer Meghan Rawlins about how to read and best understand what is being asked in a course map. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Meghan Rawlins started riding at a young age showing jumpers, eventing and hunters before beginning her professional equestrian career in 1993 continuing to apprenticing under top professionals such as Claudia Cojocar.  Meghan is the owner of Cedar Vista Stables in Victoria, British Columbia and is certified as both a licensed coach and EC & USEF course designer.  In 2022, Meghan earned her FEI level 3 course design certification.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, LAURACEA, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows, and Great American Insurance Group

Piper speaks with trainer and USEF "R" judge Geoff Case about the Paris Olympics and the state of our sport. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Geoff Case is a rider, trainer and large “R” judge based in Ommen, Netherlands. As a rider, Geoff Case has represented the United States in International competitions. As a trainer, Geoff has had many students become Year End Hunter Champions, USET Finals Champions and many ribbons at Medal and Maclay Finals. Geoff is also a Large “R” judge that has officiated at most major horse shows including The National Horse Show, the Winter Equestrian Festival and he will be judging the West Coast Junior Hunter Finals and The Hampton Classic Horse Show this year. 
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, LAURACEA, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows , Great American Insurance Group and Cheval Press

Piper speaks with rider, trainer and USEF "R" judge Michael Tokaruk about judging and his experience judging the 2024 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter Finals- West Coast in Del Mar, California. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services. 

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Michael Tokaruk is a top rider, trainer and judge who also runs a training and sales business, Tokaruk Show Stables, out of Tennessee and Wellington, Florida. Michael worked with top professionals such as Scott Stewart, Missy Clark, Bob Braswell and Anne Kursinski as a junior rider. Michael has multiple grand prix wins, international and national hunter derby wins to his credit along with continuing his professional education by working with professionals such as Chris Kappler, Andre Dignelli, Katie Monahan-Prudent, and Melanie Smith Taylor. Michael has judged at some of the prestigious horse shows including the 2021 USET Talent Search Finals East, 2022 ASPCA Maclay Finals, Capital Challenge Horse Show and most recently the 2024 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter Finals- West Coast in Del Mar, California. 
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows , Great American Insurance Group, LAURACEA and Equivisor

Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with Lindsay Archer about her new non-profit group, Equestrian Foundation for Mental Health Awareness (EMHA). Licensed therapist & Equus coach, Kathy Rausin joins to talk about her involvement with EMHA. Hunter/jumper professional Carol Wright also joins to talk about her career and how she stays so consistent. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Tonya Johnston, Visit her Website, Facebook and buy her book Inside Your Ride 
• Guest: Lindsay Archer grew up in Northern California on the farm where she and her husband Matt run their business, Shady Lane Farm. They started Shady Lane in 2003 and in 2015, they teamed up with Catherine Harvey of Rhys Farms. After struggling with her own mental health, Lindsay's experience in a group therapy session during the Cavalleria Toscana Clinic in early 2024 opened her eyes to an entirely different way to process what she was going through. From that experience, she vowed to find a way to bring group therapy to the equestrian community on the West Coast, so she started the Equestrian Foundation for Mental Health Awareness (EMHA). EMHA is a 501(c)(3) tax deductible, non-profit organization.
• Guest: Kathy Rausin is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Equus coach. Kathy offers individual coaching, leadership development and team building opportunities for both private and corporate clients. She has worked with mental health groups, veterans, families, corporate training groups, and more.
• Guest: Carol Wright started riding and showing Morgan horses at the age of two at her parent’s breeding farm, Melodic Morgans. At age 10, she was Reserve Champion in the AHSA 3'6" Morgan Jr. Medal finals. By age 11, she won her first Junior Hunter Championship. Throughout her junior riding career, Carol competed in the hunters, equitation and jumpers. She made her first appearance in the Grand Prix ring at age 19. In 1991, she won her first World Cup Qualifier, a $50,000 class in Los Angeles. Carol has won numerous grand prix and hunter derbies- sometimes in the same week. She focuses on creating strong partnerships between horse and rider while keeping fun in the equation.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard, Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows, Sentinel Horse Nutrition, Laurel Springs School, Great American Insurance Group and LAURACEA

Piper speaks with August cover story of The Plaid Horse Magazine, Amanda Lyerly and Lauren Kardel about educating the next generation of equestrians. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Amanda Lyerly is a trainer and rider based out of Madison Hills Farm in Gates Mills, Ohio, and Wellington, Florida. Amanda's students and horses have won championships at the biggest horse shows in the country including the Devon Horse Show, the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, the Washington International Horse Show, WEF and the Pony Finals. Read about Amanda in the August 2024 issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine.
• Guest: Lauren Kardel is a Northern California native that has spent the last 15 years living and working in Europe. While in California, Lauren competed in the Jumpers and Equitation, picking up prizes in medal finals and at the Grand Prix level. She got her start in Europe working under Axel Verlooy and Harrie Smolders in Belgium, before spending six years in Ireland. Currently, Lauren owns a stable in East Holland where she runs a dealing and training business.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, World Equestrian Center, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows , Great American Insurance Group and LAURACEA

Piper speaks with Dianne Grod about her lifetime with horses. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Dianne Grod has excelled with Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Quarter Horses, and warmbloods for over 65 years. She won Grand Prix and Puissance classes, represented the United States in two separate Nations Cup classes, team penned, was an exercise rider on the track, scored national wins with hunters, and coached others to success all the way up to the Grand Prix Level. Dianne won the CPHA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, was inducted into the VHSA Hall of Fame in 2012, was the trainer and rider of The Godfather, who was also inducted into the CPHA Lifetime Equine Hall of Fame, managed numerous horse shows, rode and trained an Arabian to the USEF Horse of the Year, took the VHSA Jumper Champion of the year award on a homebred, and won year-end awards in team penning, among countless other accolades. Dianne is currently a clinician, a USEF "R" judge and a certified appraiser.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, World Equestrian Center, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows , Great American Insurance Group and Cheval Press

Piper speaks with Dr. Jim Chiapetta about the equine respiratory system and May cover of The Plaid Horse magazine and top junior rider, Grace Russo. Dr. Timothy Winegard also joins to talk about his upcoming book, THE HORSE: A Galloping History of Humanity. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Dr. Jim Chiapetta DVM, JD is a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and Mitchell Hamline College of Law. He was a racetrack and performance horse veterinarian prior to entering corporate intellectual property law.  He is the co-inventor of FLAIR® Equine Nasal Strips and a CEO at Achieve Equine, LLC. His equine research interests have focused extensively on exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage and the care of the equine respiratory system as well as other conditions impacting performance horses.
• Guest: Grace Russo is in her last junior year, balancing a rigorous in-person school schedule while showing at some of the top horse shows in the country. From Los Angeles, California, Russo attends Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and rides with Susie Schroer at Meadow Grove.
• Guest: Dr. Timothy C. Winegard is the author of five books including the New York Times and international bestseller, The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator. Dr. Winegard's works have been published globally in more than 15 languages, and have been covered by hundreds of other media outlets. He has appeared on CBS This Morning, Netflix, C-Span, NPR, and numerous other national and international documentaries, television and radio programs, and podcasts to discuss his research and books. Dr. Winegard holds a PhD from the University of Oxford and is an associate professor of history at Colorado Mesa University. His newest book, THE HORSE: A Galloping History of Humanity, is set to be published at the end of July.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, World Equestrian Center, LAURACEA, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows  and Great American Insurance Group

Piper speaks with Beezie and John Madden and Victoria Birdsall about their new business partnership and their plans for the future. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Beezie Madden is one of the top US show jumping riders and has set the standards for show jumping. She was the first woman to pass the $1 million mark in earnings, and in 2004, she became the first woman and American to reach the top three in the Show Jumping world-ranking list. Beezie is also the only four-time USEF Equestrian of the Year. In 2013, Beezie won the FEI World Cup Finals Champion in Gothenburg, Sweden. In 2014, Beezie became the first woman to win the King George Gold Cup at Hickstead and became the first woman to achieve back to back victories when she won again in 2015. Beezie is an Individual Olympic Bronze Medalist and a member of the two gold medal U.S. teams from the 2004 & 2008 Olympic Games and a part of the U.S silver medal team in 2016. Beezie has 18 wins in Nations Cup competition and 8 World Cup Qualifier wins. Beezie became the first rider to win the $1 Million AIG HITS Grand Prix in all three locations.
• Guest: John Madden is a distinguished figure in international horse sport. Having started his career as a groom on the hunter/jumper circuit, and progressing into an assistant trainer role, in 1984 he founded John Madden Sales Inc, and has trained many riders and horses to Championship success. John has held multiple roles in USEF, and served as Vice President of the FEI, and FEI Jumping Director. He was recently named Chairman of the Board of Non-Executive Directors for the International Grooms Association. John is married to legendary USA jumper Beezie Madden.
• Guest: Victoria Birdsall started in the sport as a young rider competing in the ponies and progressed through the equitation and jumpers, training with Holly Hill Farm, Heritage Farm, and Frank, John & Beezie Madden. She graduated from Boston College in 2015 . Since then, she has honed her skills in the jumper ring, working for top professionals, such as Anne Kursinski and Ilan Ferder, competing young horses, sale horses, and grand prix horses up to the 5* level. For the past year, Victoria has worked and trained alongside Beezie and John Madden developing her own young horses and has recently announced that she will join the John Madden Sales, Inc.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, World Equestrian Center, America Cryo, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard, Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows, Sentinel Horse Nutrition, Laurel Springs School and Great American Insurance Group