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Piper speaks with Michael Tokaruk who recently judged the 2025 Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals. 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, the Capital Challenge Horse Show, the 2024 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter Finals- West Coast, and most recently the 2025 Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals.
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• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Sponsors: Purina, Great American Insurance Group and Virginia Horse Industry Board
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Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with the 2025 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals East winner, Eleanor Rudnicki.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Eleanor Rudnicki is a professional rider for Berry Porter at Brookside Pine Farms in Conroe, Texas. Eleanor has won numerous championships in the junior equitation and hunter finals and is now competing in the both the professional hunter and international jumper rings. Eleanor most recently won the 2025 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals East aboard Qwantreau. 
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• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, Virginia Horse Industry Board,  and Great American Insurance Group 
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Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live studio audience at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT with Chelsea Coyle, Dr. Caitlin Rothacker, DVM, and Christina Keim. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Chelsea Coyle is a lifelong rider and consummate horsewoman. As the hospitality manager at HITS Horse Shows, sponsorship director at Old Salem Farm and now consultant with Highlands Horse Show, she has spent 15 years involved in the ins and outs of horse showing. Alongside her husband and head trainer, Christian, Chelsea manages Christian Coyle Show Stables based at their home in Sherman, CT. She competes as an amateur rider in both the hunter and jumper rings when she’s not ringside cheering on her future Olympians, Daisy and Grace Coyle. 
• Guest: Dr. Caitlin Rothacker, DVM is an equine veterinarian and partner at Grand Prix Equine. Located in Granby, CT, she originally hails from Brewster, New York and grew up surrounded by the hunter/jumper world.  Her current practice focuses mainly on lameness, but she also sees a wide variety of equine athletes including western performance and event horses.
• Guest: Christina Keim is an award-winning narrative journalist whose work has appeared in numerous journals and magazines, both in print and online. With Sally Batton, she is the co-author of "The Athletic Equestrian" and "Equicize.". Her newest book, "Unwanted: the Causes and Effects of America's Horse Population Crisis" takes us deep into the world of horses at risk.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
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• Sponsors: Purina, Great American Insurance Group and Virginia Horse Industry Board
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Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper reads her latest article, "Trust Fall." Following the reading, Dr. Joseph Wakshlag, a Professor of Clinical Nutrition at Cornell University joins to talk about CBD in horses.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Dr. Joseph Wakshlag is a Professor of Nutrition and Sports Medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, from which he received his DVM degree. He remained at Cornell University for a residency in pathology followed by a residency in clinical nutrition. In 2005, he also completed a PhD program in pharmacology. He became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition in 2008. Subsequently, he pursued specialty training in rehabilitation and sports medicine, becoming one of the first Veterinarians to be board certified in this specialty. Dr. Wakshlag’s research interests include carotenoids and fatty acid metabolism in cancer cell biology and metabolism in working dogs. He is widely published; lectures extensively on a variety of nutrition-related topics; and continues to mentor students, interns and residents. Dr. Wakshlag conducted the first-ever clinical trial on dogs using ElleVet CBD and continues to lead the way in hemp research in new areas of study. In the journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Dr. Wakshlag published the peer-reviewed article Dose-Dependent Increase in Whole Blood Omega-3 Fatty Acid Concentration in Horses Receiving a Marine-Based Fatty-Acid Supplement and current research includes a conference abstract from May 2025 entitled Chronic use of cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in horses does not alter their metabolic profile.
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Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live studio audience at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT with Dr. Monica Halem and Tonya Johnston, MA. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Dr. Monica Halem is an avid equestrian and accomplished New York City Fifth Avenue dermatologist with over 20 years of experience in dermatology and skin care development and recognized as one of Castle Connolly’s Exceptional Women in Medicine. She is the CEO and founder developer of EQUESTRIAN MD, the first groundbreaking advanced medical grade skincare line specifically designed for the unique needs of the equestrian community developed by a doctor and rider.  
• Guest: Tonya Johnston is a Mental Skills Coach and author with a Master’s degree in Sports Psychology. She specializes in working with equestrian athletes and loves offering performance enhancement skills education to riders of all disciplines. You can hear more about Tonya and her advice every month on the Plaidcast when she hosts ‘Inside Your Ride’. 
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
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• Sponsors: Purina, Washington International Horse Show, Great American Insurance Group and Capital Challenge Horse Show
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Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with Dr. Stephen Rich and Eric Siegel about the discovery of a natural and effective tick repellent from that may help our horses fight tick-borne diseases.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Dr. Stephen Rich is a Professor of Microbiology and Executive Director of the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases at the University of Massachusetts (UMass).   Prior to joining the UMass faculty, Dr. Rich was a Professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.  He did his graduate studies at UC Irvine (PhD), Harvard, and University of Vermont (MS).  He is a graduate of St. Lawrence University (BS) and grew up in upstate NY between the Adirondacks and the St. Lawrence River. 
• Guest: Eric Siegel is a graduate student at the university of Massachusetts working for Dr. Stephen Rich. He is also a director of Kabul Small Animal Rescue and a graduate of the royal veterinary college at the university of London. 
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• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group 
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Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live studio audience at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT with Dr. Holly Helbig, DVM. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Based in Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Holly Helbig is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine with a special interest in equine lameness. Over the past decade, she has served as the official USEF veterinarian at premier events including The World Equestrian Center, the Kentucky Horse Shows, and the Split Rock Jumping Tour, and is a licensed FEI veterinarian. In 2023, Dr. Helbig joined Zoetis, the global leader in animal health, as an Equine Technical Services Veterinarian. In this role, she supports equine practitioners in the field, collaborates with sales and marketing teams, and contributes to advancing research and innovation in equine medicine.
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• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Sponsors: Purina, Washington International Horse Show, Great American Insurance Group and Capital Challenge Horse Show
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Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with Hilary Yager who is the Program Director of Kind Wins at the Washington International Horse Show. I also talk to Plaid Horse Magazine Deputy Editor Marley Lien-Gonzalez about the September issue of The Plaid Horse magazine.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Hilary Yager is the Program Director of Kind Wins at the Washington International Horse Show, and is a dedicated advocate for safety, positivity, and respect in sports and beyond. She is Center for Safe Sport Certified and holds certifications in Bullying, Hazing, and Inappropriate Behaviors through the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), as well as Positive Coaching Alliance. Hilary is also trained as a facilitator with Sandy Hook Promise and the One Love Foundation. Through Kind Wins, she brings her expertise and passion for fostering safe, supportive, and empowering environments, helping young athletes learn that respect and kindness are as important as performance.  
• Guest:  Marley Lien-Gonzalez is Deputy Editor of The Plaid Horse and an equestrian college student studying Journalism. As a junior, she was a working student for a top-level training and sales barn and competed in the equitation and jumper rings. Since then, she’s transitioned to freelance grooming but still rides frequently, and enjoys traveling across the country to work at different horse shows.
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• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, Equine Affaire, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group 
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Piper speaks with legendary course designer Ken Krome about the upcoming Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Ken Krome has been involved with horses his whole life, having grown up on his family’s farm. He earned a rodeo scholarship to the University of Wyoming, which is also when he gained his judge’s card. Ken still rides and trains at his K2 Show Stables. As an FEI Level 3 course designer and USEF “R” rated judge, Ken has designed courses across the country and was the 2010 recipient of the WCHR Hunter Course Designer’s Trophy. He started designing at Capital Challenge Horse Show 15 years ago and is now the senior course designer leading the team for the 12-day duration of the show.
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• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Sponsors: Purina, Washington International Horse Show, Great American Insurance Group and Capital Challenge Horse Show
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Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live studio audience at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, VA with guests Mimi Wroten, President Mary Pope Maybank Hutson, Dr. Alyson Ainsworth & Dr. Christopher Smith.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Mimi Wroten is the director of the riding program and head coach of the Sweet Briar Equestrian Team. She is a USEF R judge and a USHJA certified trainer and credentialed instructor. Mimi graduated from Sweet Briar with a BA in psychology and went on to ride and teach professionally before returning to the college to coach in 1996. Mimi led Sweet Briar’s team to five Old Dominion athletic Conference championships and was voted the conference’s Coach of the Year in each of those years.
• Guest: President Hutson, a proud Sweet Briar College alumna, serves as the institution’s 14th president and its first alumna to hold the role. Her distinguished career spans public service, policy-making, volunteer leadership, historic preservation, and land conservation. Under her visionary guidance, Sweet Briar raised over $140 million between 2015 and 2023, strengthening the college’s mission and ensuring its continued growth and success.  
• Guest: Dr. Alyson Ainsworth is the equine veterinarian for Sweet Briar College. She received her DVM from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA. In addition to her veterinary work, Alyson serves as president of Aftercare Charles Town, a nonprofit that rehomes racehorses after they retire from racing and also rides her two former Virginia Polo ponies.  
• Guest: Dr. Christopher Smith is the Vice President of Enrollment management at Sweet Briar College. With more than two decades of leadership in high-impact sales and higher education, he specialties in driving enrollment growth through data-driven strategies, innovative marketing and commitment to diversity and program development. Dr. Smith is a sought-after speaker in higher education and is known for his thought leadership in enrollment management and marketing.
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• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group 
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