Hi! I’m so flattered that you’re curious to learn About Me… I’m blushing.

In general, I’m an open book, and I love a good introduction, but even better, I love the Coles Notes version. Here’s mine;

I’m a West Coast Momma, a professional marketer and Executive Head Hunter, author, and lifelong horse-girl.

I grew up in the Pony Club era, fell in love with riding at summer camp, and insisted on taking riding lessons. Lessons turned into schooling shows, and eventually evolved into owning my own horse and showing all through my junior years in the hunters and jumpers throughout North America in Gold-rated / “A” circuit shows.

When injury and early adulthood collided, it spelled out ‘ time for a break’ and I sold my horses and focused on education. With the ink barely dry on my degree, I raced back to the barn in a new capacity as a working rider and groom. This unexpected and serendipitous labor of love allowed me to travel throughout Canada and the US showing horses, including spending winters in the epicenter of horse showing in North America – Wellington Florida, at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).

This 3-year experience had a profound and lasting impact on my life. It instilled a work ethic that would continue to serve me for years to come and would propel my more traditional professional career as a marketer for the next two decades.

During the phase of life where horses took a back seat; I accomplished a few other things:

  • I discovered long-distance triathlon and got obsessed with Ironman distance racing
  • I took a professional gap year (ok two) to work for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver which ended up being the experience of a lifetime and another pivotal “moment” in my life that opened doors and made connections that to this day I’m grateful for
  • I traveled solo through Southeast Asia and Central America
  • I started investing in real estate and bought my first condo, becoming a landlord while still renting where I lived
  • I met my husband and we started our family of three (not including our four-legged dependants)

Once a horse girl, always a horse girl, so somewhere between meeting my husband and starting our family, I brought horses back into my life. I leased a horse that was simply for pleasure. He wasn’t fancy, I never had plans to show him and despite having horses all throughout my childhood, he was my first ever… heart horse.

In that time, in my 30’s, it was the first time since summer camp I was riding horses for the pure joy of it all. No expectations, no pressure, no training… just riding. I loved him.

During my maternity leave, I started teaching riding as a way to get out of the house and back to the place that brings me the most joy – the barn. I ended up teaching riding to kids, adult beginners, those learning to jump and those going to their first show. Although this was a side-hustle, teaching for me was life-fueling, cup-filling and an energy source I needed and cherished.

I found my way back into a show barn where I was riding high-performance horses again working as an instructor and working rider, all while building a consulting business as a professional head hunter.

In 2022 I found Annie. My beautiful mare who brought me back into the hunter show ring as an Amateur Owner and has me living out my horse-girl dreams. It’s been a wild ride and the driving force behind So You’re Going To Buy A Horse?

Now, my focus is on you – the newcomer to the equestrian world.

Whether you grew up in the saddle like me and you’re in your horse-girl revival era, or if you’re a parent to a kiddo who’s fallen head over hooves for horses and you don’t know where to start in supporting them, you’re in the right place.

 

This blog and this book are a culmination of so many things in my life;

  • A lifetime of experience and passion for horses
  • My deep desire to teach
  • My even deeper desire to share something that has brought so much joy and happiness to my life
  • My intrinsic drive for connection, sharing common ground and having community
  • My unwavering belief in that everyone deserves to live out their best life, we all just need some guidance along the way

Now, with my book So You’re Going To Buy A Horse? helping people navigate their journey into horse ownership, I focus on serving you with valuable content that meets you wherever you may be in your equestrian experience.

The sequel So You’re Going To A Horse Show? is also available for those going to their first show, or who, like me, are making their back to the show ring and need a crash course in everything horse show related and show up confident and ready to do more than just survive the horse show… you can enjoy it too.

Most importantly, above all else, I’m here to cheer you on. It’s a twisty-turny, bumpy road getting from here to our dreams. We all need someone in our corner, someone who gets it, who’s been there, who we can laugh with and who can help us see where we’re going when things get a little foggy.

So that’s it. That’s me. I’m so glad you’re here. If you want to connect, to stay close and do more of … this, then share your email with me and occasionally I’ll drop by, check-in, share what I’m up to and ask how you’ve been.

Let’s Keep In Touch…

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