The Plaidcast

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In this special Plaidcast in Person episode, host Piper Klemm visits Chatham Hall, an all-girls boarding and day school in Chatham, Virginia, to explore the school's equestrian program and the role horses play in developing confidence, leadership, and personal growth.

Known for its strong academic community and commitment to empowering young women, Chatham Hall offers students the opportunity to pursue their passion for horses while balancing academics, athletics, and personal development. Through its equestrian program, riders of varying experience levels can develop their horsemanship skills, strengthen their relationships with horses, and...

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In this episode of The Plaidcast, host Tonya Johnston, a Mental Skills Coach with a Master’s in Sport Psychology, welcomes internationally recognized equestrian Performance Coach Poppy Blandford for an insightful conversation about mental preparation, building confidence, managing perfectionism, and developing the mindset needed to perform consistently under pressure.

Based in Ireland, Poppy works internationally with equestrian federations, development squads, teams, coaches, and riders to strengthen mental performance and help athletes thrive in competitive environments. Her clients include Olympic and World Equestrian Games athletes, Global Champions Tour team riders, and leading st...

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In this episode of The Plaidcast, Piper Klemm is joined by Anne-Sophie Milette of Primi for a conversation exploring the evolving European horse market and the process of finding and importing horses for North American riders.

Originally from Canada, Anne-Sophie moved to Belgium to pursue her career in the equestrian industry and has developed a unique perspective on the differences between European and North American horse markets. She shares how Primi is working to simplify the horse-buying experience through its fixed-price auction model, comprehensive veterinary evaluations, and transparent sales information. Anne-Sophie...

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In this episode of The Plaidcast, host Piper Klemm sits down with 2026 Washington International Horse Show judges Michael Tokaruk and Patrick Rodes to take listeners behind the scenes of one of the nation's most prestigious equitation competitions.

Michael Tokaruk is an accomplished rider, trainer, USEF "R" judge, and owner of Tokaruk Show Stables, a full-service hunter, jumper, and equitation training and sales operation based in Wellington, Florida. With numerous Grand Prix victories and championship titles to his name, Tokaruk has coached riders to success at the highest levels of the sport...

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In this special episode of Plaidcast in Person, host Piper Klemm connects with the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), an organization dedicated to helping Thoroughbred racehorses successfully transition into second careers beyond the racetrack.

The Retired Racehorse Project works to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) in equestrian sports while supporting the trainers, farms, and organizations that prepare these horses for their next chapters. Through educational programs, industry partnerships, and events like the annual Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park, the RRP highlights the versatility, athleticism, and potential of retired racehorses.<...

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Join host Piper Klemm for a special Plaidcast in Person featuring the team behind the Woodside Show Series at The Horse Park at Woodside in California. Piper sits down with members of the Woodside Show Series team to discuss the show series, its role in the equestrian community, and the importance of creating opportunities for riders and horses to learn, compete, and grow.

The Horse Park at Woodside is a nonprofit organization dedicated to equestrian sport, education, land conservation, and community involvement. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the park...

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In this episode of The Plaidcast, Piper Klemm welcomes Katie Armstrong and Dr. Maureen T. Long.

Katie Armstrong is the owner of Building Better Hunters, a business specializing in behavioral rehabilitation of show horses and colt starting. Katie discusses the importance of incorporating Western training foundations into English riding programs and how recovering from a significant injury changed her perspective on horse training. She shares her experience learning from Western professionals, the gaps she sees in foundational training within the English riding industry, and how proper groundwork, clear boundaries, and effective...

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Jen Bauersachs is one of the most respected hunter riders and horsemen in the country, and together with her husband, Rolf, she owns and operates Spring Hill Farm in Frenchtown, New Jersey. With a specialty in developing young horses, the Bauersachs produce high-level, winning hunters and jumpers that consistently make their mark at the East Coast's most prestigious competitions.

Under Jen's guidance, Spring Hill Farm has become known for producing champions and grand champions across the professional, amateur, and junior hunter divisions at shows such as the Devon Horse...

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Rennie Dyball is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author who has written, co-authored, and ghostwritten more than 20 books, ranging from picture books and middle-grade novels to celebrity memoirs and prescriptive nonfiction. A lifelong equestrian, she has built a career that blends her love of writing with her love of horses.

Together with co-author Piper Klemm, Dyball created the beloved Show Strides series — middle-grade equestrian novels originally published by The Plaid Horse and now reissued by Andrews McMeel Universal — which has earned multiple Equus Awards for equestrian fiction. Her middle-grade novel Good...

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Harold Chopping has built his career around developing young horses and competing at the upper levels of the sport. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Harold grew up on a farm where horses quickly became a major part of his life. His early years included everything from riding inexpensive horses with his sister and building their own cross-country jumps to eventually receiving formal training with John Weir at Joker’s Hill.

As a junior, Harold gained international experience competing on team trips to Mexico and Cuba, along with provincial teams and Young Riders cl...

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Michael Tokaruk is a top rider, trainer, and USEF "R" judge, and the owner of Tokaruk Show Stables, a full-service hunter, jumper, and equitation training and sales operation based year round in Wellington, Florida.
Tokaruk discovered his love of horses as a young rider in his native Canada before moving to the United States and taking a working student position at River's Edge Farm under Ken Berkley and Gary Zook. He rose through the junior hunter, jumper, and equitation ranks, winning classes at Devon and earning ribbons at both the...

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In this episode, we highlight Dr. Cindra Kamphoff and her work in confidence, grit, and mental performance.

Dr. Kamphoff is the author of The Confidence Habit, Beyond Grit, and Beyond Grit for Business. Through her work, she helps athletes, professionals, and individuals strengthen their mindset, build confidence, and perform at their best.

Dr. Kamphoff is the founder of the Mentally Strong Institute and leads the Mentally Strong Kids nonprofit organization. Her professional experience also includes four years providing mental training for the Minnesota Vikings.

Her books can...

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McKenzie Armour Gramling is a professional body clipper, braider, and the owner of Armour Equine Services, based in the Carolinas. Specializing in clipping, braiding, and full-service grooming, she has built her business around providing riders and their horses with reliable, high-quality care and polished turnout for the show ring.

With a strong eye for detail and an emphasis on professionalism, Gramling approaches each horse individually, prioritizing safety and well-being throughout the grooming process. Her work combines the technical skills required for top-level turnout with an understanding of the care and patience...

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Kayleigh Tansey and Piper Klemm discuss My Show Strides School Vacation, the third interactive workbook in the Show Strides universe. 

Join The Plaid Horse Kids' Book Club!

Regina Welsh is the founder and director of the US Pony Racing. She has been a voice behind expanding the sport of steeplechase racing and making it accessible to the younger generations. The USPR offers opportunities to young riders who may not have access to ponies and provides mounts for the kids to race with. Re...

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On this episode of The Plaidcast, Piper Klemm is joined by guests from across the equestrian world to talk about giving back to the sport, the relationship between horses and humans, and new opportunities for the next generation of riders.

Elizabeth Letts

Bestselling author Elizabeth Letts joins Piper to discuss her latest historical fiction novel, Fallen for France, and the experiences that shaped the story. Elizabeth shares how her lifelong connection to Morocco and her love of horses influenced the novel, which follows an Arabian mare taken...

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Meghan Rawlins is a licensed coach, professional horsewoman, and internationally certified course designer, and the owner of Cedar Vista Stables in Victoria, British Columbia. A lifelong rider, she competed in the hunters, jumpers, and eventing from a young age before launching her professional equestrian career in 1993, apprenticing under top professionals — including Claudia Cojocar — as she developed her craft.

Rawlins discovered course design early in her professional life, first lending a hand at local Vancouver Island shows in exchange for entries so she could ride more horses. Encouraged by veteran FEI course desi...

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Read Brooke Goodman's Cover Story. 

Brooke Goodman is a New York–based fashion model represented by The Management NYC and Karin Models in Paris. Standing 5'10" with brown hair and striking hazel eyes, she brings an elegant, editorial presence to the runway and the lens, pairing classic bone structure with an easy, magnetic confidence in front of the camera.

A summa cum laude English graduate of The George Washington University, Brooke balances her modeling career with a lifelong devotion to horses, competing in the jumper ring and working within the...

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In this episode hosted by Tonya Johnston, Metal Skills Coach: 

Winn Alden 

Winn Alden is an accomplished hunter/jumper professional based in Virginia, where she runs Winn Alden Equestrian, a full-service boarding and show barn offering both horse training and rider coaching. With decades in the sport and a résumé of wins at many of the country's top shows across the hunters, jumpers, and equitation, she has earned a reputation as one of the East Coast's most respected horsewomen.

A consistent winner in the show...

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Lila Kilby is the Equestrian Director at Balsam Mountain Preserve, a 4,400-acre private residential community in Sylva, North Carolina, set amid the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. A Greenville, South Carolina native, Lila was bitten by the horse bug at age six on the back of a gentle Tennessee Walker named Sonny, and she never looked back. She earned her B.S. in Animal Science from Clemson University in 2016, then spent that year's show season working for a hunter/jumper veterinarian, traveling to circuits in Chicago, Traverse City, and Tryon.<...

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Emi Richard is a top junior hunter/jumper and equitation rider from Middlefield, Connecticut, competing out of Zone 1. At 16, Emi Richard has accomplished more in her Junior career than most equestrians achieve in a lifetime. A gifted catch-rider, she has built a reputation for her adaptability in the irons and her deep connection with the horses and ponies she pilots.

In June 2026, Emi captured one of the sport's prestigious junior titles, winning the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic—East at the Kentucky Horse Park during the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Ch...

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Dr. Michele Frazer, DVM, is a board-certified equine veterinarian at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky — one of the world's oldest and most respected equine veterinary practices — where she holds dual diplomate status in two of the most demanding specialties in veterinary medicine. A diplomate of both the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, Dr. Frazer represents the kind of deep, specialized expertise that the most complex equine cases demand. 

Her passion for horses and the equine industry was a...

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Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with  Hailey Eynon and Sophia Donald. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

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Emily Elek is one of the most respected and prolific figures in American pony hunter sport — a trainer, breeder, and program builder whose Stonewall Ponies in Ixonia, Wisconsin has become one of the largest and most recognized pony operations in the country. 

While attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where she majored in zoology, she helped establish the school's equestrian team and competed in the open equitation divisions and the Cacchione Cup. That combination of academic rigor and hands-on equestrian leadership was a preview of the career she wou...

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Read about Dinette here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/kcndc/hvwa/#p=1

Dinette Neuteboom is a Dutch-born equestrian professional, writer, and educator, and the founder of HorseGrooms — a platform dedicated to supporting and educating grooms around the world. She grew up in Hattem, the Netherlands, where despite coming from a non-horsey family, a friend in elementary school introduced her to horses and she was immediately hooked — spending hours absorbing everything she could about horse care, riding, and showing jumpers. That early passion quickly found a second outlet: she began writing for her eque...

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Shelby Dennis is an acclaimed professional horse trainer, equine advocate, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) certified equine behavior consultant, and cofounding member of the Alliance for Horse Welfare in Sport. A driving force in the equestrian world, she is known for her compassionate approach to horse training and her unwavering commitment to the well-being of horses. With a lifetime of experience in the saddle and a deep understanding of equine behavior, Shelby has dedicated her career to promoting a more empathetic and respectful relationship between horses and humans. 

Growing u...

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The Five-Dollar Horse by Ellen Feld

A boy, a horse, and an impossible dream...

When the school bully started teasing Drew Anderson, the young boy found solace riding his mother's old horse, Rusty. Whether spending time grooming the horse or galloping through the pasture, Drew found that the stresses of school and the constant bullying faded when he was with Rusty. When it was time to retire Rusty, however, Drew felt lost without a horse to ride. That was until he heard about a national...

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Benita Fitzgerald Mosley

Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley is the CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. An established international leader in nonprofit, sports, and business, Benita has served as CEO of Multiplying Good, a nonprofit committed to cultivating greatness through service to others. She has also served as the President of FundPlay Foundation, the VP of Community & Impact for LeagueApps, and the CEO of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, where she helped leverage the power of sport to build thriving kids and communities across...

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Dr. Erica Lacher is an equine veterinarian and the owner of Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida, near Gainesville. With more than twenty years of experience running her own equine practice, she has also served on the admissions committee for the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, where she has reviewed hundreds of student applications. 

Beyond the clinic, Dr. Lacher is a podcaster, speaker, and equestrian whose practice runs on two philosophies: a better educated client is a better client, and hire the right people and keep them happy. R...

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Tonya Johnston, MA, is a Mental Skills Coach and author who works with riders all over the world. Tonya specializes in working with equestrian athletes from disciplines such as hunter/jumper, three-day eventing, reining and dressage. Tonya’s book is called “Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse.”

Tonya’s individual clients range from youngsters just starting out in the pony divisions all the way up to professionals competing at international championships. She conducts mental training clinics at private barns throughout the country and also works wi...

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Olivia Ferro is a 24 year old author, equestrian, producer, and writer based in the United States. She describes herself as an author and equestrian who rides with Metro Stables and is a proud Fresno State alumna, where she competed on the varsity equestrian team. 

Her second book, lowercase, is available here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/lowercase-olivia-k-ferro/34c37ae1bf3b6983?ean=9798295680519&next=t

As a collegiate rider for the Fresno State Bulldogs, Olivia competed primarily in the jumping seat discipline, earning multiple Match of t...

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Amy Dragoo has been shooting the Kentucky Three-Day Event for over 24 years, and she's been a photographer for Practical Horseman for more than 30 years. If you've ever opened a copy of Practical Horseman, Dressage Today, or the Chronicle of the Horse, you've almost certainly seen her work. 

Based in the Philadelphia area, Amy is an internationally recognized commercial and editorial photographer serving magazine and website publishers, equestrian sport sponsors, and stock agencies across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Known for her creative angles, stunning ba...

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Dr. Clair Thunes, PhD is an equine nutritionist and the founder of Clarity Equine Nutrition®, bringing over 35 years of hands-on experience as a horse owner to her practice. She earned her BSc (Hons) in Animal Science from Edinburgh University, her MS in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis, and her PhD in Nutrition from UC Davis in 2005. Through her consultancy, Dr. Thunes develops individualized feeding programs for a diverse range of horses — from high-performance athletes and lactating mares to seniors and horses managing complex conditions such as insulin resistance, PPID, and...

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Piper interviews the Amateur Owner Hunter Champions at The Devon Horse Show 2026- Stephanie Danhakl, Martha Ingram, & Melissa Jacobs. 

theplaidhorse.com

Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us.

At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply i...

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The MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program (EAP) is a development initiative run by the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association to help up-and-coming riders build both their riding skills and their horsemanship knowledge. Created in 2009, the program has become a launching pad for many riders who've gone on to succeed in major equitation and jumper finals, including the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, the ASPCA Maclay, and USEF Prix des States, among others. 

The program is open to junior, amateur, and professional members ages 12 and older as of December 1 o...

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Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with researcher Janet Jones, Ph.D. about her new book, A Horse's World: A Neuroscientist's Journey Into the Equine Mind.  Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

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In this week’s Plaidchat, we welcome guests from two unique corners of the horse world, plus a Trainer Tuesday segment with Eric Chapman.

First, Nancy Thrower joins us to discuss the Black Stallion Reading Project, a literacy initiative bringing horses and reading together for thousands of children in Marion County, Florida. Nancy is a lifelong horsewoman and advocate for youth engagement through equestrian education. Through the Black Stallion Reading Project and the Ocala Horse Alliance, students receive copies of The Black Stallion, participate in horse-centered educational experiences, and are introduced to...

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Recorded live at the Savannah College of Art and Design

Piper is joined by National Horse Show Hall of Fame Horsemen Archie Cox for a live discussion with the 2026 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association national champions Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. 

Horses have always loomed large in Archie Cox's life. As a junior rider on the East Coast, he was already competing on the national level — in 1985, he became the first male rider in ten years to win the United States Equestrian Team Gold Medal, and ear...

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Tina Silva is the founder of Equestrian Safety Group and Executive Director of Devil Dog Ranch. A former Lieutenant in the fire service, she brings real-world emergency response expertise to equestrian safety education. With a background spanning multiple disciplines, farm management, and coaching vaulters and riders, Tina's mission is to make the equestrian world safer for horses and riders at every level. 

Elizabeth Rinehart was recently named Best Child Rider at the prestigious Devon Horse Show. "Lizzie" grew up riding practically from the time she could walk, and she comes from a...

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Orchid Bertelsen is one of the most distinctive and analytically sharp voices to emerge in equestrian media in this year. She built a twenty-year career at the highest levels of digital marketing and e-commerce before the horse world pulled her back in and gave her something new to write about. Her professional background spans Fortune 5 accounts at Dentsu, leading digital strategy across more than 40 consumer brands at Nestlé USA, and running operations at Common Thread Collective, a DTC e-commerce growth agency where she built the financial systems that helped brands grow profitably across p...

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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. Piper speaks with co-author of the Show Strides series Rennie Dyball about book 9, Tally's Turn. Piper also speaks with Madison Sanders, lifelong hunter/jumper rider and the founder of Elite Equine Marketplace, a modern, map-based platform designed to streamline how equestrians buy, sell, and connect.

In Show Strides Book 9, as the new trainer at Quince Oaks, gets settled in, she gives Tally a s...