The Horse Show

S7E1 - From Triathlon to Eventing

Courtenay Tuxhorn, 44, is an amateur 3-day event rider originally from Harwood, Maryland. She grew up working and riding on a family friend’s thoroughbred farm, galloping racehorses and dabbling in the hunters and jumpers. Her life revolved around the barn until she graduated college, when the reality of an entry-level job in a big city lured her out of the saddle and in search of new sports. She took up cycling and triathlon and raced professionally with some of the best women in the world. Some of her career highlights include overall female wins at the 2013 American Discovery Trail Marathon in Colorado, the 2009 Danskin Seattle Triathlon, and the 2010 Maryland Half Marathon; representing the U.S. at ITU Duathlon World Championships in 2011; and standing on numerous podiums at bike races across California. After over a dozen years of racing, Courtenay decided it was time to get back to horses. She took stock of the modern sport horse landscape to see where her favorite breed -- the thoroughbred -- excels, and decided to pursue eventing. In early 2017, she found a racehorse ready for his second career at Laurel Park Racetrack in Maryland, and the two of them began learning the sport together. Courtenay and BA Messenger, aka "Bam", completed their first FEI event in 2021, the CCI 2*-Long at the Tryon International. We hear how Courtney came to circle back to her first passion and whaat’s next for her and Bam. Host: Chris Stafford Recorded: January 31, 2022 For more information, links and resources and hundreds more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1500+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. We are ranked in the top 2% of more than 2.71 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

S6E10: Women Making Olympic Equestrian History

Irish journalist Louise Parkes joins Chris this week to share her experience and reflections on the Tokyo Olympic Games. Louise was the pen behind the press releases for the FEI in Tokyo and watched history being made at these unusual Games. The world too enjoyed watching as German women not only won dressage and eventing gold medals but also occupied seven places in the top ten of the dressage freestyle, including the top five spots. Eventer Julia Krajewski slid into the gold medal position after cross country when her teammate and favorite Michael Jung accrued penalties and she made no mistake that this was to be her competition. That these Games happened at all during a pandemic was a massive achievement for all concerned and much credit is due to the Japanese people who ensured that the horses benefitted from five-star accommodation and the viewing public enjoyed some outstanding performances that will go down in the record books with women becoming Olympic Champions. Host: Chris Stafford For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

S6E9: Catherine Reddick, Strides for Equality

Life-long horsewoman and eventer, Catherine Reddick, is part of the leadership team for a new organization that was established to create equitable opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the horse world. Strides for Equality (SEE) was founded by a group of women in 2020 to address access and opportunities in a sport that traditionally in some countries is perceived as elite and expensive. SEE has already built a network of partnerships and created a scholarship and grant program, which will open the barn door to BIPOC people. Education will play a key role by explaining anti-racism; promoting informed allyship; supports organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion work. SEE celebrates the history of BIPOC equestrians and elevates the visibility of BIPOC equestrians today. Host: Chris Stafford For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

S6E8: Sydney Collier's Paralympic Journey

With just over a week to go to the start of the Paralympic Games, athletes making their way to Tokyo include the horses for the Para-dressage competitions. These are divided into five grades depending upon the nature and extent of the impairment and the level of difficulty of the test they perform is relative to their allocated grade. Sydney Collier from Ann Arbor, Michigan is a Grade I rider and part of the U.S. squad currently in quarantine in Aachen, Germany as a traveling reserve. This is the second time she has been named to the Paralympic team having competed in Rio with Western Rose. Since June 2019, Collier has been competing with Going for Gold LLC’s 12 year old Hanoverian gelding, All In One. Show jumper Georgina Bloomberg bought the horse for Sydney who needed a new mount for her Tokyo campaign. The pair have been consistently posting scores in the 70s this year earning them selection to the team as the first traveling reserve. Chris spoke to Sydney last week prior to the team’s departure to talk about the US combinations and who their main rivals will be. Host: Chris Stafford For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].

S6E7 - Olympic Review with Sara Kozumplik Murphy

Eventer and coach Sara Kozumplik Murphy joins Chris this week to review the Olympic events so far with just the team jumping medals to be contested in the closing stages of the Tokyo Games. First Sara shares her impressions of the dressage in which women occupied the top five places with Germany’s Jessica von Bedahl Wendl (TSF Dalera) taking gold ahead of the legend that is Isabell Werth. Isabell announced after that her partner Bella Rose would be retired after these games. And in the team competition it was USA (7747) with two women; Adrienne Lyle and Sabina Shut Kerry (Sancero) who won the silver medal beating GB (7723) by the narrowest of margins. Eventing saw historu being made when Germany’s Julia Krajewski (Amande De B’Neville) claimed the gold medal. Hard to imagine with so many great women riders that this is a first in eventing. As we discuss, the facilities for the horses at these games has been fabulous by all reports because we knew the heat and humidity would be challenging and their welfare is paramount. Host: Chris Stafford For more information, links and resources plus conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s First and Only Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 60 hosts, 1300+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com [info@wispsports.com].