FROMthepublisher
#grateful Dear H&S family, Welcome to 2016 and thank you for your continued support as we go forward into our fifth year as a publication. One of the things I love most about the equestrian world is that we are all one family. Trainers, judges, riders, grooms, farriers, vendors, all sharing a bond with and a passion for the horse. While we may not know one another personally, we are all connected through just a few degrees of separation. This year started with a tragic loss when two well-known equestrians lost their lives. Due to the power of social media the news of their accident quickly spread throughout our community, and as seen by the outpouring of emotion, it was a blow that hit our equestrian family hard. The loss of Sophie Walker and Andres Rodriguez was a brutal reminder of just how precious life is and why we should be grateful for every moment we have with the people we love and the people who love us. I am eternally grateful for my family and especially my husband Matt and two daughters Ella (4) and Piper (20 months), who on occasion have graced the pages of Horse & Style. They fill my life with laughter, chaos and daily reminders that the most important part of life, is love. In the first issue of 2016 we interviewed Roy Wilten, owner of the family business Stal Wilten, the new power house in European horse sales, who is announcing plans for an American presence. Learn a bit more about the man behind the brand and why he has become a familiar name in horse sales across the country (page 62). We also took a look back at some of the most intriguing equestrians of 2015. With so many to chose from, 2015 was an epic year in our sport, our Editor Jackie McFarland, with the help of Alexis Meadows, writes about six superior individuals on page 52.
Horse & Style Publisher Sarah Appel, her husband Matt and daughters Ella and Piper pose with the girls’ pony Sweetie in the barn aisle of StillWater Equestrian at North Peak Equestrian Center in Walnut Creek, CA. Photo by Alicia Cervenka
xcited to introduce our new History of Equestrian Style series this E issue. Starting at the top and working our way down, read all about this history of how we protect our heads on page 78.
january/february ·
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