About Emily
Emily started out as a horse crazy little girl. She drew picture books of horses before she could spell. Her parents thought it was a phase and if they held out, then maybe it would pass. On her 10th birthday they finally gifted her with riding lessons at a local hunter/jumper lesson barn. At age 12, Emily began eventing and joined Redland Hunt Pony Club in Olney, Maryland. She got her first horse at age 14, an off track thoroughbred. Over the next several years Emily took on working student positions, barn jobs, evented, brought along a couple of her own young horses and sat on anything she could.
In college, Emily met her current horse/unicorn Mo. Mo was a gangly six year old off track thoroughbred with limited steering and even less social skills. No one would have guessed that that little guy would become a dressage rockstar and turn Emily into a real rider in the process. The first few years Emily and Mo evented but eventually Emily changed her focus to dressage.
After college, Emily tried working in an office but soon decided she was happier doing horses and accepted a job offer working for an FEI dressage barn in New Jersey in Spring of 2017. There, Emily gained experience managing the everyday grooming, turnout, and care for up to 15 horses. She also managed her own training clients off site. She and Mo competed at their first regional championships, so much fun!
After a year of valuable riding and management experience, in 2018 Emily moved back to Maryland to be the assistant trainer for Grand Prix Rider Barbara Strawson. Emily then finished her USDF Bronze Medal aboard her ottb Mo and was given the opportunity to compete client horses, earning scores up to 71%.
In 2019 Emily and Mo successfully made their 4th level debut and in 2020 Emily took her business solo. Her next goal is to finish her USDF Silver Medal. Due to Mo’s medical issues, Emily has had to be patient about goals and timelines, but she has gained valuable knowledge and experience that will benefit every horse she works with for the rest of her career.
Emily continues her education by continuing lessons and attending clinics. She continues to regularly ride with USDF Gold Medalist Amelia Lyon. She has also had the privilege of riding with Bent Jensen, Michele Wellman George Williams, Michael Poulin, and Nicole Uphoff, and JJ Tate. Emily hopes to also one day pursue becoming a licensed judge.
About Siouxperlucky (aka Mo) - 2006 0TTB Gelding
Emily began riding Mo for a friend in 2012 after he proved to be a tough resale. After a few months she realized she really enjoyed him and bought him for herself in 2013. The first couple years together they evented until Emily turned her focus towards dressage. Mo said yes ma’am and surprised everyone when he showed what he was capable of.
Mo helped Emily earn her USDF Bronze Medal in 2018 (All 6 scores with Mo), and then moved up to 4th level in 2019 with very competitive results. In November of 2019 Mo was diagnosed with a tear to a ligament and had surgery to remove it, in 2020 Mo was diagnosed with kissing spine, Spring 2021 a suspensory lesion, and in December of 2021 recived an ostectomy for his kissing spine after pain management was unsuccessful.
In 2021 Mo and Emily were the recipients of the 2021 Karen Skvarla Fund Grant for Young Professionals from the Dressage Foundation and used it to help bring Mo back to work.
October 30th, 2022 at about 10 months post-op, Emily and Mo made it back into the show ring at 3rd level. They earned a 67.6% and won their class. Emily plans to slowly keep chipping away over the winter and is looking forward to next show season with her best buddy.
2023 proved to be another difficult year with Mo becoming very ill with colitis. Emily spent many months bringing him back to health. He’s back in work and getting stronger every day. Emily’s dream is still to finish her last 2 scores for her Silver Medal with Mo, but he owes her nothing and they will just see what happens!