Adele Einhorn Jokes
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FOCUS ON AM ATEUR S Amateur or professional? For some, that is an obvious decision; simply a lifestyle choice. However, there are challenges that go along with being an amateur rider. Join us as three amateurs discuss their own unique ways of balancingBy Jeannie riding, work, Blancq budget, Putney family and a personal life. A Skidmore, said I should come ride, and I Balancingsaid ‘No, let’s go to lunch instead,’” Adele Adele Einhorn jokes. “She was kind enough to give me dele Einhorn has had an enviable some horses to ride, and I started taking A show record as an amateur. For lessons. I went to a little bitty horse show, the past 11 years, she has also enjoyed a won one blue ribbon, and that’s all it career in the horse industry as Skidmore took; I was in.” College’s director of special projects and In no time, Adele started competing executive director of the Skidmore Col- regularly and decided to start chasing the lege Saratoga Classic Horse Show. Ariat Medal. Thanks to a special horse It all started during a family vacation named Chambord, she was the first per- in Jamaica when she was 7 years old. son to win the Ariat Masters award. “It Adele recalls winning a bareback don- looked like the Stanley Cup trophy to me,” key race on the beach. That turned into she says. “It was a real honor. In the stand- riding lessons, showing successfully as a ings, I was the number one rider—and I junior, then riding on Skidmore’s inter- was one of the older ones at that time, as collegiate team. Since then, Adele has well.” In 2001, Adele won the New Eng- given up the sport several times. At one land Adult Medal and then started com- point, she moved to Denmark and gave peting as an amateur owner for a few years. up riding for nearly 12 years. When she “I had a nice horse that I did very came back to Skidmore, this time as an well on, but it came to the point where employee, the opportunity to ride again I had accomplished most everything I was presented to her. had hoped,” she says. “I ended up selling “Cindy Ford, the director of riding at my horse and opted to take a break from 24 USHJA IN STRIDE / DECEMBER 2008 JAMES LESLIE PARKER LESLIE JAMES Adele Einhorn on Matias at the Saratoga Horse Show not to put too much emphasis on win- ning. “It gets blown out of perspective,” she says. “Only one person at a time can again, I want to be able to commit the win, and it’s okay if it’s not you. It’s more time and the energy needed to the sport.” important for my trainer to tell me I rode riding.” Adele had just met her husband The key to having a full-time job and beautifully and did a great job, or for the Aand decided to take up snowboarding riding, according to Adele, is balance. “If owner to say ‘You rode him great.’ and have a social life outside of the riding you can’t ride five days a week, it is very “My husband says it costs about Balancing arena. important that you have someone you $1,000 every time I sit in saddle, so if In 2007,ct Adele returned to the saddle trust on your horse,” she notes. Whether I’m not out there having fun, I should after meeting Rob Bielefeld and Scott Fit- or not you own a horse, Adele says that just get off,” she continues. “The times it ton through the Skidmore College horse having a good professional who can pre- stopped being fun for me are the times I show. Rob and Scott told her she was too pare your horse is vital. “You don’t want walked away and took a break. For me, it good an equestrian not to ride. “I went to have anxiety if you’re going to horse is equally fun to watch others ride a horse to Florida for a visit and ended up leasing of mine. Kristen Vale rode my horse Bel- a horse, showing with them, and had a “ You have to set your priorities, gique a few years ago and won the World ball,” she says. “I rode with both Rob and Championship Hunter Rider Adult Scott this year, and Bobby and Christina and sometimes riding and Championship at Capital Challenge, and from Quiet Hill Farm.” The plan was for showing has to be at the bottom I never once said I wish it had been me. Adele to show in Wellington last winter, It’s the most humbling sport out there, but then her mother was diagnosed with of the list.” and that is probably what keeps me com- cancer. —Adele Einhorn ing back over and over again.” “You just never know what life throws Although she has a master’s degree at you,” she says. “You have to set your pri- shows. It should be about having fun,” she in education and loves teaching, Adele orities, and sometimes riding and showing explains. “You want to be able to just get doesn’t see herself as a professional riding has to be at the bottom of the list. It can out there and focus on your ride and know coach or trainer. “I enjoy the sport from a be work that gets in the way, or your back your horse is prepared and quiet, and the different perspective,” she explains. “I like goes out, or a family member gets sick. best he can be. At this point in my riding to have the balance between work and You just have to deal with it as it comes. career, having that peace of mind enables riding, and have the horses be my passion. We don’t have an unlimited disposable in- me to be able to balance everything else.” If it were my job, I don’t think I would come, so when I invest in owning a horse Adele also feels that it’s important enjoy it as much.” DECEMBER 2008 / USHJA IN STRIDE 25 FOCUS ON AM ATEUR S continued At the moment, Adele is horseless; but throw the four of us in the back seat of Kate’s two daughters are juniors, her she says that her perfect horse is a chunky the station wagon and we’d go to random sister keeps two horses at the farm and warmblood gelding, preferably bay. “My Texas horse shows,” Kate says. “With two her brothers both play a little bit of polo. dream horse would be one [on which] I girls, two boys and my parents showing, I Shadyside Farm is truly a family business. could wear the biggest pair of spurs they don’t know how they did it. I don’t know Without help from her family and farm make and know it’ll only have one gear— how they kept all our clothes organized!” manager Marie, Kate says she wouldn’t slow. I have a penchant for lighting them Kate remembers riding with the be able to ride, show and make it all up anyway; I’m very type ‘A’ and think I Zimmerman family, close friends of her work. “Marie runs the farm and is the could get a dead horse to run.” parents who she credits for truly bringing whole reason I can do all of this,” Kate the hunter/jumper world to Texas. “Back says. “She runs the show and makes it so Kate Gibson then, there were only eight shows in the that I can drive carpool, and then show mateur Kate Gibson came from a whole state of Texas,” she says. All four up and ride.” A horsey family, so there is no doubt of the children in Kate’s family grew up After getting her bachelor’s degree in that she inherited what she affectionately riding and then quit when they headed architecture, Kate spent three years buy- terms “the horse disease.” When her to college. Since graduating, she says, all ing art and working with Sotheby’s. Then parents met, the common denominator four have crept back into riding, along she slowly quit working, got married was that they both rode horses. Her dad with their children. and became a mom, which she says made grew up foxhunting in Texas and her The 60-acre Shadyside Farm in Mag- it easy to quit riding for a few years. At mom in North Carolina. “They would nolia, Texas, belongs to Kate and her hus- one point, however, she bought a young band Steve. It is home to some 18 horses, horse, trained it and sold it. After doing “The secret to life in general is mostly belonging to the Gibson family. that a few times, it turned into finding Mom Diana is 77 and still rides five days horses for her many avid equestrian fam- balancing things you love with a week. “I can’t imagine what my mom ily members, and she got right back into work and the other things you would do if she couldn’t ride every day,” the game. Kate credits her non-horsey says Kate. “She’s tougher than all of us husband for his support. “I am very for- have to do.” and gets mad if we give her something tunate to have my husband, who is very —Kate Gibson old to ride.” supportive,” she says. “Mostly he thinks if I took all of my attention and focused it on him he’d be tortured, so he’s happy I have this outlet.” Now Kate is actively showing in the amateur-owner hunters while her sister has been doing the adults for three years.