The Plaidcast

Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with top international show jumper Katie Dinan and teaches a technique for keeping the spark in your goal setting. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   Host: Tonya Johnston, Visit her Website, Facebook and buy her book Inside Your Ride Guest: After a terrific junior career, Katie Dinan has been a steady presence on the international show jumping circuit for more than a decade, since winning her first major grand prix in 2012. She was shortlisted for the Paris Olympics, has represented the United States in multiple Nations Cups and World Cup Finals, and was the top placing American in the World Cup finals in 2025. Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Piper speaks with top trainers, Ken & Emily Smith of Ashland Farms. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuests: Ken and Emily Smith are the owners and operators of Ashland Farms, based in Wellington, Florida, and Lexington, Kentucky. Both Ken and Emily grew up in the industry; Ken as the son of trainer John Smith in Upstate New York, and Emily as the daughter of equine veterinarian Scott Traphagen in South Florida. Ken and Emily worked for Howard Lewis at the Chagrin Valley Hunt Club before launching Ashland Farms in 1993. Now one of North America’s top sales barns, Ashland Farms has produced many national title-claiming riders.Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineTitle Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance GroupJoin us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Piper speaks with top hunter rider and trainer, Nick Haness. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Nick Haness is a top hunter/jumper trainer who is based out of Temecula, California. Some of Nick's most notable accomplishments include being named the Chronicle of the Horse's Show Hunter Person of the Year in 2022, he won the Devon Horse Show Leading Hunter Rider in 2023 and 2024, he won the 2024 $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Peter Wetherill Hunter Spectacular in Wellington, Florida, he was named the 2024 USEF Equestrian of the Year, and he recently won the $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider West Coast Hunter Spectacular in Thermal, California for the fourth year in a row.Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineTitle Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance GroupJoin us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

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 with Sonja Ochadlik about the different types of equine education. Listen in and share with friends!Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Sonja Ochadlik is a showjumping rider originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and now based in Ireland. She runs Stonehall Sporthorses, a business specialising in producing young horses and sourcing and selling top-quality horses and ponies. Sonja is passionate about the training and welfare of horses and working towards making the sport of showjumping more inclusive. Read the May/June Issue of The Plaid Horse MagazineSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineTitle Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Piper speaks with senior reporter for The Chronicle of the Horse, Kimberly Loushin about media in horse sport. Piper also speaks with the director of the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, Emily Day about the upcoming 172nd anniversary horse show, which will take place in June. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Kimberly Loushin is a senior reporter for The Chronicle of the Horse. Over the last 11 years, she’s covered Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals and major horse shows throughout the United States.  Guest: Emily Day is the director of the Upperville Colt & Horse Show in Upperville, VA. She’s a lifelong horsewoman who grew up foxhunting, eventing, going to local hunter shows, and even endurance riding with her parents. Along with her husband, Jimmy, she ran a flat and steeplechase training business for 30 years, until Jimmy retired from training in 2020. In 2019, she assumed the role of horse show director, and is currently preparing for the 172nd Anniversary of Upperville, which will take place in June 2025.Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineTitle Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance GroupJoin us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

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. Today, Piper speaks with one of the judges from the 2025 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championship in Mill Spring, North Carolina, Michael Tokaruk. Listen in and share with your friends!Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Michael Tokaruk is a top rider, trainer and judge who also runs a training and sales business, Tokaruk Show Stables, out of Tennessee and Wellington, Florida. Michael worked with top professionals such as Scott Stewart, Missy Clark, Bob Braswell and Anne Kursinski as a junior rider. Michael has multiple grand prix wins, international and national hunter derby wins to his credit along with continuing his professional education by working with professionals such as Chris Kappler, Andre Dignelli, Katie Monahan-Prudent, and Melanie Smith Taylor. Michael has judged at some of the most prestigious horse shows including the 2021 USET Talent Search Finals East, 2022 ASPCA Maclay Finals, Capital Challenge Horse Show, the 2024 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter Finals- West Coast in Del Mar, California and will be judging the 2025 USEF Medal Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.Read the May/June Issue of The Plaid Horse MagazineSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Piper hosts Plaidcast LIVE! from The Madeira School in McLean, VA with guests Phoebe Lang, Dr. Lisa Metcalf, DVM/MS and Dr. Kimberly Brokaw, DVM. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Phoebe Lang was born and raised in the Washington, DC area and ignited her passion for horses at Madeira’s summer riding program when she was seven years old. Upon graduating from Madeira in 1985, Phoebe attending Kenyon College and then moved to San Francisco, raised her three children, and started riding again in her 30’s. Phoebe has devoted the past 25 years to pursuing elite-level show jumping throughout the US, Canada, and Europe, reaching the FEI 3* level. She built her farm and training business, Zeitgeist Equestrian and Equstech, in Petaluma, CA, and has worked on developing several equine therapeutic devices. While Phebe has retired from riding competitively, she still owns and cares for six horses and has been spending time launching the breeding career of one of her former grand prix stallions. Guest: Dr. Lisa Metcalf, DVM/MS grew up on a horse farm in northern VA, and her lifelong passion for horses shaped a distinguished academic and professional journey. After attending Madeira and then earning her BA in Biology from Wesleyan University, Dr. Metcalf went on to obtain her DVM from The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and her MS in Endocrinology from UC Davis. Dr. Metcalf is a decorated and board-certified theriogenologist; a specialist in the practice of animal reproduction. Beyond her clinical work, she has held influential roles with organizations such as the Oregon Veterinary Racing Commission, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and the Portland Mounted Patrol Unit. An internationally sought-after speaker and widely published author, Dr. Metcalf brings deep expertise, passion, and perspective to the world of veterinary reproductive medicine. Guest: Dr. Kimberly Brokaw DVM’s passion for horses and animal science, fostered by the Madeira school, led her to pursue her BS in animal science at the University of Maryland. She then earned her Doctorate from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Following her 15 years of service at the Walkersville Veterinary Clinic of Maryland, she currently brings her expertise to two impactful roles: as a Veterinary Medical Officer for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and as a passionate team member at Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue in Mount Airy, MD, a nonprofit organization devoted to rescuing and rehabilitating draft horses.Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

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. Today, Piper speaks with The Plaid Horse Small Business Contest winner, Ruthann Smith of Lucky Braids.  Listen in and share with your friends!Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Ruthann Smith, founder of Lucky Braids, is a professional braider for world champion riders and an advocate for top turnout and better horsemanship. She educates handlers on proper care, grooming, and braiding; knowing that great performance starts with a confident, well-cared for horse. Through nationwide speaking engagements and her grooming products, she bridges the gap between elite show barn practices and everyday horse owners. Read the April Issue of The Plaid Horse MagazineSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with top junior riders Adriana Forte and Violet Tatum. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   Host: Tonya Johnston, Visit her Website, Facebook and buy her book Inside Your Ride Guest: Adriana Forte is a 17-year-old from New York City and Water Mill, NY. She trains with First Blue, LLC in Riverhead, NY, and has been training under Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm since 2024. She is verbally committed to the D1 equestrian team of Texas A&M University. In 2024, she won the WIHS Equitation Finals and had top finishes in all 3'6" equitation finals. Guest: Violet Tatum is a top junior rider who currently splits her time between the west and east coast. On the east coast, she trains with the team at North Run - Missy Clark, John Brennan and Maggie Gampfer. On the west coast, she rides with Archie Cox of Brookway stables and John Bragg of Bridgeport farms. Violet won the Ronnie Mutch Equitation championship at Thermal this year and the Gladstone Cup in 2024 and finished in the top 12 of the Maclay and WIHS Equitation Finals. In the hunters, Violet was Grand Champion 3’6 Small Junior Hunters 15 & under at Capital Challenge, Champion and Reserve Champion at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, and Champion 3’6 Small Junior Hunters at the Washington International Horse Show. Violet is a prolific catch rider who is very coachable and truly loves the horses.Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

In this special episode, Piper Klemm joins Camron Adibi as a guest on The Centaur Podcast. They discuss Piper's background, The Plaid Horse and educating the next generation of equestrians. Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineJoin us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!