Amanda Steege, Hannah Isop & Jennifer Bliss by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services

Send us Fan MailPiper speaks with International Hunter Derby riders Amanda Steege, Hannah Isop and Jennifer Bliss about the longtime partnerships they have with their horses and how they prepared for this year's Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals in Lexington, Kentucky. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Amanda Steege is a top hunter rider and trainer that has won multiple International Derbies and Championships at the biggest shows in the country with her longtime partner, Lafitte de Muze. Amanda runs her training and sales business, Ashmeadow Farm out of Califon, New Jersey and Ocala, Florida. Amanda and Lafitte most recently placed 3rd in the first round of the 2023 USHJA/ Platinum Performance International Hunter Derby Finals in Lexington, Kentucky. Guest: Hannah Isop is a third generation equestrian. She teaches and trains out of her family’s Harkaway Farm in Brewster, New York. Hannah has won numerous International and National Hunter Derbies including Reserve Champion in the 2022 USHJA/ Platinum Performance International Hunter Derby Finals and most recently,  6th place overall in the 2023 USHJA Derby Finals in Lexington, Kentucky with her longtime partner, Red Ryder. Guest: Jennifer Bliss grew up in New York and showed extensively as a junior rider. Jenn opened Harris Hill Farm, LLC in 2008 and has worked her way up to establish herself as a successful Professional rider and trainer, winning many International and National Hunter Derbies. Jenn earned her official USHJA Trainer's Certification in 2011 and holds her USEF "R" Judge's license for the Hunter and Equitation divisions. Jenn recently finished 18th overall in the 2023 USHJA/ Platinum Performance International Hunter Derby Finals in Lexington, Kentucky with her longtime partner, Poker Face.Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Purina Animal Nutrition, America Cryo, Alexis Kletjian Jewelry, LAURACEA, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard, Good Boy, Eddie and American Equestrian Schooltheplaidhorse.comThank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us.At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize.Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse  Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here.We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place.Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring!