Heather Caristo-Williams & Vanessa Roman by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services

Send us Fan MailPiper, Catie Staszak and Cira Pace Malta speak with Heather Caristo-Willams about growing up in the horse world and her journey to representing the US show jumping team internationally. We also talk with trainer & rider Vanessa Roman about how she uses a mindful, grateful approach to riding and teaching. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Hosts: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse, Cira Pace Malta and Catie StaszakGuest: Heather Caristo-Williams is a show jumper who is based in Saugerties, New York and Wellington, Florida. She was a 3 time national hunter champion in her junior career. Heather also won ribbons in the equitation finals and was a 3 time gold medal winner in Young Riders. More recently, Heather competes mainly in the jumpers and has represented the US on several Nations Cup Teams. In addition to showing, Heather continues to develop young horses and train at her family’s barn, Glenview Stables.Guest: Vanessa Roman fell in love with horses at a young age while taking riding lessons at a small family farm in Stamford, Connecticut. Vanessa earned a B.A. at UMASS Amherst where the head coach of the riding program connected her with eventing riders Karen and David O’Connor. Vanessa worked with the O'Connor's as a groom for two and a half years. Vanessa moved on to the Boulder Brook Equestrian Center in 2007, where she worked as a trainer for 13 years. In 2019, Vanessa decided to venture out on her own until she partnered with Michael DelFIandra and Grafton Ridge was formed. Vanessa's unique style, which incorporates a mindful approach to the training of both horse and rider, incorporates a positive and relaxed environment at the stables. Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Purina Animal Nutrition, Alexis Kletjian, America Cryo, Nikovian, Wordley Martin Premium Equestrian Surfaces, Lauracea, American Stalls, Show Strides Book Series, Online Equestrian College Courses,  With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard, 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!