Vicki Lowell, Mary Helen Shaughnessy, Elizabeth Ehrlich & James Gilchrist by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services

Send us Fan MailPiper is joined by Vicki Lowell and Mary Helen Shaughnessy of the Washington International Horse Show. Elizabeth Ehrlich of Equine Elixirs and James Gilchrist, the official Olympic and World Equestrian Games farrier, also join to talk about hoof issues. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Vicki Lowell has served as the President of the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) since 2013 and has been a member of its board since 2009. She is also the Chief Marketing & Content Officer of US Equestrian (USEF), a role she took on in 2016. Prior to that, Vicki worked at Discovery Communications, where she led brand strategy and digital/social marketing for Animal Planet and TLC. Vicki is an accomplished amateur rider with numerous successes in the adult jumper ring including winning the WIHS Adult Jumper Championship in 2001.  Guest: Mary Helen Shaughnessy joined the Washington International Horse Show in 2015 as Sponsorship Coordinator and has been serving as the Executive Director since 2019. Born and raised in Baltimore, Mary Helen attended WIHS as a spectator all throughout her childhood and was lucky to eventually compete in the Children’s Jumpers and Junior Hunters. A graduate of New York University, Mary Helen worked for over ten years in New York City’s world of film and television. Mary Helen’s equestrian background includes training with top riders such as Kent Farrington and Chris Kappler. Mary Helen also traveled as the Assistant to the Chef d’Equipe with the USET on their nation’s cup tour to Europe in 2005. Her exposure to the inner workings of the sport cemented a love for equestrian events that Mary Helen has continued not only with WIHS but also through work at shows such as the Hampton Classic, Upperville, Capital Challenge, Palm Beach Masters, and Old Salem Farm.Guest: Elizabeth Ehrlich is the founder and president of Equine Elixirs.  Her unique approach to creating all-natural, whole food based supplements that address a wide range of equine health needs has taken the supplement industry by storm over the last five years. Formerly an attorney in New York, Liz now spends her days focused on equine nutrition.Guest: James Gilchrist is a farrier who has been the official Olympic and World Equestrian Games farrier and continues to work on Olympic level horses across various disciplines. James is a go-to resource for veterinarians and farriers dealing with the toughest corrective issues and is focused on helping educate the next generation of riders as to what they can do to keep their horses happy, healthy and sound. Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Purina Animal Nutrition, Alexis Kletjian, America Cryo, Nikovian, Saddlery Brands International, Show Strides Book Series, Online Equestrian College Courses,  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!