Practical Horseman Podcast

In this episode of the Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by Tribute Equine Nutrition, we talk to Will Coleman, this spring’s winner of the Defender Kentucky CCI5* and team bronze medalist from the summer FEI Eventing World Championships in Aachen, Germany.In Aachen, Coleman and Diabolo, a 14-year-old Holsteiner owned by the Diabolo Group, were also the highest-placed U.S. pair in fourth individually. Shortly after that result, Coleman went back overseas with Very Dignified to finish seventh in the Defender Burghley CCI5*, and after he returned home from that adventure, he rode Box Como to an Advanced-level win at The Fork International Three-Day Event in Tryon, North Carolina. In this podcast, Coleman tells us about his very busy—and successful—spring and summer seasons, how he balances family life with an upper-level eventing string, why he loves pure show jumping, and how he thinks horses and humans are positive influences on each other’s lives.About This Episode’s Sponsor: Tribute Equine NutritionIf you've ever stood in the feed aisle comparing labels, searching for lower sugar...lower starch...and ingredients you can trust...you're not alone.Enter Equi-Librium™ from Tribute Equine Nutrition.This is a complete nutrition system designed to support metabolic health, with 9.5% NSC or less across the entire line. No grains. No soy. No alfalfa. No flax. Just purposeful nutrition developed to support horses with unique nutritional needs—and every product is formulated with digestive support, too.Whether you need a ration balancer, a complete senior feed, forage pellets or even horse treats, Equi-Librium makes feeding simpler and more consistent.Visit TributeEquineNutrition.com to receive a free personalized feeding plan, and if you're new to Tribute, your first bag is free.

In this episode of the Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by Tribute Equine Nutrition and Farnam, we talk to rising eventing protégée Olivia Dutton—daughter of the legendary eventer Phillip Dutton—fresh off her individual bronze finish with Irish Sport Horse gelding Jewelent at the inaugural FEI Eventing World Championship U25 where they also finished as the highest-placed U.S. combination.This new FEI championship held at Millstreet International in Cork County, Ireland, was created to help bridge the gap between Young Rider and senior-level competition and saw 40 riders under the age of 25 from 14 different nations compete at the CCI4*-S level. After dressage, Olivia and Jewelent sat in 26th place, but made a stellar comeback over cross country and show jumping to secure the first-ever individual medal for the U.S. at the inaugural championship.The 24-year-old has blossomed from a wide-eyed, horse-crazy girl into a promising young star in the sport as she carries forward one of eventing's most respected family legacies. In today's podcast, Olivia tells us about her partnership with Jewelent, what it was like having her famous father as a coach growing up and how they continue to navigate the parent-coach dynamics and why she rides for herself as well as for her family’s name.About Olivia DuttonGrowing up riding on the family’s True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pennsylvania, under the tutelage of her dad—a seven-time Olympian and two-time Olympic gold medalist—Olivia was immersed in the Dutton’s professional eventing operation from time she could walk. Long before recognizing her own competition ambitions, she tagged along with her parents to some of the biggest events around the world where she had the opportunity to watch her dad compete at the highest level of the sport.While her parents encouraged Olivia to pursue show jumping, she caught the eventing bug by the age of 10 when she began competing with one of her first mounts The Dude. She later took over Santa's Playboy, an off-the-track Thoroughbred who had previously competed at the Advanced level with owner Amy Ruth Borun. In 2016, they were Reserve Champions in the CCI2* at the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event & Team Challenge.In 2018, she helped Area II capture team gold at the Adequan FEI North American Youth Rider Championships riding Mr. Medicott and went on to compete at increasingly demanding levels, moving up to Intermediate at Carolina International and later stepping into CCI4* competition.Olivia briefly stepped away from full-time competition to attend the University of Kentucky, where she studied business while continuing to ride and compete on weekends—a balancing act that became a hallmark of her early 20s.In 2022, she partnered with off-the-track Thoroughbred Sea of Clouds after taking over the ride from her dad, who had produced the gelding to the five-star level and finished in 10th place at the 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L. Olivia and “Socs,” who’d been on the family’s farm since he was a 3-year-old, finished 13th in the 2024 Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and were eighth in the MARS Bromont CCI4*-L that same year.Together, the pair has continued to climb the international ranks, contesting multiple CCI4* events, including Bromont International and Boekelo before capturing a standout CCI4*-S victory at the Morven Park Fall International and Horse Trials in 2025.About This Episode's Sponsors: Tribute Equine Nutrition and FarnamTributeAt Tribute Equine Nutrition, caring for horses has always come first. As a family-owned company safely making feed right here in the USA, they’re celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by supporting programs that make a difference through horses. Every bag of Tribute sold helps support PATH International’s Equine Services for Heroes programs helping veterans through equine-assisted services. They’ve also introduced limited-edition Patriotic Horse Treats for summer. Ready to try Tribute? Start with a free personalized feeding plan and your first bag free at TributeEquineNutrition.com.FarnamThis episode is brought to you by Farnam, celebrating 80 years of trusted equine care, and Endure Gold Killer Fly & Mosquito Control, a new fly spray for horses. When your horse needs to stay focused, it helps to take flies out of the equation. Endure Gold uses brand-new, EPA-approved ingredients never before seen in equine care to annihilate flies, ticks, and mosquitoes. This advanced formula delivers fast knockdown and up to 14 days of fly protection you can trust. Discover fly protection with Endure Gold from Farnam.

This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Farnam and Tribute Equine Nutrition, is with Olympic show jumper Rodrigo Pessoa. We spoke with Rodrigo in late June shortly before he was named to the Brazilian team for the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026.To give you a little more background on Rodrigo, he started riding at a young age alongside his father, five-time Olympian Nelson Pessoa. He followed in his father’s footsteps and has tallied his own string of impressive results with numerous grand prix wins and medals at major championships.Rodrigo is an eight-time Olympian and the winner of the Athens 2004 individual gold medal with Baloubet du Rouet. The iconic pair also won three consecutive FEI Jumping World Cup Finals from 1998 to 2000. Looking ahead to Aachen, 2026 will mark Rodrigo’s seventh world championship appearance, and his most notable past performance is when he became the youngest world champion at the age of 25 with Gandini Lianos in Rome in 1998.In our discussion, Rodrigo talks about his training philosophy, what makes a good horseperson, his thoughts on how jumping has changed over the years, and more.This Episode’s Sponsors, Farnam and Tribute Equine NutritionFarnamThis episode is brought to you by Farnam, celebrating 80 years of trusted equine care, and Endure Gold Killer Fly & Mosquito Control, a new fly spray for horses.When your horse needs to stay focused, it helps to take flies out of the equation. Endure Gold uses brand-new, EPA-approved ingredients never before seen in equine care to annihilate flies, ticks, and mosquitoes.This advanced formula delivers fast knockdown and up to 14 days of fly protection you can trust. Discover fly protection with Endure Gold from Farnam.Tribute Equine NutritionAt Tribute Equine Nutrition, caring for horses has always come first. As a family-owned company safely making feed right here in the USA, they’re celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by supporting programs that make a difference through horses. Every bag of Tribute sold helps support PATH International’s Equine Services for Heroes programs helping veterans through equine-assisted services. They’ve also introduced limited-edition Patriotic Horse Treats for summer.Ready to try Tribute? Start with a free personalized feeding plan and your first bag is free at TributeEquineNutrition.com.

In this episode of the Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by Farnam and Tribute, we talk with top up-and-coming hunter rider Crystal Young about her special partnerships with MTM Nonchalant and his owner Adelle Alletto, why she fell in love with hunters, the strong horsewomen who shaped her career and her overall training philosophy.About Crystal YoungIn recent years, Crystal Young has made a name for herself as a top up-and-coming hunter contender through her remarkable success with MTM Nonchalant, owned by Adelle Alletto. The pair celebrated a win in the 2023 Green Hunter 3’ Stake at WEF 7 and a second-place finish in the 2023 $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby Open at the Equus Events Tryon Spring 3. In 2024, Crystal and the 11-year-old KWPN gelding took top honors at the Performance Hunter 3’3” Championship at the Ocala Winter Finals, the Green Hunter 3’3”/3’6” Championship at the Mid Spring Concours and the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby at the World Equestrian Center.She and the gelding maintained their competitive edge during the 2025 competition season with a fourth-place finish in the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Equus Events Tryon Spring 3, a first-place finish in the Green Hunter 3’6” FP at WEC Ocala Summer 6 and a second-place finish in the Green Hunter 3’6” Championship at WEC Ocala Summer 9. But the defining moment of their 2025 season came at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show where the duo claimed reserve champion in the Green Hunter 3’6” division.While growing up in Nutley, New Jersey, it was Crystal’s mom who first ignited her passion for horses. Diane Young primarily rode Western and would bring Crystal along to the barn, where she taught her daughter basic horsemanship skills and the two enjoyed trail riding together. By the time the budding equestrian was 12, her mom introduced her to the historic Suburban Essex Barn near West Orange, New Jersey, where Crystal first discovered English disciplines and her passion for hunters.After gaining experience as a working student at Suburban Essex throughout her teenage years, she went on to work for notable horsewomen like Beth Batel, Ann Schear, Nikki Fry, Anne Kursinski and Carol Thompson where she gained invaluable insights and learned what it takes to produce complete horseman and women. From fox hunting and hunter paces to hunters, jumpers, dressage and cross-country, these strong female mentors taught her that true horsemanship stems from foundation and versatility.In recent years, Crystal has received guidance in the hunter ring from Mike McCormick, Don Stewart and Brian Feigus—all of whom also provided her with immeasurable wisdom and helped elevate her own training program.She and MTM Nonchalant kicked off the 2026 season off with a bang, winning the Green Hunter 3’9” – FP at the Winter Spectacular and the Performance Hunter 3’6”-Handy at the Winter Spectacular II. The pair also had a third-place finish in the Green Hunter 3’9” at the Winter Spectacular and a ninth-place finish at the $75,000 USHJA WCHR East Coast Hunter Spectacular.About this Episode's Sponsors: Tribute and FarnamTributeAt Tribute Equine Nutrition, caring for horses has always come first. As a family-owned company safely making feed right here in the USA, they’re celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by supporting programs that make a difference through horses. Every bag of Tribute sold helps support PATH International’s Equine Services for Heroes programs helping veterans through equine-assisted services. They’ve also introduced limited-edition Patriotic Horse Treats for summer. Ready to try Tribute? Start with a free personalized feeding plan and your first bag free at TributeEquineNutrition.com. FarnamThis episode is brought to you by Farnam, celebrating 80 years of trusted equine care, and Endure Gold Killer Fly & Mosquito Control, a new fly spray for horses. When your horse needs to stay focused, it helps to take flies out of the equation. Endure Gold uses brand-new, EPA-approved ingredients never before seen in equine care to annihilate flies, ticks, and mosquitoes. This advanced formula delivers fast knockdown and up to 14 days of fly protection you can trust. Discover fly protection with Endure Gold from Farnam.

This week’s Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by Tribute Equine Nutrition and Farnam, is with hunter/jumper trainer and rider Kelsey Epperson. We spoke with Kelsey in early May as she was gearing up for summer horse shows with her horses and clients.To give you a little more background on Kelsey, she started riding at a young age alongside her mom and competed on the local hunter circuit in Michigan. As a junior, Epperson decided she wanted to become a professional trainer. She made the leap after getting her college degree, and today she works with Heather Irvine at Hillside Farm in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.Some of Kelsey’s notable achievements are winning the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby with Didgereedoo VDL at the 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival and being the reserve champion in the $10,000 WCHR Developing Professional Challenge with More Fun at the 2025 Capital Challenge Horse Show.In our discussion, Kelsey talks about what she enjoys about the hunter and jumper disciplines, her training philosophy, how she handles show nerves and more.About This Episode’s Sponsors, Tribute Equine Nutrition and FarnamTribute Equine NutritionIf you’re serious about your horse’s performance, nutrition matters—and not all feed programs are created equal.At Tribute Equine Nutrition, their team only makes changes when research shows they can truly improve horse health—supporting gut health, efficient nutrient use, and overall performance.That’s why Tribute Equine Nutrition is upgrading every formula in their lineup, building on improvements made to their best-sellers and rolling those advancements out across 2026.As updated products reach shelves, riders might even find something extra… golden tickets hidden in select bags, worth up to a year’s supply of feed for one horse.For those not sure where to start, Tribute’s team will create a free, personalized feeding plan—and new customers receive their first bag shipped free, with no purchase required.Visit TributeEquineNutrition.com and click “Get a Feed Plan” to get started.FarnamThis episode is brought to you by Farnam, celebrating 80 years of trusted equine care, and Endure Gold Killer Fly & Mosquito Control, a new fly spray for horses.When your horse needs to stay focused, it helps to take flies out of the equation. Endure Gold uses brand-new, EPA-approved ingredients never before seen in equine care to annihilate flies, ticks, and mosquitoes.This advanced formula delivers fast knockdown and up to 14 days of fly protection you can trust. Discover fly protection with Endure Gold from Farnam.