5* Eventer: Thinking Like a Dreamer, Not a Catastrophizer

This Week on In Stride In this episode of In Stride, Sinead Halpin-Maynard sits down with Endel Ots to talk about his fast rise from a brand-new partnership with Bohemian to the U.S. Olympic dressage short list, why winning hasn’t made the self-doubt go away, and why he chooses to stay open and trusting even when it would be easier not to.Meet the Guest: Endel Ots A Wisconsin native, Endel Ots trained in Germany with Hubertus Schmidt before settling in Wellington, Florida, where he worked with Lars Petersen. He was an alternate for the 2011 Pan American Games team and earned top honors at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions before taking over the ride on Bohemian. Within a few months, the pair were named to the short list for the U.S. Olympic dressage team, and Endel traveled to the 2024 Paris Olympics as the U.S. traveling reserve. That year, he and Bohemian won the CDI3* Grand Prix at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington and the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle at TerraNova Dressage III, and Endel rode on the U.S. team that finished fourth at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup in Aachen.In This Episode, Sinead and Endel Discuss:The moment he sat on Bohemian and knew, and how far he said he’d go to make it happenWhy doing the right thing by a horse can make things look worse before they get betterFinding real friends in a competitive sport, and why he’ll always show up when someone calls at 2 a.m.Coming home from the Paris Olympics and realizing what he wants out of lifeEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.In Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial and get 20% off your first month or year when you sign up at ⁠rideiqpod.com

This Week on In Stride Hayley Frielick quit her corporate job, packed up her whole life, and put her horse on a plane to be cared for by people she had never met, all without much of a plan. Brave or stupid? She’s going with brave, for now. Sinead Halpin-Maynard talks with Hayley about a life that started in Ohio and ran through New Zealand, Australia, and Scotland, and about how the horse business she runs with her team has to make financial sense, not just be a labor of love.Meet the Guest: Hayley Frielick Hayley Frielick is an international five-star event rider who competes for Australia. Born in the United States to South African parents, she grew up in Australia and Scotland and previously rode for New Zealand, finishing fifth in 2018 and tenth in 2019 in the Adelaide CCI5* with Class Action LP. After moving to the U.S. in 2022, she completed her first five-star on U.S. soil at the Maryland 5 Star with Dunedin Black Watch, and in November 2025 she finished second in the CCI4*-L at The Event at TerraNova with Sportsfield Lumiere. She has since been named to Equestrian Australia’s 2026 Generation Next squad. Hayley is based in Pennsylvania in the summer and Aiken, South Carolina, in the winter.In This Episode, Sinead and Hayley Discuss:Growing up in several countries, getting her first pony in Scotland, and using each move as a bargaining chip for more riding lessonsQuitting her corporate job and shipping her horse across the world with no real planHow she, Katie, and Martha split the roles behind the scenes and run the business like a business, not a hobbyMoving from riding for New Zealand to Australia, and why she calls herself a dreamer instead of a catastrophizerEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.In Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial and get 20% off your first month or year when you sign up at ⁠rideiqpod.com

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard welcomes Ingrid Klimke to talk about growing up in a family that put horses first, the classical training principles that shaped her career in both eventing and dressage, and why patience is the foundation of developing a horse.Meet the Guest: Ingrid Klimke Ingrid Klimke is a German eventing and dressage rider and the daughter of dressage legend Reiner Klimke. In eventing, she is a five-time Olympian, having won team gold in 2008 and 2012 and team silver in 2016. She has also won World Equestrian Games team gold in 2006 and 2014 and individual bronze in 2018. At the European Championships, she took individual gold in 2017 and 2019. In dressage, she won two FEI Dressage World Cup qualifiers in 2022 and earned team bronze at the 2022 World Championships in Herning. She was named FEI Best Athlete in 2019, and in 2012 she became only the second woman to receive the German title of Riding Master.In This Episode, Sinead and Ingrid Discuss:Growing up in a family where the horses came first, and what she learned from her father, Olympic dressage champion Reiner KlimkeHow a classical approach and varied training, from cavaletti to hacking out, keeps both dressage and event horses happy and healthyWhy going step by step matters, and how to decide when a young horse is ready to competeHow she balances the discipline of dressage with the freedom and bravery of cross countryEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.In Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard welcomes Kyle Carter back to the show to talk about the lessons from a tough weekend at Fair Hill, the future of the five star, and the real-world math of building a career and a business in the sport.Meet the Guest: Kyle Carter Kyle Carter is a Canadian Olympic event rider, coach, and clinician who grew up in Alberta and now runs Five Ring Stable in Florida with his wife, Jennifer. He represented Canada at the 2007 Pan American Games, the 2008 Olympic Games, and the 2010 World Equestrian Games, helping Canada earn team silver at both the Pan Ams and the WEG. Many of those milestones came with Thoroughbred gelding Madison Park, who also carried him to multiple starts at the 5* level at Kentucky. Kyle has also been recognized as the coach with the most gold medal finishes at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. He is also a coach on the Ride iQ app.In This Episode, Sinead and Kyle Discuss:Why Kyle believes the five star is essential to the sport, and how the three and four star levels can become more of a celebration for riders and ownersThe role of rules, qualifications, and social license in eventing, and why meaningful change takes timeThe financial realities of competing, from selling horses to deciding which events are worth the entry feeHow representing his country at the Olympics changed his career, and why time spent with the horses is what keeps him goingEpisode SponsorsConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide Created by equine veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher, the Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide app helps horse owners recognize the signs of a true emergency, know when to call the vet, and understand what to do while help is on the way.Download from the App Store or Google Play at EquineEmergencyApp.comIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com

This episode is a re-release, originally published July 13, 2022This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard sits down with five-star event rider Sharon White to talk about how mindfulness, meditation, and breathwork have changed the way she rides, teaches, and connects with horses.Meet the Guest: Sharon White Sharon White is an international five-star event rider and trainer based at Last Frontier Farm in Summit Point, West Virginia. On October 11, 2026, she won the US Equestrian Open Eventing Final CCI4*-L at Morven Park with Claus 63. She also helped the U.S. earn team silver at the 2023 Pan American Games. She has competed at the Kentucky Three-Day Event more than ten times with five different horses and has represented the U.S. at five-star events in Pau and Luhmühlen. Sharon is also a USEA ICP Level 4 certified instructor and a highly sought-after coach and clinician.In This Episode, Sinead and Sharon Discuss:How a difficult Kentucky led Sharon to meditation and mindfulness, and how those practices help her handle the highs and lows of the sportWhy breathing matters so much in the saddle, and how horses mirror the energy and tension of their ridersSharon’s early morning routine, from meditation to exercise, and how she builds good habits through repetitionWhat watching horses in the round pen and in the field has taught her about patience, leadership, and learningHow ballroom dance lessons gave Sharon a new understanding of following, partnership, and riding without overthinkingIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial and get 20% off your first month or year when you sign up at rideiqpod.com

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard sits down with Olivia Dutton to talk about her whirlwind summer overseas, building her own career inside one of eventing’s best-known families, and what it takes to rebuild confidence and keep showing up.Meet the Guest: Olivia Dutton Olivia Dutton is an upper-level event rider who recently earned individual bronze at the inaugural FEI Eventing World Championship for Under 25s at Millstreet International in Ireland. She finished as the highest-placed U.S. combination, riding Jewelent. In 2025 she also won the CCI4*-S at the Morven Park Fall International and Horse Trials aboard Sea of Clouds. Olivia is the daughter of Phillip Dutton, a seven-time Olympian in eventing.In This Episode, Sinead and Olivia Discuss:What it was like to compete at the first-ever Under 25 World Championships and why she wasn’t expecting to finish on the podiumHaving your dad as your coach, and how she carves out her own business and identity as part of one of eventing’s best-known familiesLosing her confidence after a fall on her first trip overseas with Sea of Clouds, and how her family and friends helped her trust herself againHer concerns about eventing’s Olympic future and why she wants to explain the sport better to people outside the horse worldEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide Created by equine veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher, the Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide app helps horse owners recognize the signs of a true emergency, know when to call the vet, and understand what to do while help is on the way.Download from the App Store or Google Play at EquineEmergencyApp.comIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard sits down with Julie Goodnight to talk about her path from horse-crazy kid to clinician and TV host, why so many riders lean on the reins, and how the latest science on horse behavior is changing the way we train.Meet the Guest: Julie Goodnight Julie Goodnight is an internationally renowned horse trainer and clinician who started her own training business in 1985. She produced and hosted Horse Master with Julie Goodnight, a how-to training series that aired weekly on RFD-TV for 11 years and ran for 260 episodes. Julie holds the Certified Horsemanship Association's highest level of certification, Master Clinic Instructor, and has served as its international spokesperson. Equine Affaire named her its Exceptional Equestrian Educator. She has written for Horse & Rider and Horse Illustrated and hosts the award-winning podcast Ride On with Julie Goodnight.In This Episode, Sinead and Julie Discuss:Why reins should back up a cue instead of being the cue, and what happens when Julie pulls the bridle off a rider's push-button horseThe difference between contact and connection, and what riders can learn from Western horses that are taught to come off contact and carry themselvesSeeing behavior without judgment, and why a horse's "problem" is usually a response they learned from their riderJulie's seven aids, her 10-minute loose-rein warm-up, and the racetrack moment that taught her never to pick a fight with a horseEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide Created by equine veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher, the Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide app helps horse owners recognize the signs of a true emergency, know when to call the vet, and understand what to do while help is on the way.Download from the App Store or Google Play at EquineEmergencyApp.comIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard catches up with husband-and-wife team Will and Katie Coleman to talk about Will's Kentucky 5* win with Diabolo, what it's like to run a top eventing program together, and how their idea of success has shifted from chasing goals to building a life they're proud of.Meet the Guests: Will and Katie Coleman Will Coleman is an Olympic event rider and one of the top riders in the U.S. He won Aachen in 2021 with Off The Record, making him the first American to take that title, and the pair helped the U.S. win team silver at the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni. In 2026 he won his first 5*, the Kentucky Three-Day Event, with Diabolo. He then finished fourth individually and helped Team USA win bronze at the World Championships in Aachen. Katie Coleman grew up in Ontario and spent years grooming at the top of the sport, including at the 2011 Pan American Games and at five-stars like Kentucky, Burghley, and Luhmühlen, and was named the 2012 USEA Groom of the Year. She's credited with building the program behind Will's success, and these days her focus has shifted to dressage. Together they run Will Coleman Equestrian, with bases in Virginia and Ocala, Florida.In This Episode, Sinead, Will, and Katie Discuss:Why they believe it takes at least a year to make a horse your own, and the foundation they build together at home before a horse faces top-level competitionHow Off The Record went from bucking off a working student to "winning machine," and why he was the first horse they cracked the code on as a teamTheir first winter spent apart, and the sacrifices they're no longer willing to make as parentsTheir take on where eventing is headed, from how many five-stars the sport needs to telling better horsemanship storiesEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide Created by equine veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher, the Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide app helps horse owners recognize the signs of a true emergency, know when to call the vet, and understand what to do while help is on the way.Download from the App Store or Google Play at EquineEmergencyApp.comIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard sits down with Alice Fox-Pitt, broadcaster, top-level event rider, and Sinead's mentor for nearly two decades, to discuss why equestrian sport struggles to gain mainstream media attention and what it would take to change that. Together, they explore how the sport can better communicate its stories, personalities, and appeal to a wider audience.Meet the Guest: Alice Fox-Pitt Alice Fox-Pitt is a familiar voice in equestrian and racing broadcasting. One of the only women to have competed at both Badminton and the Grand National, Alice pursued a dual career in eventing and racing before a sponsorship deal led her to step back from racing. She built a broadcasting career alongside her competitive riding, then retired from eventing altogether at 27 to focus on it full time. Her career has included local radio at Blenheim, Sky Sports, ITV, and the Emirates World Series. She also co-founded Event Rider Masters and is married to William Fox-Pitt. Alice is involved with two charities, the Eloise and Katie Memorial Trust and the Larmer Tree Project.In This Episode, Sinead and Alice Discuss:Why equestrian sport struggles to gain mainstream media attention and the importance of finding compelling "hooks" for wider audiencesThe creation of Event Rider Masters and how its format was designed to make eventing more accessible and engaging for viewersAlice's dual career in eventing and racing, including the sponsorship decision that ultimately led her to stop race ridingWhat makes a successful partnership between equestrian athletes and brands, and the importance of authentic, long-term relationshipsAlice's transition from competing to broadcasting, business, and charitable workEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide Created by equine veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher, the Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide app helps horse owners recognize the signs of a true emergency, know when to call the vet, and understand what to do while help is on the way.Download from the App Store or Google Play at EquineEmergencyApp.comIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin-Maynard sits down with outgoing US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney for a candid look back at his decade leading the sport's national governing body, the leadership lessons that shaped him, and what it means to walk away at the right time.Meet the Guest: Bill Moroney Bill Moroney is the outgoing CEO of US Equestrian, a role he has held for a decade since 2016 and will step down from at the end of 2026. He spent decades as a hunter/jumper trainer based out of Middleburg, Virginia, before shifting into equestrian governance full time. In 2004, he helped found the United States Hunter Jumper Association and served as its founding president until he became USEF's CEO, building it into the largest recognized affiliate within US Equestrian. Over his career, he has served on more than 17 USEF committees in addition to the organization's Board.In This Episode, Sinead and Bill Discuss:Bill's path from a horse-crazy kid taking weekly riding lessons to running a hunter/jumper training business in Middleburg, and how that eventually pulled him into equestrian governanceThe daily discipline behind decision-making at USEF, from setting boundaries on his calendar to building a trusted team around himWhat makes a committee actually work, and how to navigate confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and emotionally charged conversationsUSEF Lite and other efforts to make the sport more accessible and affordable at the grassroots levelEpisode SponsorConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide Created by equine veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher, the Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide app helps horse owners recognize the signs of a true emergency, know when to call the vet, and understand what to do while help is on the way.Download from the App Store or Google Play at EquineEmergencyApp.comIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com