Kyle Carter: Chasing the Dream and Playing the Long Game in Eventing

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

This Week on In Stride Sinead Halpin Maynard sits down with John Michael Durr, fresh off designing the FEI courses at a Calgary-area facility's first international event since the 1970s, to talk candidly about why eventing is inherently unsafe, how awareness (not fear) is the tool that actually protects riders and horses, and what he'd change about how the sport structures itself.Meet the Guest: John Michael Durr John Michael Durr is an international event rider and show jumper who has competed at the Kentucky Three-Day Event and, more recently, transitioned into FEI-level show jumping. He is an FEI course designer and serves on the USEA's Cross Country Safety Committee and Licensed Officials Committee, putting him at the center of ongoing conversations about rider and horse safety in the sport. Raised in California before building his career on both coasts, Durr now runs Durr Eventing, a training, competition, and sales business, with his wife, Kimmy Durr.In This Episode, Sinead and John Michael Discuss:Why Durr believes the sport needs to stop pretending jumping horses is "safe" and instead talk openly about mitigating real riskThe concept of awareness as a mental skill riders and coaches can train, separate from technical abilityFrangible technology as an "airbag," a tool that softens a fall but doesn't eliminate the risk in the first placeHis course design philosophy of low jumps and hard exercises, and why cross-country schooling culture needs a broader rethinkThe personal loss, twenty years ago, that first shaped his focus on safety, and how he's carried that forward into his work as a course designer and safety committee memberEpisode 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 Caroline Harris fresh off the FEI Eventing World Championships in Aachen to talk about the unlikely horse who carried her from a late start in the sport to two five-star wins, and the mental work behind staying grounded at the highest level of competition.Meet the Guest: Caroline Harris Caroline Harris is a British international event rider who claimed her first five-star victory at Pau in 2024 and added a second at Luhmühlen in 2026, both with her partner D.Day. Those wins earned the pair a place on the British eventing team for the 2026 FEI Eventing World Championships in Aachen, building on a Nations Cup debut at Boekelo in 2023 and a selection to the British European Championships squad at Blenheim in 2025.In This Episode, Sinead and Caroline Discuss:The unconventional path to a five-star debut at 34, and why D.Day, a horse bred to be a gentle family horse, was never expected to reach the top of the sportHow a small ownership syndicate of friends backed D.Day one level at a time, with no pressure attached, all the way to Pau, Luhmühlen, and AachenWorking through self-doubt and nerves with a sports psychologist, and learning to enjoy competing at the top level instead of just surviving itBuilding a life and identity outside the barn, including training as a personal trainer, and what comes next on the road to Los Angeles 2028Episode 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 two-time Olympian Hawley Bennett-Awad fresh off an electric World Championships in Aachen to talk about building a career one horse at a time, learning to put her own wellbeing first after years of burnout, and the unexpected new horse now fueling her dream of a home Olympics in LA.Meet the Guest: Hawley Bennett-Awad Hawley Bennett-Awad is a two-time Olympian who represented Canada at the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Games, and has competed at four World Championships for her country. Her career has been defined by long partnerships with a small string of horses, including her first advanced mount off the track, and Jollybo, who she competed at the CCI4* and CCI5* levels for close to a decade. Based in Southern California, Bennett-Awad also runs a busy clinic teaching schedule around the country. She recently found an unexpected new partner in Levino, with her sights set on a return to top-level competition.In This Episode, Sinead and Hawley Discuss:What it felt like to watch this year's World Championships in Aachen as a former competitor, and why she calls it the toughest competition in the sportBuilding a career one horse at a time, learning each horse inside and out, and the discipline that comes with limited resourcesThe mindset shift that led her to scale back a packed teaching schedule and put her own wellbeing firstHow an unplanned encounter led her to Levino, and her plan to chase a return to top-level competitionEpisode 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