Can you give us some background on The Plaid Horse?
The Plaid Horse was founded in 2003 and quickly became America's Premier Horse Show Magazine. It has always welcome contributions and viewpoints from all aspects in the sport and it is often the very first place that riders ever find themselves in print. I purchased the magazine in 2014 and modernized the website, social media, and content. We have kept the core mission - to education and to welcome people into our sport. Every single issue I have grandparents calling me asking to send issues of their grandchild's very first photo in print. It is always exciting!
When you took over the magazine and business what were your short term goals?
In 2014, my goals were simply to survive. I knew what I didn't know about the publication business and I was eager to learn. Many of our ideas and concepts formed over years of listening to what the market was missing and wanted from their sport, their press, and their publications. Most of our story directions have come from trying so many different styles and viewpoints and seeing what people responded to.
What steps have you taken to grow The Plaid Horse through the years and into the future?
We have taken steps on every front. From the most basic - cosmetic to introducing the industry's first hunter/jumper podcast, to now connecting with higher education institutions to bring academic recognition and achievement to business in our sport, we are always learning and always trying to both grow our sport and grow the people in our sport.