The Role Model Ringside: Dr. Piper Klemm

For those of us who have grown up around horses or if you have children that choose to be involved in equestrian sport, some of the most positive influences to the horse crazy are specific individuals within this niche world.  These influencers come from all walks of life and share a common bond of respect for the horse.  These indiviudals teach, sculpt and set an example for youth as to how to live a fulfilled life.  One of the most influential young role models I have developed an understanding and respect for in our horse show world is Dr. Piper Klemm. 

Known most recently in the last year as the new publisher of The Plaid Horse Magazine, Piper was originally noted in the industry for building a stable of high quality show ponies on the show circuit. Additionally, this young woman is an accomplished and respected scientist that has not only earned her PhD in ogranic chemistry from the esteemed University of California at Berkeley science department, but also continues to edit and publish research in her field of study.  While her resume is impressive, what is more important is that Dr. Piper Klemm is dedicated, humble and sincere in all of her endeavours.

Over the last several months, I have had the opportunity to interact with Piper in her role as the publisher of The Plaid Horse.  As our relationship has developed, I have realized her relentless contribution to sustaining horse shows in America and building young horsemen. Her road to success at such a young age is that of hard work and one that I find completely fascinating.  She is someone that I look to as an example, particularly for young women in the midst of their most formative years.

This week, barns across our country are packing up for Lexington to attend the  U.S. Pony Finals. This prestgious event is the perfect intersection for both of Piper's equestrian enterprises: show ponies and The Plaid Horse.  If you are attending the championships,  please visit The Plaid Horse near the Walnut Ring and meet Piper, or look for her ringside.  In the interim, the following post is a glimpse of this extraordinary young woman and her equestrian endeavors as told in her own words.

Salut!

I come from a non-horsey family and have been obsessed with ponies since day one. My parents did the weekly lessons when I was 7, which was quickly followed by bi-weekly, then by letting me a complete barn rat. When I was 12, I got my own pony- an unbroken 2-year-old named Brighton Boast A Bit (Posey). 

Difficult is an understatement- it would take me about 40 minutes to catch her in her stall when I got her. She wouldn’t do anything politely – she shred every blanket we got her and wouldn’t stand for any new experiences. But I finally had my own pony and I was determined. I pulled up a chair and every day, I would sit outside her stall and read my homework to her with a basket of carrots. Whenever she chose to walk over, she got one. My mom called it ‘intensive carrot therapy’ and to this day, that his how we work on all of the ponies when they need something. Emily Elek, who trains my ponies when they’re off lease now, has more mints than carrots, but it was the first thing I noticed about her when I met her- her ponies are all happy and constantly rewarded for great behavior.  

Eventually, I sat on Posey, showed her on the line at Devon, went across the diagonal and did a lead change, and jumped her around- I got to be the first one to do everything on her. She was exceptional. She slowly grew out of her difficulties and loved horse showing. As soon as she started winning, her inner diva came out and she was hooked- she is so competitive and wants to win every class, every time. Fast forward many years- we started to lease her when she was trained and she has been leased for over ten years. My parents, who as business professors had me tracking pony expenses the whole time, said that when they were paid back for their investment, she would be mine. I paid them back in full when I was 20 and then through Posey was able to get another prospect, then another, and then suddenly I had 8 ponies!

I own ponies that are leased out on generally an annual basis. I think it is most important for ponies to be kid’s ponies- if you look at all mine, what they have in common isn’t seen in the show ring- it is that they can be completely handled by kids- bathing, clipping, loading, trail riding, showing, everything. Some of them go swimming with kids, go foxhunting, jump around bareback, get dressed up, do leadline, and every other injustice we expect of good ponies. Of course pros school ponies and grooms handle this stuff on some leases, but all seven of them (baby Eagle is #8) have the quality that they are fundamentally good ponies, love children, and love doing their jobs. I have one that I bred (baby Eagle) and most of the rest I bought as young prospects (unbroke, barely broke), with the exception of my two small ponies. Small Ponies have to be so good- there is no room for error in how saintly a small pony has to be, so I got Stonewall Black Pearl and Masterpiece Theater as established division ponies from my friend Kerin Benson. 

In early 2013 I had the opportunity to buy Brighton Precisely, who is closely related to Posey and sent her to Sugarbrook Farm in Florida to breed to Sugarbrook Blue Pacific. We ended up with a colt Sugarbrook Positron Blue or Eagle in 2014 – the only pony born into my program. He has such a good brain and is so friendly and fancy – I’m just so excited about him!

I have always loved The Plaid Horse. Since its inception in 2003, it has been fun – a magazine full of smiles and people enjoying the horse show experience. I love all horse magazines- I literally read every single one of them, but it terms of my own horse show experience- The Plaid Horse has always been the most relatable. It’s not about classes I will never even compete in, let alone win, or items I will never afford, it is about what is going on for folks horse showing at all levels. 

For me, there is so much that celebrates a couple elite shows and so little that celebrates the majority of the horse show community. I love those elite shows- I have fun when I go, I have many friends there, and they are generally in gorgeous locations that I feel so privileged to be at. At the same time though, I love going to local shows and seeing people bringing along young horses, kids learning to ride, and pros doing their best to juggle riding, teaching, paying bills, and their own goals. And everything in between- The Plaid Horse is about loving all horse shows, not just a couple people winning at a few horse shows. 

The Plaid Horse is often the first magazine someone is ever published in and the excitement people feel when they see themselves in print for the first time is simply contagious.  

When I got to shows to report, I rarely walk towards the barns at all. I head to the rings, watch the performances, interview the top riders (who always say that their horse was good), and then head to my computer to edit photos and write the article.

When I go with the ponies, I really see all the effort and work. It is so easy to forget how much work jobs that you don’t do are. I’m not grooming or training or riding or prepping my ponies, but to see all that work when I do visit them is very humbling and I think keeps the magazine on track. We’re not robots and I think when I’m at home reading online, some of the winners do seem that way. There is so much emotion involved in getting to the ring, win or lose, and I think that’s easy to forget sitting behind a computer screen. It is literally all I can do hiding away in the VIP tent to not be an insanely nervous pony mom at Pony Finals- it is such a pressure situation, one split second is the difference between a terrible day and a great day, and there is nothing I can do about it- I just have to hope that the very young child and the pony work together to make great decisions. I think that makes The Plaid Horse much more sympathetic and aware covering shows to the experience people are having.