Hometown – Clinton, New York
Residence – Wells, Maine
Date of Birth -- 12/07/65
Place of Birth – New Hartford, New York

Schools Attended/Degrees – Franklin College, Lugano, Switzerland; University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H., B.A. Degree English cum laude

Marital Status – Married

Children – 1 son, Tristan, age 13

Occupation – Territory Manager New England and New York, Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies; MS motivational speaker, Teva Neuroscience; Public Relations (PR) specialist, Drake’s Island Media, freelance writer.

Qualifications – Earned FEI Certificate of Capability; earned scores for USDF Bronze Medal and Qualified Rider Award; numerous eventing awards.

When/Why First Started Riding – I always had an inexplicable love of horses from the time I could walk and talk. Rode every backyard pony and horse on the local dairy farms until I got my first horse at age 12.

Most influential person in your career -- My parents, Joan and James Olmstead, for teaching me to dream, devote myself to education and to appreciate and get the most out of every day.

Hero/idol -- My parents inspired me again. My Dad was a quadriplegic suffering from MS and he and my mother continued to pursue happiness and raise their four children and move forward in life in a positive manner.



Name of First Horse/Pony – “Curtain Call” aka “Roanie,” a Genesee Valley roan thoroughbred from New York. He was 24 years old when I got him and won at Madison Square Garden in 1958. I loved him to pieces!

Non- Equestrian Career/ Accomplishments – I deeply love the work I do with patients in the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) community and being an ambassador for MS.

Hobbies – Riding my Puch mopeds, studying Egyptian history, foreign travel, and eating out with my husband and son.

Most Admired Rider – Reiner Klimke and Michael Page

Equestrian Awards Won – In 2007 I won three national year-end titles with the U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) including Master Rider, Master Amateur Rider and Horse of the Year competing against professionals and amateurs alike with my homebred Paxton Abbey; I was the reserve champion for two years in a row with Paxton at the American Eventing Championships (AECs); I have won numerous dressage, dressage breed show and eventing championships and year-end awards in New England and New York on horses I have bred, raised and trained myself.

Most memorable riding achievement -- The partnership I felt with Paxton winning the Waredaca training level three day event in Maryland in a week of pouring rain and adverse conditions with a double clear round and no time faults; cracking into the Top 10 at the 2009 European Para-Equestrian 4* Dressage Championships in the musical freestyle, earning one of the highest scores for a Grade 4 US rider at a 4* competition.

Hardest lesson you had to learn as a rider -- Patience… to realize improving yourself or your horse takes time, education, practice and sometimes soul-searching.

Sporting philosophy -- Love what you do and do what you love.

Your Criteria in an Para Dressage Horse – A smart horse with an excellent mind, a forgiving nature, a wonderful work ethic, a competitive spirit and of course fabulous, rhythmic gaits and elastic movement. Thank goodness I own Paxton!

Your Ideal Career – Being an Egyptologist and an International-class equestrian.

Best Advice Ever Given – Focus on the things you can control, don’t worry about what you can’t.

Favorite Food – A perfect steak on the grill.

Favorite Music – Dave Matthews and lots of others.

Last Place you vacationed – Egypt and Norway

After the selection trials I plan to -- Go fishing with my family in northern Maine and then get right back to training, hopefully, to represent the United States in the World Equestrian Games.

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Name of Horse -- Paxton Abbey

Age --12

Breed -- Hanoverian Cross

Own/Borrow/Leased -- Own. She is the first horse I bred, raised and trained myself.

How long have you partnered with this horse -- Since she was born in my lap.

Competitive highlights together -- Multiple regional and national year-eEnd titles with the U.S. Eventing Association; back-to-back reserve championship wins at the American Eventing Championships (AECs); New England Dressage Association (NEDA) Filly Champion and Reserve Best Young Horse; NEDA Materiale Class Winner; USDF East Coast finalist at Dressage at Devon Breed Show.

Grade Level -- 4

Personality -- Extremely smart with a sense of humor; a true competitor who rises to the occasion.

Quirks -- Loves hot coffee and watching airplanes in the sky, has a fetish for Altoids and will nuzzle my husband when he has a chainsaw in his hands while he is working on the woodpile in the pasture! Will also stand on a stool with her front legs.

For sale -- no

Favorite thing about this horse -- Paxton constantly shows me we can go beyond whatever I thought was possible. From the moment she was born she possessed a pure calm spirit and self-confidence, the likes of which I haven’t seen in another horse.