After receiving an impressive number of applications, Blenheim EquiSports is pleased to announce the recipients of the Emerging Professional Grant.
Congratulations to emerging professional hunter rider and 2018 recipient of $5,000 of Blenheim EquiSports horse show credit, Jessica Allan! Jessica is the co-owner and head trainer at Tally Hawk Stables, LLC, in Pleasanton, CA.
Jessica Allan and Zieta Z . Photo by Alden Corrigan Media
A Vancouver native, Allan’s “barn-rat” mentality was the foundation for numerous accolades as a young rider throughout Canada, turning into successes in Germany and Northern California as an amateur and professional. The epitome of hard work and dedication, Allan describes taking on a working student position some distance from her home, and sleeping in the barn lounge Tuesdays through Saturdays to reduce commute time. “I just loved being at the barn helping, even if it didn’t earn me extra rides,” states Allan.
Allan’s professional career began at Horizons East Show Stables in Northern California in 2013 as an assistant trainer before co-founding Tally Hawk Stables with her good friend, Danielle Smith. Since then, Allan has won several notable classes, including her first and only USHJA International Derby at Sonoma Horse Show HMI Classic on a talented horse she brought along herself, commemorating this as her “biggest win to date… a culmination of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears!”
Photo courtesy of Blenheim EquiSports
As stated on the Tally Hawk Stables’ site, Jessica is “beyond passionate for horses. She enthusiastically imparts her knowledge to students and horses alike, and is intent on seeing human/equine partnerships succeed. Her teaching and training style reflect her belief that a strong educational foundation is imperative to success in the show ring.”
Runner-up and recipient of $3,000 of Blenheim EquiSports horse show credit is Kacie Doyle of Woodgrove Farm, Rancho Santa Fe, CA. A young professional, Doyle started from the ground up and created unbelievable opportunities for herself, including spending countless hours grooming and training her own horses as a junior before working under Guillermo Obligado of Woodgrove Farm in 2016.
Similar to Allan, Doyle is no stranger to hard work and dedication. A full-time college student and full-time rider for Woodgrove Farm, Doyle balances riding and school with poise and tact. “‘Work hard for what you want’ has always been my motto, and I spend as much time as I possibly can to better myself and my riding,” states Doyle.
Doyle has a deep passion for learning and affording others the opportunities she’s created for herself, stating she wants to “learn and gain as much knowledge as I possibly can as well as teach others everything I know. I want to teach riders to love and cherish their horses… I want to make a difference.”
Those who reviewed the applications unanimously felt that two awards weren’t enough. Expanding the program, Blenheim EquiSports is pleased to award three grants of $1,000 of horse show credit to: Ashley Stannard, founder of Ashbrook Farm in Tucson, AZ; Laura Ware, rider and trainer at First Field Farm, Cerritos, CA; and Bailey Fuller, assistant trainer of Sweetwater Stables in Cave Creek, AZ.
Blenheim is also pleased to award the following eight applicants with $500 grants:
- Anna Algermissen of Rancho Alegre, Albuquerque, NM
- Cassie Gannon of Royal Heaven Farm, Escondido, CA
- Elizabeth Kerron of Legacy Hunters & Jumpers, Woodinville, WA
- Erin Wirch of Bradon Equestrian, Calgary, AB
- Kylee Arbuckle of Sonoma Valley Stables, Petaluma, CA
- Lacy Stormes of Candice Stormes Training Stables & Show Jumping, Acton, CA
- Susan Latiff of Susan Hutchison Stables, Temecula Valley, CA
- Jasmin Stair of Jasmin Stair Stables, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Blenheim EquiSports would like to thank and congratulate all of the Emerging Professionals for their efforts on and off the horses, and for making the effort to apply for this grant. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in the show ring and wish you all the best!