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SIDELINESDIGITAL | May 2026
beyond yourself, while somehow helping you find
something within yourself to believe in.
What do you consider to be your greatest
accomplishment so far—riding or otherwise?
I would say my greatest accomplishment
has been building a program where anyone
can come to ride at whatever level feels right
for them, without judgment. Horses have
given me so much over the course of my life,
and creating a place where riders of all ages,
backgrounds and ambitions feel welcomed,
supported and encouraged means more to me
than any ribbon or title ever could. Building
that kind of environment—where someone
can take their very first lesson, return to riding
after years away or pursue serious competitive
goals and feel equally valued—is something I’m
incredibly proud of.
What do you like to do when
you’re not riding or working?
Without question, spending time with my family
is what matters most to me. I feel incredibly
grateful that my family is not separate from what
I do, but very much a part of it—we’ve built a
life around horses, sport and shared experiences
together. My happy place is the simple stuff: lazy
days with my family, our pets and nowhere we
have to be except together.
How do you balance everything
going on in your life?
Organization is everything. With a family,
a business, horses, shows, travel and all the
moving pieces that come with this life, being
organized isn’t optional—it’s essential. Even with
the best systems in place, it can still be tough
at times, but I’ve found that if you have the list,
most things don’t fall through the cracks. I’m a
big believer that structure creates freedom, and
good organization allows you to be fully present
for the things that matter most.
What impact would you most like to
make on the world, or what message
do you try to share by your example?
The impact I most want to make is helping make
horses accessible to more people. I deeply believe
in the transformative power of horses—how they
can build confidence, humility, resilience and a
sense of purpose—and I believe more people
should have the opportunity to experience that
if they want to. My goal is to create pathways
where people can connect with horses at
whatever level feels right for them, whether
that’s from the ground, in the saddle, for fun or
for serious competition. Horses have the ability
to change lives, and I want more people to have
access to that experience.
Originally from Oakland, California, Darrin Mollett is the
owner and founder of Beverly Equestrian, a full-service
hunter/jumper and polo operation with locations in both
Virginia and Florida. Darrin was always drawn to horses,
but didn’t have access to them growing up. An eventing
lesson barn in Los Angeles during school made Darrin’s
passion for the sport real—and once riding was a part of
her life, she never gave it up, even through law school,
being a corporate attorney and raising a family.
After creating Beverly Equestrian, Darrin’s dream to share
horses with others expanded when David O’Connor asked
her to help run a newly formed preparatory event at Great
Meadow International. “What started as a preparation event
for the U.S. eventing team heading to the World Equestrian
Games ultimately evolved into a full FEI competition and
Nations Cup,” Darrin said. “That experience gave me my start
in organizing major horse shows, something I continue
today through both Beverly’s local and rated competitions.”
What were your early
years with horses like?
My early years with horses were really about
balancing ambition with reality. I was juggling
school, riding, and later the demands of law
school, so life was busy and resources were
limited. I paid for everything horse-related on
my own and didn’t have financial support in the
sport, which made every lesson and every ride
feel meaningful. That’s why I was so grateful
for the lesson barn where I started—it gave
me access to wonderful school horses and the
opportunity to ride as much as I could afford
learn the fundamentals, and truly immerse
myself in horses without the enormous upfront
investment that often comes with this sport.
How did you get to where you
are now with Beverly Equestrian?
My first career was as a corporate attorney, and
for many years that world consumed most of
my professional life—but through every move,
every new city, and every stage of life, I always
kept riding. I continued competing as an
eventer wherever life took me, eventually moving
to what was then the hotbed of eventing in
Middleburg, Virginia.
When I had children, I continued working
full-time while raising a family and staying
committed to riding. During that time, I
began to recognize how difficult it was for busy
professionals—especially women balancing
careers, families, and personal goals—to keep
horses as a meaningful part of their lives without
the right support system. That realization
became the foundation for Beverly. I initially
DARRIN MOLLETT
Sharing the Transformative
Power of Horses
WOMEN IN BUSINESS
built Beverly for people like me—actively riding
and competing—to be a place where you could
ride year-round and continue competing at a
serious level, which in Virginia meant investing
in an indoor arena, dependable staffing and
the infrastructure to make riding possible no
matter what life looked like outside the barn.
I then began growing Beverly as a business,
expanding the program to include lesson horses
and accessible pathways for riders, very much
inspired by how I got my own start in the sport.
What do you like most about the
discipline you ride or the job you do?
It always comes down to the horses, doesn’t it?
I love the horses, and I love their transformative
power. What I love most about what I do is
giving people access to horses—sometimes for
the very first time—and watching them discover
just how powerful, humbling and inspirational
these animals can be. It might happen from the
ground, simply standing next to them, or it might
happen riding into an arena with purpose. Horses
have this incredible ability to give you something
Darrin Mollet with Fuego, wearing his Beverly Equestrian cooler as they
celebrated a Reserve Championship at WEF earlier this year.