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SIDELINESMAGAZINE | November/December 2026
S I D E L I N E S • 2 0 2 6 H O R S E P E O P L E O F T H E Y E A R
KJ PEARSON
KJ is a hero without a cape.
She’s the first one in and the last one to
leave, every single day. She somehow has
the grain, supplements, medications and
routines for more than 50 horses committed
to memory. You prefer a black saddle pad
on Saturday and a white one on Sunday?
KJ remembers. Your horse insists on a flake
of alfalfa on top of his timothy? Done. He
needs to walk three circles to the left before
you get on? KJ is already making it happen.
She is there for every big moment—the
wins, the losses, the late nights, the early
mornings, the emergencies, the last-minute
trailer pickups and everything in between. She
is the steady presence that keeps the wheels
turning, often without anyone realizing just
how much she does behind the scenes.
But KJ isn’t just a workhorse (pun
absolutely intended). She has one of the
biggest hearts of anyone I’ve ever met. She
cares deeply about the riders, the owners,
the equipment and the facility—but above all
else, she cares about the horses. She is their
fiercest advocate, always putting their well-
being first, even when no one is watching.
Long after everyone else has gone home
and the barn has gone quiet, you’ll often
find KJ making tomorrow’s schedule,
checking on one more horse, or spending
a few extra minutes with one that needs
a little more care. Those moments, when
there are no ribbons to be won and no
audience to applaud, says everything about
who she is.
Horsepeople of the Year isn’t about
who works the hardest (although KJ
certainly does), it’s about the person who
makes every horse’s life better, every rider’s
day easier and every barn they’re part of
stronger. KJ does that every single day,
with humility, kindness and an unwavering
commitment to the horses she loves. If
anyone embodies what it means to be a
true horseperson, it’s KJ.
~Gabby Steinhardt
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SIDELINESMAGAZINE | November/December 2026
KJ coaching Reese McCullen
riding Rosmel's Polly Pocket.
Photo by Sarah Barge