Sidelines October 2026

This Issue! John French—Treasure to the Sport; Cyndi Jackson—Dressage to the Max; Grace Stenbeck-Werner—One Ride at a Time; And Much More!

John French

Treasure to

the Sport

Cyndi Jackson

Dressage to the Max

Grace

Stenbeck-Werner

One Ride at a Time

SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026

GRACE STENBECK-WERNER

One Ride at a Time

NATASHA KLINGENSTEIN

Flying High With Horses

COVER

JOHN FRENCH

A Treasure to the Sport

AMY YODER

A Life of Leadership, Horses and Family

CYNDI JACKSON

Living Life To The Max

BAYLEE ROWAN

What it Takes to be a

Working Student at North Run

On the cover:

John French with O’Rockstar,

owned by Maddock Horses.

October 2026

About this photo:

John and O’Rockstar won the 2026 3’/3” Platinum

Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive

Championship with a record‑breaking score.

Photos by Isabel J. Kurek

Volume 38 Issue 11 • SIDELINES (ISSN 1071-3859) is owned by TRAUB CAPITAL PARTNERS and is published ten times a year.

SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026

KAREN O’NEAL

Building an Upper-Level Horse From Scratch

MACKENZIE SUFFY

Learning All Along the Way

HORSE SHOW

FAMILIAR PLACES,

FAMILIAR FACES

HITS Shows With Brett Waters

Grace Stenbeck-Werner

Photo by Sophia Donohue

IN EVERY ISSUE

10 Letter From the Editor | 76 Sidelines Directory

77 Sidelines Business | 78 Advertisers Index | 80 Sidelines Spotlight

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Baylee Rowan

Photo by Chelsea Lothrop

SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026

LETTER FROM

BRITNEY GROVER

Editor

Stay in touch by emailing editor@sidelinesmagazine.com

and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @sidelines_magazine

John French

Photo by Isabel Kurek

Cyndi Jackson

Photo by Kirsten Ziegler

Natasha Klingenstein

Photo by Kacy Brown

Riding Under the Influence

was born with the horse bug, but I didn’t get the opportunity to really start riding until I

was in my early 20s. I found a hunter-jumper barn near where I lived and started taking

lessons. I can still remember the conversation: In attempting to explain what hunters really

were, my trainer—who became a close friend and has been there for me through many things—

told me to go online and watch any rounds I could find ridden by a man named John French.

John’s example, over a decade ago and hundreds of miles away, inspired me and taught me

what hunters should look like. That’s how good he is. And that’s why it’s such a thrill to have

him on our cover heading into the fall and indoor season. Our photographer, Isabel Kurek,

has known John since he was 10 years old and chased him all around the East Coast taking

pictures for the feature. His story delves into his little-known history in the jumper ring, as well

as how he is directly impacting the next generation.

Just as John influenced me—and countless others—simply by being himself, Cyndi Jackson

gave my 7-year-old daughter a taste for dressage when we watched Cyndi ride Florrison, aka

Jack, down centerline to ultimately win the Grand Prix Freestyle at HITS Del Mar earlier

this year. From the opening notes of “SexyBack” to “Can’t Stop the Feelin,” their freestyle was

fun and unforgettable as my daughter’s first experience watching dressage. Little did I know

that Cyndi’s personal story is equally unforgettable, as well as deeply inspiring: She’s not only a

Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer, she competes in ultramarathons and homeschools her

son, all while surviving the desert heat of Arizona and prizing hard-won sobriety.

Natasha Klingenstein is also striving to influence others—through providing community

for equestrians. While most might interpret “flying with horses” as a soul-filling gallop or

sailing over a jump, Natasha literally flies with horses. She’s an amateur rider who works for

Horseflight and shares many fascinating stories of flying in cargo while caring for horses in

transit. Natasha says that her “real” family, her barn family and her Horseflight family have all

carried her through different things, and it’s that kind of community she’s trying to provide for

others. “People often believe if you put your head down and grind, you can be successful on

your own,” she said. “But I’ve learned that success is actually through the people you choose to

walk alongside you.”

Those around us have the power to influence us—hopefully for good. This issue is full of

stories of those who are impacting the next generation and others—as well as those who are

carrying on the influence of riders with more experience. I hope reading them has a positive

impact, no matter how small, on your own life ride.

SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026

or 13-year-old pony rider Grace

Stenbeck-Werner, there has always been

more to the sport than success. Though

she has already experienced much of what the

sport has to offer in that sense, Grace’s favorite

part has remained remarkably simple—the

horses. For her, riding is about the partnership

she builds with each one, the feeling of getting

into the ring and finding their rhythm, and,

above all, enjoying every moment along the way.

“I tell myself just to be present in the

moment,” Grace said.

GRACE

STENBECK-WERNER

One Ride at a Time

By Laila Edwards • Portraits by Sophia Donohue

BORN FOR THE SADDLE

Growing up on her family’s farm in North

Salem, New York, surrounded by a mix of

sport horses and rescue horses, Grace was

only 6 months old when she first sat on a

horse. Her mother had ridden growing up

so horses were already an important part of

the family when Grace came along. By the

time she was old enough to understand what

showing meant, horses were already woven

into nearly every part of her life.

Her first pony, Romeo, came into Grace’s

life at the very beginning. He was a rescue

and, while he never became a show pony,

he was her introduction to the special

relationship that would eventually shape her

riding career.

Then, at 2 years old, Grace met Candy

while visiting family in England. She

immediately fell for the little gray pony, and

soon Candy was on her way to America.

Grace showed Candy for the first time

when she was 3 years old, and the two

Grace Stenbeck-Werner with

Clovermeade Heartthrob, Pony

Finals 2026 Overall Grand Champion.

SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026

eventually made their way through the Short

Stirrup division together. Today, Candy

still lives happily at the family’s farm and has

found a new companionship in Grace’s little

sister. “I’m still so close to Candy to this day,”

Grace said. “I’ll take her on a trail ride here

and there, and I always love being with her.

She’s pretty much my favorite pony.”

That early relationship with Candy is

a fitting introduction to the way Grace

approaches horses today. Championships

and ribbons have become a familiar part

of her young career, but when she talks

about riding, her focus returns to the horses

themselves. “I really, simply love horses,”

Grace said. “I think you can’t really love the

sport unless you love the animals.”

For Grace, the best part of riding is the

partnership that develops between horse

and rider. “I just love getting to learn about

each horse and how every one is so different,”

Grace said.

That connection is something David

Belford, Grace’s trainer, has noticed

throughout their time together. “She builds

confidence through her bond with her

horses,” David said. “She spends so much

time with each animal and takes a lot of

solace in that.”

For David, that bond is one of Grace’s

greatest strengths, but there is much more

to her than her focus in the show ring. “She’s

very much an old soul when it comes to her

focus while competing,” David said. “But

there’s another side of her that’s completely

infatuated and in love with her horses.”

GROWING THROUGH

THE PONY RING

That love for her horses has grown

alongside Grace’s success in the show ring.

She has attended Pony Finals since she was

9, with each year bringing new experiences

and golden memories.

In 2024, Grace and her pony Prestige

captured both the Regular Large Pony

Hunter National Championship and the

Overall Grand Pony Hunter National

Championship at USEF Pony Finals. It

was Grace’s first championship title at Pony

Finals, but that was just the beginning.

Her success continued in 2025 when

she and Play Date won the Medium

Pony Hunter Championship and Grand

Pony Hunter Championship at the

Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

At the 2025 Washington International

Horse Show, Grace and Clovermeade

Heartthrob also shared the Grand Pony

Hunter Championship. Most recently, at

the 2026 USEF Pony Finals, Grace was

named Overall Grand Champion with

Clovermeade Heartthrob and champion

in the Large Green Hunter division with

Royal Encore.

For Grace, however, the excitement

of a horse show extends far beyond the

results, and from someone who has played

a vital role in her horsemanship, trainer

David believes that all aspects of the sport

are important. “I think it’s not just about

earning the ribbons,” he said. “It’s about

meeting your friends, bonding with your

horses and trying new things.”

Devon is one of the best examples of that

balance. One of Grace’s favorite shows,

the Devon Horse Show is close enough to

her home in New York that it feels familiar

while still bringing together many of the

friends she has made throughout the winter

circuit. “I think it was my first big show,”

Grace said. “I love that all my friends go,

and I love the energy there.”

Her success at shows like Devon

has become another part of an already

impressive young résumé. But perhaps

more importantly, the experiences have

taught Grace how to enjoy the moments

that make a horse show memorable in the

first place.

LEARNING TO

HANDLE THE PRESSURE

Grace has now attended Pony Finals

five times, and what was once an exciting

new experience has gradually become an

opportunity to draw on everything she has

learned along the way. “I think it definitely

changes over the years,” she said. “My first

year there, I didn’t feel a lot of pressure

because I was pretty young, but that changed

when I went back. Now I like riding with

a little bit of pressure. I feel like that almost

helps me in a way.”

Grace hopes to continue

growing in the equitation

and Junior Hunters.

SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026

The key, she has learned, is knowing when

pressure becomes distracting. “I just don’t

want to feel stressed going into it, because

that never ends well for anybody,” Grace said.

Instead, Grace reminds herself to stay

present and focus on the ride in front of

her. For her, handling pressure isn’t about

avoiding it, it’s about trusting the partnership

she has built with her horse and letting that

confidence carry her through the moment.

Grace is quick to point out that none of her

accomplishments happen alone. In addition

to her trainer David, she receives help from

Maddie Flocks, who helps her in a multitude

of ways. She also credits the many people who

care for the horses and help make the logistics

of a demanding show schedule possible.

“There’s a lot of work behind the scenes

that nobody really gets to see or understand,”

Grace said. “I’m really grateful that I have the

best team behind me that makes it possible.”

GROWING BEYOND THE PONIES

For now, Grace is beginning to look

toward the next chapter of her riding

career. She hopes to continue developing

in the equitation divisions as she gradually

moves out of the pony ring. She is already

competing in some of the smaller equitation

classes and would like to put more focus on

the 3’6” equitation in the coming season. “I

definitely want to get more serious with that,

and I think it will be a smooth transition as I

ease out of the ponies,” Grace said.

Her trainer is also eager to see what’s next.

“As we get closer to her winding down the

ponies, we’ve really been trying to capture

the moment with the Junior Hunters and

find her horses that she clicks with,” David

said. “She has one amazing horse that she

just clicked with right off the bat, and was

champion with at Devon and I’m excited to

see that relationship deepen.”

As Grace continues to expand into Junior

Hunters, equitation and eventually the

jumpers, David sees her taking advantage of

every opportunity. “She’s focused on what the

sport has to offer,” David said.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Away from the show ring, Grace enjoys

spending time with her friends and simply

being a teenager. Balancing school with

riding is becoming part of her next chapter,

She’s very much an old

soul when it comes to her

focus while competing.

~David Belford

Grace hopes to develop her equitation

skills with her horse Oxford.

SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026

too. She currently attends school in Florida

during the winter season, following a

hybrid schedule that allows her to ride

in the mornings before attending school

and completing online coursework. “This

schedule allows me to still ride every day,

even during the busy winter season in

Wellington,” she said.

For Grace, the ribbons and

championships are certainly meaningful,

but they are only part of what makes the

sport special. What keeps her coming

back is the opportunity to ride, spend time

with her horses and continue growing

alongside them. “I’m just really grateful and

really fortunate that I have such a big and

supportive team around me,” Grace said.

With the pony ring slowly giving way

to new divisions, Grace has plenty to look

forward to. There will be new horses to get

to know, new goals to chase and plenty more

to learn along the way. For now, she is happy

taking it one ride at a time and being open

to where the sport takes her.

Follow Grace on Instagram @grace.stenbeck

Photos by Sophia Donohue, sophiadonohuephotography.com

Grace and her dog, Zeke.