Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast 89: The Tokyo Countdown Is On
The countdown to Tokyo 2020 is on. This week, we’re talking to a horse gal who took it upon herself to make our sport more environmentally conscious. Also, the jury is in: turnout actually reduces the risk of injury, science says. Thanks for tuning in.
Click here to stream Episode 89.
Special Guests:
Stephanie Bulger was born and raised in New York City. She has owned and ridden some of the country’s top show hunters, and currently competes in the Amateur Owner Hunters while cheering on her Grand Prix horses. Stephanie founded Green Is the New Blue in 2018 after seeing a troubling lack of awareness of environmental concerns around the horse show circuit. Her goal is to make the world a greener place for herself, for her family, and for the horses she loves so much.
Doug Payne is a 5-star eventer, grand prix show jumper, FEI dressage rider, USEF judge, author, clinician, and USEA certified instructor based in Aiken, S.C. Doug has a mechanical engineering degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was first named to the USEF High Performance list in 2011 and will compete on the U.S. team at the 2019 Pan American Games. Doug designed and produced “The Rider’s Eye,” an instructional DVD along with Jimmy Wofford. His first book is titled “The Problem Horse Repair Manual.” Doug is married to Jessica Payne.
More on what we talked about in this episode:
This week we’re feeling boogie with a Clove Club. | @RR
Turnout time can reduce soft tissue injury risk, a study says. | @theHorse
What the heck is going on with the horse market right now? | @COTH
The Tokyo Games are going to be a HOT and HUMID one. | @reuters
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us on Patreon! | @patreon
Product review: Jess dishes on why they love BEMER products. | @BEMER
Stephanie Bulger joins us to talk about how to make the horse industry a more sustainable place. | @heelsdownmag
You had Olympics questions. We pestered Doug to get answers. | @heelsdownmag
Mailbag: “My barn owner changed my hours the night before my shift. Is this unprofessional?”
More about our hosts:
Jessica Payne Ellie Woznica Justine Griffin
Ellie Woznica is a 22-year-old freelance book designer and horse trainer because she couldn’t choose which career to pursue and her mom said she wouldn’t make the decision for her. She grew up showing the hunters and jumpers, but in university, she learned to ride western and fell in love with reining.
Jessica Payne is a 32-year-old international event rider who is rarely seen without her long-haired chihuahua under her arm. She was born in London, Ontario, but grew up in Franklin, Tenn. and graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Animal Science. She once lost the tip of her pinky finger clipping her 4* horse, and husband Doug says she can “talk to anyone including a wall….and they will like it!”
Justine Griffin is an award winning 30-year-old journalist who has written about everything from horses to high profile CEOs to her ovaries. (She donated her eggs once.) Two things she loves the most? Whippet puppies and cheese. Justine is a firm believer in unicorns and feminism. So take everything she says with a grain of salt.
Have a question for us? Send us an email at hello(at)heelsdownmedia.com. Or better yet, join our Facebook group, the Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast Lounge, to engage with our hosts and delve deeper into the discussions we have on the show.
Many thanks to our sponsors: Ecogold and Soap For Dirty Equestrians.