Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live studio audience at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT with guests Don Stewart, Emma Fass, Michael Lenard & Kate Rice Nilan. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Don Stewart has a long and illustrious career as a top trainer specializing in the hunters and equitation. He was leading hunter rider at the National Horse Show twice, and as a trainer, has coached many national champions and medal finals winners. Don has a famous sense of humor and a knack for getting his students to relax and succeed in some of the most competitive, high-pressure horse shows in the country. Don operates Don Stewart Stables in Ocala, FL.
• Guest: Emma Fass is an amateur rider in Virginia, a software engineer, and an entrepreneur. She founded RingSide Pro in 2020 to provide horse shows with better tools and make the experience of horse showing smoother. RingSide Pro is now used all over the country, from local shows to Pony Finals and the USHJA International Hunter Derby.
• Guest: Michael Lenard is the CFO and co-founder of Horse Spot, a cloud-based platform transforming horse show management through real-time scoring, streamlined entries, and enhanced user experience. A former CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, he transitioned to the equestrian world full-time after years of competing at the 1.40 m level. He also holds a USEF “R” Jumper Judge license and has managed A-rated shows nationwide. Under his leadership, Horse Spot now supports over 350 shows across 28 states and three countries.
• Guest: Kate Rice Nilan is the Founder of StableSecretary, one of the original barn management technologies. Kate is a lifelong equestrian who grew up as a competitive junior rider and has spent decades immersed in the hunter/jumper world. She’s worn just about every hat you can imagine in a barn—groom, barn manager, assistant trainer, business owner, freelance rider and teacher, and even “horse show mom.” In recent years, she has gotten back in the show ring herself in the amateur hunters and equitation.
  Beyond the ring, Kate has also worked in web development, tech support, and education—bringing a unique blend of real-world horse experience and technical expertise to everything she does. She leads product development and customer support for StableSecretary, and still finds time to get back in the saddle whenever she can.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
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• Sponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group
• Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person event!