In the Spotlight: Matt Brown, International Eventing Rider

Meet Matt Brown, member of Team Sterling Essentials, and top level eventing rider and mentor!

• Discipline: International 4* and 5* Three Day Eventing

• Home Base: East West Training Stables - Chadds Ford, PA and Aiken, SC

When did you start riding, and was it love at first sight?

Horse was my first word. I always knew horses would be my path.

What’s your motto or philosophy for how you work with your horses?

A horse trainer trains horses, a horseman trains himself. Be a horseman.

Which horse in the barn do you think has the most quirky personality or goofy habits?

I wish I could pick just one. Somehow all of our horses seem to have huge personalities; they are all very much themselves and aren’t afraid to show it. We like to spend time learning about what makes each horse tick and really cater our program to their individual needs. We have Super Socks, who may seem kind of quiet or dull when you pass by him in his stall, but he’s got quite a big personality once you get to know him. He LOVES to be scratched, and will position you exactly to the itchy spots. He goes out in the field with my wife’s dressage horse, Galaxy, who has to wear a muzzle (he’s sensitive about his weight) and so sulks in the shelter a lot. Flaxen will be out grazing his heart away but when the bugs get bad he runs in to the shelter, body slams Galaxy and then itches his whole body on him. Thankfully Galaxy is a tolerant sort so just sort of mutters under his breath but indulges Flaxen. Flaxen also grunts all the time. He grunts in his flying changes, he grunts over every fence he jumps, he jumps when he’s being naughty and bolting