During the week, Amateurs Ali Grusha, Liz Martin, Meg DePalma-Whelan, and Erin Bradshaw have corporate jobs that require them to get decked out in suits, dresses and high heels. Yet these women can switch gears and change from their high heels to cowboy boots on a dime and get sweaty and dirty for their love of horses and showing.
These independent women support their passion for showing all on their own which makes their success in the arena even sweeter. We are proud to share these women’s stories because they are inspiring role models for younger girls who strive to be successful in and out of the show arena. Let’s find out more about these extraordinary women.
Ali Grusha
Amateur Ali Grusha, who graced the cover of our April Fashion issue of GoMag, could be consider a true renaissance woman. The Hamburg, Pennsylvania resident went to college on an athletic scholarship for swimming while also getting a B.A. in Communications. For the past eight years, she has worked in healthcare sales/business development.
“In my current role, it is my responsibility to educate physicians, the community and hospital employees about the benefits of hospice,” Ali told us. “Additionally, I meet with families/patients and discuss their end of life plan. Everyone thinks my job sounds very sad, but it is extremely rewarding. It may seem odd, but I do have a quota to meet; I have to grow our business by adding new referral sources and convincing people to sign on to our program. I do really enjoy being a part of people’s end of life experience and hopefully making it as peaceful and pain free as possible.”
In the show arena, Grusha competes in the all around events with her horse, aptly named, First Class Style and she also has a three year-old hunter under saddle horse, PSU I Dare You To that she will be showing in the Amateur and Green Hunter Under Saddle next year.
Grusha says that she likes to think of herself as a fashionista. “I do love fashion and sometimes when I shop I think, ‘Could I wear this to work and to a horse show?’ I always have a bag packed in my car that has options for either work or the barn. Whenever I tell people at work that I will be away for a show they say, ‘Oh, have fun on your vacation!’ Little do they know, it’s not some sort of glamorous vacation. They always assume I have race horses too.”
Grusha adds, “I like to dress up even for horse shows. So, its not too difficult to switch gears. Like, I always say – ‘If you look good, you feel good, you ride good!’”
We asked Ali if she likes to decompress at horse shows or whether it is just another avenue to express her competitive nature. “I definitely can decompress at horse shows, but I’m a very competitive person. When I’m not on the horse, I feel relaxed and enjoy being with my show family. However, once it’s time to show/practice- it’s game time,” Ali explains. “I love being able to work towards things. It means a lot to me to be a hard- working, successful woman. I appreciate my horses and showing a lot more now that I work to do it. With my current job, I don’t have a ton of time off to go to the bigger shows, but, I do what I can. I’m thankful that I have a job that allows me to show, period.”
Liz Martin
Due to her job for Marriott hotels, Amateur Liz Martin has lived several places the past few years including Northern California, San Antonio, and Dallas. She has recently relocated to Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The Penn State graduate majored in Hospitality Management which led her to work for Marriott International. Today, Martin is the Senior Manager for Marriott’s Operations Support Resources (OSR) department.
“The most challenging part of my job is leading and motivating a team of 50+ managers remotely,” Martin says. “It is so important that I stay connected to each of them. I travel one to two times each month to visit my managers. Seeing them in person and spending time with them is my favorite part of this job. I love being in this leadership role because, as much as I enjoyed working at a hotel and with customers, I have a passion for ‘steering an entire ship’. It is so rewarding to see the impact my team has on the larger organization of Marriott.”
In the show arena, Martin rides, Cool Krymsun Zip (Splash) in the amateur all around events under the supervision of Brad Jewett. At this year’s AQHA World Show, she is showing Splash in the Level 2 and Level 3 Amateur Horsemanship. “He is a big, beautiful sorrel, and he knows it,” Martin told us. “If I could compare his personality to another animal, it would be a handsome golden retriever – he struts his stuff when he needs to, but he just wants to snuggle in your lap and be loved on. This is my first year showing Splash, and I feel so blessed that he is in my life.”
We asked how she is able to switch gears so fast from work to showing horses. “Since I work from home, I am able to take my job anywhere. So, at some shows when I am still working all day, I go from conference calls with my team, to taking calls with my vice-president to running to saddle Splash and riding. I wear my poised and professional ‘hat’ one minute and my cowboy hat the next. I love the adrenaline rush it gives me that I am able to do both well.”
As far as her colleagues understanding her involvement with horses, “They have no clue what I do or understand it, but they are always asking about Splash and wanting to see pictures,” Martin says. “I was showing a couple of my managers a video of me practicing western riding with Splash. They had no idea what they were looking at. It was fun explaining it to them because they are so curious. It can be a little tough to make sure the stress of work does not translate into my ride or show and vice versa, but I think I am pretty good about not letting one effect the other.”
Despite the challenges of juggling work and showing, she enjoys being a career woman. “I like the independence of being a working woman. I know what I want for myself and I go for it. I never thought that, as an adult, I would have the opportunity to own and show horses again, especially at such a young age and on my own. Being around and riding horses is in my blood. If you have a passion for something, you will find a way to make it happen. I would encourage anyone with this love for our animal and sport to work hard and stay focused. Everything happens for a reason and blessings come in all shapes, sizes and colors – mine is sorrel.”
Meg DePalma-Whelan
This die-hard amateur was born in Western New York but now lives in Evans, Georgia. She received college degrees in Corporate Finance and Speech Communication and is now Regional Vice President for Prudential Financial.
“I cover the states of Georgia and South Carolina. In my role, I support over 500 financial advisors who work for organizations like Merrill Lynch and Edward, Jones. I help financial advisors create strategies for retirement and income planning,” Meg explains. “I travel every week, normally two to three nights in a hotel and 800 to 1000 miles a week in the car. My territory does about $150 million in sales, so I stay very busy and I miss a lot of normal things that people do during the week. I very much enjoy the interaction with my advisors and creating my own calendar. It helps with my horse show planning.”
Meg has two special horses in her life – My Dream Remembered (Hank) and Al Bet Cha (Wrangler). Meg and Hank will be competing in the showmanship and performance halter geldings at the AQHA World Show under the guidance of Michael Colvin and Clint Ainsworth. While Wrangler and Meg will compete in the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle in Oklahoma City. Her hunt seat trainer, Keith Miller already made the Junior Hunter Under Saddle finals with Wrangler. Meg also has some big news she’s going to reveal during Amateur week, but we have been sworn to secrecy.
We also asked her what her coworkers think about her horse show habit. “Many of them ask to see pictures and keep track with me on Facebook. They often ask about the cost of owning and showing horses. I joke and tell them do as I say, not as I do!” Meg says laughing. “For my job, I wear a full suit and high heels every day. So my work wardrobe mixes between black, gray and navy suits. I’m not too proud to change out of work clothes into my riding clothes in a gas station bathroom along the highway. I’ve done that on several occasions. The best is when my clients get in my car to go to lunch or dinner, they have to move my boots and spurs out of the way to sit down. “
Meg adds, “It’s very normal for me to show up at the barn completely decked out in a business suit and heels. I keep riding clothes in my trunk, so when I’m in Atlanta I can stop in and practice. I remember one funny story that happened three to four years ago when I was still living up north. I stopped in on a fellow AQHA exhibitor unannounced. She was in the barn cleaning and I walked in fully suited. At quick glance she looked up, freaked out and thought she was getting served legal papers!”
DePalma-Whelan says that she takes a lot of pride in her career. “I love my job. I worked very hard to get where I am and I am proud that I represent a great company such as Prudential. I support my own horse habits, so if I don’t work, I have no one else footing my show bills. I realize that work has to come first to pay for my life’s true passion.”
Erin Bradshaw
Erin Bradshaw of Aubrey, Texas is widely known as the owner of the famous paint stallion, John Simon, and being the daughter of legendary football player, Terry Bradshaw, but she also has a high powered job. “I do marketing for one of the largest family law firms in the South – KoonsFuller, P.C. We have five office locations. I love having a big girl job and all of the perks that come with it,” Erin told us.
Bradshaw also says that her co-workers don’t seem to understand what she does with horses. “I try and explain to my co-workers what it is I do but I always see the black dark hole forming in their head because they have zero idea or interest in what I am talking about,” Erin says laughing. “I’ve just learned to except both lives I live. I think it’s more fun when people don’t know everything anyway.”
Erin and John Simon are multiple APHA World Champions in the Amateur Western Pleasure and she plans on showing him again this year in the western pleasure and trail. Her boyfriend, Scott Weiss will also be showing him in the Senior Western Pleasure.
“I don’t know if we refer to John Simon as more as my horse or my family but he is the centerpiece of my world. If he could live in my house, he would have a guest room in a heart-beat!” Erin told us.
As far as what she enjoys about showing, “I find showing horses a competitive hobby. It can be stressful but, to me, it’s how much you let the stress affect you and consume your time. You have to learn to balance it all in your head and block out the rest. If you can manage that then horse shows are very fun, relaxing and rewarding.”
Erin adds, “My parents raised my sister and I to be independent. So, being a working girl is in our blood and just how we were raised despite our unique upbringing. I love making my own money and knowing I won’t have to rely on someone else when I’m older. It can be tough to manage both my show and work schedules, but if you plan ahead, it is possible.”
We wish Meg, Liz, and Erin the best of luck at the World Shows and we look forward to seeing Ali back in the show ring next season with her two horses. Girl Power at its finest!
