United States Eventing Association

Adult Amateur rider, Frankie Thieriot Stutes was the recipient of the 2018 Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider’s Grant in December. Frankie will be sharing her eventing adventures with us every month with the USEA Foundation in 2019. Here is her January posting.

Hi Everyone,

I’m Frankie Thieriot Stutes, an Amateur Three-day Event rider with a wonderful horse named Chatwin. I have been riding since age three when my mom decided her very wild child needed an activity that could assist in working off some of her exuberant energy.

Since that time I have always ridden in some capacity, but I, unlike many upper-level riders, never dreamed of coaching and riding numerous horses per day, but instead aspired to work in sports marketing and communications. After working in the NHL, for NIKE, and as the Director of Communications for a Fitness, Media, Sports Company, and Freelancer for the USEA as an on-camera reporter, I decided it was time to start something of my own to help equestrian athletes, and in 2011, my equine marketing company Athletux was born.

Although 2018 was an incredible year for me, I am a firm believer in that you give yourself a bit of time to be upset when things don’t go right, and you only allow yourself the same amount of time to celebrate your successes before it is time to move on and get back to work. With that said 2019 is here, my horse and I are both certainly a bit out of shape from the winter (remember I only have one horse who has been on vacation since October), and we have a lot of work to do to be as good as we dream of becoming.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Broussard Grant, I will be able to further my training under the instruction of German Dressage Hall of Famer Lilo Fore, which I have begun doing this week- and let me just say there is a lot of work to do. With a portion of the funds I received, my focus early in the season is to go to Dressage, and Jumper shows that were financially a bit daunting in addition to my necessary three-day events last year, and I am excited to get going with those at the end of January.

I believe in being out of your comfort zone as much as possible, and I also believe you can always get better in some way both on and off your horses. So here I am, ready for 2019 with a clean slate, bringing what I learned from last year with me, but also remembering that all that counts is what lies ahead. I have a hunger bigger than ever to make every day count because of the tremendous gift and opportunities I have been given thanks to the honor of being the 2018 “Big Becky Recipient.”