For The Gibbs Family, Life Revolves Around Horses And The Busy Schedule Of Up-And-Coming Riders
By Mike May
For the Gibbs family, show jumping is the focal point of their existence. That’s especially the case for Erin Gibbs and two of her children, daughter Jordan and son Dominic. Erin’s husband, Gordon, and their other son, Patrick, are not as involved in the horse industry, but they remain supportive of the family’s equestrian way of life, which sees them divide their time between Colorado and Wellington.
“We are a horse family. It’s what we breathe, eat, dream, discuss and do every day. Our family is like a three-ring circus, as we are a family with three kids, and three members of our family ride horses. Something is always happening,” Erin said. “Although, when I first was married, my husband rarely had seen a horse in person!”
Gordon has come around to the benefits of the equestrian lifestyle, as has Patrick.
“They are supportive and love the variety of activities that Wellington and South Florida offers outside of horses, such as tennis, golf, great restaurants, professional sports and everything ocean,” Erin said. “Otherwise, they are mountain boys and fond of hiking, skiing, mountain biking and enjoying the Colorado Rockies.”
For Erin and Gordon Gibbs, horses remain a constant in the life of their family and will remain that way for the foreseeable future.
“I’ve raised my children with horses,” Erin said. “We’ve done everything from horses at home to a DIY boarding facility, up to the full board and training experience.”
The family’s equine interest can directly be tied to Erin’s 40-plus years in the presence of horses.
“I am a lifelong equestrian and was born with a love for horses,” she explained. “My childhood was spent riding on a very local level in Colorado, but I took what I learned, and combined it with a love of travel to ride all around the world. I’ve had some great adventures. When I finally settled down, married and started a family, I picked up three-day eventing and competed through the Preliminary level in the Midwest.”
Erin has always had this passion for horses.
“My parents would always say they would not allow me to live in a barn, but really — that’s all I ever wanted,” she said. “My dream was just what my parents didn’t want — to live in my own barn with my family and a lot of animals.”
That dream of owning a barn filled with animals eventually came true.
“We had that for a while at home in Colorado at our ranch,” Erin said. “The house was attached to an indoor arena.”
As her children became immersed in the equestrian world, it gave them a chance to see if they truly liked this unique lifestyle.
“When my kids were ready for real lessons, I wanted them to have a traditional and classical hunter/jumper foundation,” Erin explained. “This is what ultimately shaped our journey and brought us to Wellington.”
The passion for horses and show jumping that the Gibbs family has crafted has put the family in a unique place here, living among the royalty of the horse world.
“To someone who has never ridden a horse, we are experienced,” Erin said. “But to professionals who are teaching, running a top-level barn or competing internationally, we are pretty low-level. I’m a true amateur. My daughter is a competitive junior rider, and my son just turned professional.”
Dominic has been racking up some impressive wins on the circuit, including being awarded the Alfred B. Maclay Trophy as the 2020 National ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Champion, the most prestigious award for junior riders that has been won previously by equestrians who have gone on to compete at the top levels of the sport. He also took third place last year in the WEF Equitation Championship. He trains at Plain Bay Farm and Beacon Hill Show Stables.
His younger sister Jordan is a rising star in the equitation and jumper rings, forging her own path in her upcoming junior career after taking key victories at the North American Youth Championships last summer in Traverse City, Michigan.
All this makes the equestrian futures for Dominic and Jordan very promising.
“I believe both my daughter and son will someday run a successful equestrian business, but for now, they are in a learning mode, and I enjoy watching them grow,” Erin said.
Meanwhile, the family follows an equestrian-centric lifestyle. On Monday through Friday, Jordan goes to the gym for a workout at 6 a.m. At 8 a.m., she heads to the barn. There’s no jumping on Mondays and Tuesdays, jumping lessons take place on Wednesdays, and Thursdays are dedicated to fine-tuning her performance, since her age group competitions are held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jordan does attend school Monday through Thursday. Classes start at 2 p.m.
As for Dominic, who recently graduated high school, he’s a working student. He leaves the house as early as 5:30 a.m. to get to the Plain Bay Farm barn to feed the horses and muck the stalls. He’s also trying to balance riding for his other barn. He also enjoys working out at the gym, and he gets home for dinner around 7 p.m.
A typical weekend competition day can be a long, whirlwind experience.
“The kids leave the house before sunrise to practice in the rings and feel out the mood and energy of their horse. Since horse shows are a ‘hurry-up-and-wait’ setting, they are usually fitting in all the extra work of the day in between competition rounds, like riding other horses, schoolwork and barn chores,” Erin said. “It is not unusual that they will leave before sunrise and get home after dark. As a parent, I show up to watch and cheer — but I don’t get involved in their routines, preparation or coaching. I have a busy job on those days being photographer and videographer. I will usually bring my laptop and find a quiet place in between events to catch up on work.”
Erin and Gordon Gibbs feel they have given Dominic and Jordan the best foundation for a successful career in show jumping.
“As parents, we always saw our roles as opening doors for our children, but they had to have the talent, personal drive, work ethic and will to walk through those doors and make things happen for themselves,” Erin said. “To be successful in horse sports, they needed to have the passion to pull us as parents instead of us pushing them. It appears that Jordan and Dominic both have the equestrian equivalent of the will to win.”
After the show jumping season ends in Wellington, Dominic will head to Europe this summer to compete there for the first time, while Jordan will stay in the U.S. to gain more experience. This fall, Dominic returns home and will attend the University of Miami. There, he will integrate his riding experiences with business studies, working toward a future as a professional rider and competitor.
Eventually, Jordan may very well follow a similar career path. Moving forward, Erin is content with her current role in the equestrian world.
“My personal riding accomplishments are from what seems a lifetime ago — so long that people are sometimes surprised that I ride,” she said. “There just isn’t enough time and money for me to commit to horses in the way I used to because I still work heavily for our family business, in addition to managing the kids and all the logistics it takes to train and compete at the higher levels. At this point, my favorite things are trail rides and travel riding.”
The image of a horse continues to personify the way of life for the Gibbs family, and this hectic lifestyle does not appear to be changing anytime soon.
