About Erin O’Neil Shepard

Erin got her start riding at just 5 years old in her native New Jersey. As a junior rider, she competed in all 3 rings, qualifying for the ASPCA Maclay Regionals and Hunt Seat Medal Finals. While in college at Wilson College in Chambersberg, PA, she competed on the IHSA Hunt Seat Equitation and Dressage teams. She qualified for the IHSA National Finals and Cacchione Cup 3 times, and earned the opportunity to compete internationally with the IHSA in Switzerland.

After college, Erin turned professional and went to work for Nona Garson, U.S. Olympic Grand Prix rider. She was recruited to manage Garson’s operations and her Olympic mount, Rhythmical, at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. After four years with Nona, Erin continued her career riding, showing, training horses and managing operations for several barns, including Tim and Nancy Hooker, Paradysz Farm, Kim Prince LLC, Tommy Serio's Summerfield, and Ginny Edward’s Hidden Hollow. 

Erin founded Ainslee 9 years ago with the goal of creating a boutique hunter-jumper program to develop horses and ponies and riders from short-stirrup and pony hunter divisions to the highest levels of the hunter, equitation, and jumper rings. Over the last 9 years, Erin has continued her success as a rider and trainer at The Pennsylvania National Horse Show, Capitol Challenge, The Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and many prestigious shows in Virginia to include The Upperville Colt & Horse Show, Middleburg Classic, Keswick and Loudoun Benefit, to name a few. In addition to developing horses and riders at Ainslee, Erin coaches an IEA riding team with M&M Farm and Sprout Therapeutic Riding Center to help make riding and horse showing accessible to all levels of riders.

Erin is married to Mat Shepard and mother to Taya, 6 years old and who regularly rides her small pony BANDIT in the Lead Line division.