Mason Phelps, Jr.
mpjr at phelpsmediagroup dot com

Founder & President
Mason Phelps, Jr. is a lifelong horseman who has participated in many aspects of the equestrian world including as a rider/trainer, event manager, governance leader, charity organizer, and multi-media executive.

Phelps was a rider and trainer in his early years, competing in eventing and the hunter/jumper ranks. He earned national and international recognition as an equestrian athlete. In 1968, Phelps was named Alternate to the U.S. Three Day Team that competed in the Mexico City Olympic Games. That same year, he was named the U.S. Combined Training Association’s Rider of the Year. Phelps began his career as a trainer in 1972, working for two years as an Assistant Trainer to the legendary Jimmy Williams at Flintridge Riding Club in Pasadena, California. Phelps later developed his own training stable for hunter/jumpers, working with riders on both the east and west coast until his retirement from competition in the late 1990s.

While still in his twenties, Phelps expanded his role in the horse world to include event manager. In 1970, Phelps created and produced the “AA Rated Xmas Show” in San Antonio, which is now a popular annual event and an integral part of the Texas equestrian community. In 1976, Phelps founded, produced, and managed the first International Jumping Derby in Newport, Rhode Island, which drew top athletes and was a major show on the jumping circuit through 1988. In 1977, Phelps founded and created the New England Horsemen’s Association Hunt Seat Medal, which is still a popular event today, held in Springfield, Massachusetts. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Phelps produced a driving event for the Newport Preservation Society in Newport, Rhode Island. The event was held over three days and included as many as 16 four-in-hand carriages that drove to Newport mansions for lunches, teas, and dinners; classic Newport stables that had ceased operation were opened for the event. In the early 1990s at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Florida, Phelps created innovative classes including the first equitation class for previous winners of the Maclay or the Medal Finals; an equitation class for riders who had represented the U.S. in an Olympic Games, Pan American Games or a Nations’ Cup; and the first hunter classic for the American Hunter Jumper Foundation, which was held in the grand prix Internationale Arena. Currently, Phelps is Chairman of the National Horse Show of America Ltd.

Phelps has also played an important role in horse sport governance, primarily in the 1980s. He was Chairman of Zone I for the former American Horse Shows Association (AHSA, now USEF), and was on the boards of both the AHSA and the USET. Phelps also served as president of the New England Horseman's Council from 1985 through 1988.

As a philanthropist, Phelps has been instrumental in numerous charity and fundraising events in the equestrian world. In the 1980s, Phelps produced the Newport Roundup in Newport, Rhode Island, as a charity event for equestrians, with topnotch entertainment that included Sleepy LeBeef, Asleep at the Wheel, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and Tammy Wynett. In 1996, Phelps was one of the founders of the Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF, formerly the Equestrian AIDS Foundation), a fundraising and charitable organization for equestrians in need. In 1998, Phelps produced the first Denim and Diamonds, a benefit party for the United States Equestrian Team (USET), and presented the popular event again in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004.

Currently, Phelps is involved in equestrian media. In 2001, he founded Phelps Media Group, Inc. International, an equestrian public relations firm, and counts as clients the USET Foundation and the National Horse Show, as well as many top-tier equestrian events, organizations, companies, athletes, and trainers. In 2006, he founded PhelpsSports.com, an equestrian news website. In addition to bringing international equestrian coverage to subscribers of the website, PhelpsSports.com has also sponsored numerous events including the PhelpsSports.com Palm Beach Dressage Derby in Loxahatchee, Florida; Horse Shows by the Bay in Traverse City, Michigan; and the Junior/Amateur Grand Prix at the Syracuse Sport Horse Invitational in Syracuse, New York. Representatives of PhelpsSports.com have been credentialed for top international events around the world including the World Cup Finals for dressage and show jumping, and all three equestrian sports at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Artists Rendering © Lucido & Associates

Lauren Fisher
lef at phelpsmediagroup dot com

Account Executive, Writer, Photographer
Lauren grew up in Doylestown, PA, and has been riding and competing horses since the age of seven. Lauren was captain of Elon University’s intercollegiate equestrian team for two years and graduated from the university in 2007 with a degree in corporate communications. Lauren is excited to join the PMG staff to combine her professional skills with her love of horses.

Hans Gerling
hdgcs at aol dot com

Writer
Hans Gerling grew up in the horse-saturated community located in northern Baltimore County. Fox Hunting and Pony Club provided an early education with horses. Gradually his focus shifted to eventing, and competed in his first three-day event at age 15. Hans started training with eventing guru Jimmy Wofford, and won medals at the 1999 and 2002 North American Young Rider Championships. While attending the University of Virginia, Hans trained with Phillip Dutton, Bonnie Mosser and Stuart Black. Hans has since moved to Middleburg to train with Stuart and campaign his advanced horse. In his free time, Hans enjoys mountain climbing with his family, reading, taking his dog Gus swimming, and going to concerts.

Mary Hilton
hiltonheadwriter at aol dot com

Account Executive, Writer
Mary Hilton/The Farrago, Inc. has more than 25 years experience as a media specialist. An ardent horse devotee, Mary has focused exclusively on the equestrian industry since 1999 as media director for a major horse show production company, feature article writer for national equestrian magazines, editor of a national equestrian publication, and principal writer for Phelps Media Group, Inc. During her career in the media, Mary has worked in the audio/visual industry as a producer and production manager for corporate communications and in the publishing industry as the editor of five publications. Mary was the press release writer for Phelps Media Group, Inc. at the 2004 Winter Equestrian Festival and at other major events for PMG clients. Specializing in dressage and show jumping, Mary’s feature stories, columns, and profiles appear regularly in national and international equestrian publications.

Kenneth Kraus
KennethKraus at aol dot com

Account Executive, Writer, Photographer and Executive Director of PhelpsSports.com
Ken has been involved in the equestrian industry since 1960 – first as a top junior rider and then as an announcer. He’s announced every major horse show in the country including The National Horse Show, World Cup, Devon, American Invitational, and the Winter Equestrian Festival. Ken is also an R-rated USEF Jumper Judge. Towerheads.com was Ken's creation and this website flourishes today as one of the equestrian world’s most popular destinations on the Internet.
Ken was an on-air personality for four years in the Cleveland, Ohio, radio market and also spent a number of years in rock’n’roll as road manager for Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Outlaws.

Randi Muster
mustphoto at adelphia dot net

Photographer
Randi Muster Photography/Mustphoto, Inc. has been photographing equestrian events since 1994. Randi was the first to introduce digital photography to the hunter/jumper venue during the 2000 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Randi has been the Official Photographer at WEF for the past two years. The summer months bring Randi and her staff to the Northeast to photograph horse shows. She is currently working with Phelps Media Group promoting the equestrian industry.
Her photos appear in publications throughout the U.S. as well as internationally. Visit Randi’s website at www.mustphoto.com to view her schedule and images.

Jenny Ross
jross at phelpsmediagroup dot com

Account Executive, Writer
Ross grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and has ridden horses since the age of six. She showed in the Hunter/Jumper rings during childhood and continued her riding career throughout college. While in school, she trained with Margie Engle and had many successes in the Amateur Jumper divisions at WEF and other competitions.

An “R” rated Jumper judge licensed by the United States Equestrian Federation, Ross has officiated at such notable shows as Lake Placid, NY, and the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

Ross graduated from the University of Miami in 2003 with B.A. degrees in both English Literature and Psychology. She now resides in Wellington, FL.

Peggy J. Smith

Susan Stickle
hoofprints1 at aol dot com

Photographer
Susan has been shooting professionally since 1995, covering local, regional and National Dressage championships. Susan, an award winning photographer has had her work published in equestrian magazines such as Dressage Today, USA Equestrian, The Chronicle of the Horse, HorseSport and numerous other publications, including book covers. Her print of the World Trade Center Tribute in Lights hangs in the US Customs Department Headquarters in Washington DC. Susan rode dressage competitively with her chestnut Thoroughbred mare, Bonnie. The pair were high score champions at training level and went on to compete thru the lower levels. Her love of horses and her knowledge of dressage have given her a wonderfully keen eye that shows in her work.

Susan keeps up to date with all the technology offered in the photo industry. As a result, she offers the best quality photograph to her customers. For more information, please contact her at HoofPrints1@aol.com or visit her website at www.SusanJStickle.com.

Julie Tannehill
jmt at phelpsmediagroup dot com

Office Manager and Marketing Development
Julie has a great passion for horses and natural horsemanship. She trained with Melanie Smith Taylor's mother, Rachel Smith, in Memphis and follows the teachings of Pat Parelli. Julie brings more than 25 years of experience in sales and marketing in areas such as the ski industry, hospitality industry, radio and charitable organizations to PMG. she is happy to join PMG as the office manager and head of marketing development.

Mike Y.A. Teitelbaum
yagiants at aol dot com

Writer
YA has been intimately involved in promoting and publicizing polo and equestrian sports since 1990. His background is as a journalist and his articles have been published in most major polo and equestrian publications. A sports enthusiast, YA plays basketball twice a week, has season tickets to the Florida Marlins, spends the football season on the couch and is a big fan of the University of North Carolina men’s basketball team, thanks to Dean Smith. He also is a fantasy football freak. A resident of Wellington since 1990, YA spends his down time with his children, 10-year-old Jake and 8-year-old Molly.

Rebecca Walton


Writer, Photographer, Graphic Design
Rebecca is a senior at James Madison University majoring in Media Arts and Design with a Corporate Communication concentration and a Studio Art minor. She has been riding and showing hunters in Baltimore County since she was 8 years old. Rebecca’s skills include writing, photography, graphic design and web design. She has done work for the New York Racing Association, ST-Publishing, The Exchange, and numerous other companies. Rebecca comes to PMG with a desire to combine her professional skills with her passion for the equestrian industry.

Foncine Wood
jlwatphelpsmediagroup dot com

Writer
Foncine Wood brings an expansive wealth of knowledge in marketing, sales, computer skills, and business writing to PMG. Wood has earned an Associates degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and has her Master of Science degree in Management from National Lewis University. She worked for AT&T and Lucent Technologies for twenty years and was involved in software development, marketing programs, and sales. In addition to an extensive background in marketing, Wood also has years of experience in the equestrian industry as a devoted horse show mother. Currently, she organizes and executes an annual fundraising golf tournament for Hearts, Hands & Hooves charity, a local therapeutic riding program for challenged youth.

Jennifer Wood
jlw at phelpsmediagroup dot com

Account Executive, Writer, Photographer
Jennifer Wood grew up with horses in the Chicago area and represented the intercollegiate team at the University of South Carolina. Jennifer graduated from the university with a degree in marketing in 2001. For the past four years, Jennifer has been affiliated with top Grand Prix riders, Margie Goldstein-Engle and Anne Kursinski. Jennifer provides first hand experience within the equestrian community and joins the PMG staff as an equestrian publicist, with an expertise in marketing and sales.