United States Eventing Association

Red Hills Winner and Olympian Mara Dean Shares Icing Tips, Pet Peeves, and Why Every Minute is Important

You already know that Mara Dean rocked Red Hills and posted the first win on the FEI World Cup Tour scoreboard. But what you may not already know is that she returned my phone call tout suite with enthusiasm for doing the interview despite a lingering cold and opened up for Three Days Three Ways and for you. She was earnest about her support of 3-Day Eventing, humble about her accomplishments (including the 1996 Olympics and the 1997 Pan American Games), and devoted body and soul to her horses and students. But I don't need to tell you that. You can find out for yourself! I hope you enjoy Part I of this inside peek into Mara Dean's life, tips on icing legs, and two particular pet peeves.

Q. What are the most important things in life to you?

A. It comes two-fold as a rider and a trainer and coach: to do the best I can with my horses and to give my students the most help that I can give. There are two sides to my life; there’s more to life than horses, so my family is very important to me. My family and my friends for sure. I have a husband, Peter Dean, and we live in Round Hill, Virgina. My parents are divorced but both remarried so I’m lucky to have four wonderful parents and they are some of my biggest fans and supporters. My Dad has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer so it has been made more clear that every minute you can have with them is important.

Q. How did you come to Virginia:

A. I grew up in Vermont and when I graduated high school I took a year off to get horses out of my system. I worked with Jane Hamlin and she recommended riding with a bigger name so I went south for the winter to do horses full time for the first time in my life. I ended up with Wash Bishop and spent the winter in Ocala and loved the situation so much I followed him back to Middleburg in 1992. I went home to Vermont for a couple summers but ended up following Wash. I didn’t get horses out of my system; instead I got them more IN my system. After renting some barns here my family bought a farm to help me start a business. I’m luck to have that support. The rest is history. Or, I guess you could say, that history is still being made.

Check out the rest of this great interview on Three Days Three Ways blog!