Rothman Sporthorses

10/13/2026

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The best Halloween decorations ever

10/11/2026

3rd generation- Rothman Sporthorses bred Gildegunde (Scandic-Obelisk-El Corona) and her Toronto filly

10/01/2026

The end of an era. We have had the privilege and joy of working with Hilltop's exceptional staff over many years to pick great matches for our mares and timely deliver the semen that got them in foal:

Qalino- s. Qredit (dam EM High Society RS )
Jackson- s. Negro (dam Apollie, keur eligible)
Kono- s. Negro (dam Apollie, keur eligible)
Ojimo- s. Olivi (dam Apollie, keur eligible) aka Nigel
Pualena- s. Kjento (dam India Ink)
Night Sky- s. Negro (dam EM High Society RS ) aka Minnie.

Wishing all, especially dear friend Natalie DiBerardinis - safe travels and much success on their next journey.

Today, the last horses have moved off Hilltop. The staff are finishing their final work days, and a stillness is settling over the farm.

There is sadness in closing the book on this remarkable story, but today I find myself trying to focus more on how wonderful it was to have been a part of something as unique and special as Hilltop. Before today, there have been more than 35 years filled with incredible horses, laughter, hard work, love, friendships, accomplishments, challenges, and so many people whose lives were touched by this very special place.

First and foremost, thank you to Jane, who built this miraculous farm and has always put the people and the horses at the top of her priorities. Her enthusiasm and love for this land, her staff, and her horses were evident in everything she did. Her generosity and desire to give back to the industry, including through the many educational events hosted at Hilltop, created an incredible foundation for all that this farm has done and meant to so many.

Thank you to every owner who entrusted a horse to us over the years, to the stallion owners who joined us in providing exceptional stallions to North American breeders, and to the thousands of breeders we have had the privilege of working with. The offspring of those stallions will carry a piece of the Hilltop legacy forward for generations to come.

And thank you to every member of the Hilltop staff, past and present, who made this farm what it became. I am especially grateful to our current staff, who have continued to show up, care deeply, and do their jobs with incredible professionalism right through the very last day, helping make this ending as seamless as possible. You each have been amazing!

The Hilltop era may be closing, but the foundation it created is not disappearing. We are excited to watch each of our staff members build their own new futures from all they have learned and accomplished here. In many ways, that is part of Jane's legacy too: creating a place where people and horses could grow, learn, and go on to do great things.

Tonight, the farm is quiet. But 35 years of Hilltop are anything but quiet. And while this chapter is ending, we hope that this beautiful property will find a new owner who will cherish it and give it its own next evolution.

The impact of Hilltop will carry forward in the horses, the people, the friendships, the breeders, and the many new chapters that began here. Cherish the great times, the people, and the horses that have come into your life because of Hilltop. We would love to hear your own happy memories, see your favorite Hilltop horses, and share in the moments that made this place special to you. Please share them in the comments below.

Thank you to all who have been a part of Hilltop, and thank you, Jane, for having this dream. ❤️

Photo credit: Rebecca Neff

09/18/2026

The horse does not know it is being watched, and this is what I envy in him. He moves and the moving is the whole of him. There is no second horse standing behind the first one, checking whether the movement was correct. I, on the other hand, am always two people riding: the one who rides, and the one who watches himself ride and finds himself insufficient. Perhaps this is why the judges give higher marks to my horse than to me. He has achieved what I still reach for: to be entirely inside the thing happening, instead of one step outside it, narrating.

They call it "throughness", this word that means the aid travels from the leg to the mouth without stopping to ask permission anywhere along the way. I think what they are really describing is a body that has stopped doubting itself in the middle of the sentence. I have never once finished a sentence, in life or otherwise, without doubting it somewhere in the middle. The horse does not have this problem. The horse is not interested in whether the trot means something. The trot simply is, the way the sea is, the way my own hand at the end of my arm is, before I ask it to prove anything.

They will give the test a number afterward. 68%. As if a percentage could hold what happened between us, which was not measurable, which was closer to what happens when two silences recognize each other. I have always distrusted numbers that follow an experience the way a photograph follows a moment, keeping its shape, and losing everything that made it alive.

And still I will look at the number. I will look at it the way one looks at a mirror that has been asked the wrong question. It will tell me where my horse was crooked, where the bend was late, where the transition arrived a half-second before I was ready for it to arrive. It will be correct, and its correctness will mean almost nothing, because it was never in the room for the part that mattered. The part with no shape, the part I cannot show anyone, the part that happened only once and only between the two of us and will not happen in exactly that way again.

The scoresheet only tells you how correct you were. It doesn't tell you how great the ride was.

09/18/2026

🤣

09/18/2026

09/16/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=580977354217016&id=100069142702006&mibextid=Nif5oz

In dressage, the best riders develop psychological strength as a key ability because it takes a positive attitude, strong will, good work ethic, humbleness, stubbornness and overall horsemanship to succeed. You have to accept that success and failure never last in this sport, so you have to take each in stride and not make too much of a deal out of either—it is just another day at work. In the end, the best riders have this strength and an undying drive to continue because a rider still has to take care of the horses and get back in the saddle tomorrow and the day after that since this is not only a sport, hobby or business, but a lifestyle that lasts a lifetime. - Jan Brink

09/01/2026

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Stop and think for a minute about the beloved show horse you gush about regularly on social media. Do you know off the top of your head who bred that horse you love so much? If someone asked you at your next show, could you tell them where to go to find another horse bred like yours? Many cannot.
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But even if you can, do you make an effort to help promote the breeder who brought your beloved horse into this world? If no, why not? Would crediting that breeder take away from your success? Would it take away from your trainers worth? I would contend no. But would it help to elevate a quality breeder and help others to find them when they are looking for a horse? Yes, hugely.
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Even if you can’t name them off the top of your head, I can almost guarantee you that somewhere, there is a breeder who still cares about your horse. A breeder who spends hours planning for the perfect breeding cross. A breeder who crossed their fingers in anticipation that the mare would take and be in foal first try. A breeder who watched in anticipation as that mare grew round and heavy in foal, hoping for the perfect foal. A breeder who gave up many nights of good sleep to watch that mare closely to ensure a safe and healthy birth. A breeder who sat beside that mare while she labored to bring your horse into this world and maybe even gave it the extra pull. A breeder who helped to dry off that little miracle and watched in never diminishing awe as they took their first breaths and first steps. A breeder who taught your horse all the basics and instilled a trust in humans from the beginning. A breeder who loved this horse and cared for them from the first breath. A breeder who likely found it hard to say goodbye when the day inevitably came, no matter how good of a home the horse was going to. A breeder who probably still thinks about your horse from time to time and would love to know how they are doing. A breeder who watches from afar while those babies they raised go on to do great things and cheer them on with every success, even if they are no longer within that horses inner circle. A breeder who repeats the cycle each spring and keeps striving to breed the best possible horses, even when they know that they may not get any credit when those horses are out winning someday. Without that breeder, you would not have your horse. Stop and think about that for a second.
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There is no horse industry without quality horse breeders. No matter what scale they operate-- 2 mares or 20 mares-- they are all valuable to the industry and deserve respect and recognition for their efforts. Breeding horses is not for the faint of heart. It is a tireless and often thankless endeavor. It can be as heartbreaking as it is exciting. Some years you bring healthy, beautiful foals into the world and their mothers get to raise them.
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Other years you may lose a foal or a mare or both and that is something no breeder can get past without a heavy heart. The average horse owner may not think or know of all that goes into breeding a horse while they are enjoying their equine partner. So I am here to shed a little light on the life of a good horse breeder. Most breeders love every horse they raise, do everything in their power to give them the best start possible and do their due diligence to get them into a good situation. I have been raised in this industry and can’t count the number of foals I have seen enter this world on our farm. So many have gone on to do great things and many times I am able to follow that progress and keep in touch with the new owners. That is best case scenario- to be able to stay engaged with a horse you loved from the first breath and know they have gone on to be someone’s beloved partner. Alternatively, many of the horses we’ve bred disappear and we are unable to keep in touch. This is the saddest part because you just don’t know. You hope the horse has a great life but you can’t be sure.
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So here is my request: take a moment and figure out who bred your beloved horse. Often, breeders are fairly easy to find thanks to social media. If you can find them, reach out and let them know that horse is loved and thank them for their part in the journey. I can guarantee getting a note like that will make almost any horse breeders day and it only costs you a bit of time and effort. I think it would be great for folks to also take it a step further- when your horse is out winning, make a point to give some credit to that breeder on social media or to the people who ask about your horse or admire them. If a breeder is breeding great horses, make sure people know! If people out there are looking for a horse like yours, help them learn where they can find another one just like yours!
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To all the breeders out there, big or small, I see you and I commend you. To all the horse owners, I set forth a challenge:
When you post about your horse,

***Written by: Brandy Brown and published on 8/28/20***

Photo of Chinggis Khan, by Concerto Grosso, out of Empress Lisa, aka

08/30/2026

Happy birthday best boy Rocky 🎂

Marciano (Toronto-Obelisk-El Corona)