Getting Back in the Ring, with W5er Emma Eyman
By Emma Eyman
Aside from my obsession with my dog, anyone who has spoken to me long enough learns I’ve been riding horses my whole life. It’s my heart hobby, and there are few things in this world I truly enjoy more. My dad grew up riding, as did his mom, so after my first lesson at age seven, I never looked back.
I was lucky enough to grow up five minutes from the one barn in New Orleans with a solid lesson program, and spent the first 11 years on everything from stubborn ponies to ex-polo and racehorses and, my favorites, the mounts of the New Orleans Sheriff Department. While I didn’t get to compete, adaptability and confidence in my ability to get on any horse were key skills that ultimately earned me both a spot on LSU’s Equestrian Team and as an instructor at a local barn’s lesson program near campus.
When I wasn’t riding with LSU or teaching lessons, I drove an hour each way to where my trainer was then based in Mississippi. A few too many of those trips may have happened when I should have been in class, but here we are. Thanks to the opportunities my trainer provided me—the one student at his barn without their own horse—I entered my first rated show in Spring 2014 and, on an older horse who hadn’t seen a show ring in ages, we took champion in our division.
Life happens, though, and new jobs and schedules after graduation meant the luxury of riding every week quickly came to a halt. The time and cost of this sport can make it tough to maintain, but I was lucky to still be near this trainer who saw my continued passion and supported me the few times a year I was able to get in the ring.
In 2023, a brief work hiatus gave me the chance to focus on riding, and my trainer suggested it was a better time than ever to compete again. The show we decided on? The same one where my dad began competing back in the ‘80s. After almost exactly ten years and a rough first class, I placed in the top 10 over the next two days, and Kenzo and I ended up winning the final class of the weekend.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I had zero business being there, let alone taking home any blue ribbons. But the pride I felt was huge. As I said, I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by a trainer and a team that has supported me with resources most people don’t get, and the passion I have for this sport and the innate desire to work at it, push myself, and always be better than my last ride made this moment feel right.
Riding has taught me a lot about relying on the right resources to succeed. You don't always need everything on hand, you just need access to the right support. My trainer gave me the tools to succeed over the past 16 years, even when my time in the ring and resources of my own were limited, and he and the barn became like family.
That’s the kind of support and partnership W5 offers. Our clients don’t need to have everything in-house to succeed—we provide the solutions and over 20 years of expertise to help piece everything together, and become a true champion of your team and your insights.
When you work with W5, our team guides you through every step of the process―from project conception and budgeting to design, recruitment, facilitation, and relevant, actionable reporting—adjusting as needed to keep you on the best path. Whether we’re shaping a custom research approach to solve a specific challenge or providing hands-on support to see a project through to success, our goal is to help you achieve results that truly matter. We’re your trainer at the in-gate, preparing you to go out and win your class with authentic, actionable insights.
No matter how long I’m out of the ring, horses will always remain a major part of who I am, and I’m constantly seeking out ways to use my knowledge in my career, like assisting with questionnaire language for horse owners or even simply crafting niche subject lines for companies in the equestrian world. And in the same way my trainer and barn family have been for me, W5 will continue to be the backbone of our clients’ successes.
You don’t have to have everything figured out yourself—as long as you have the right team supporting you.