by Emily Riden
Hannah’s no-nonsense attitude and the passion with which she approaches her equestrian career can likely be attributed to her parents, actors Tom Selleck and Jillie Mack. She fell in love with horses at an early age and became an accomplished competitor at the grand prix level. In 2010, she founded Descanso Farm, fueled by her desire to produce high-quality horses in the U.S. As conversation with Hannah Selleck moves seamlessly from stories and laughs about her first pony and early riding years to earnest insight into her career, it’s easy to feel instantly at home in the discussion.
Her genuine and welcoming demeanor, coupled with a clear passion for the horses that she has built her life around, give the sense that you could be speaking with any fellow horse-crazy barn mate—only this is Hannah, a grand prix competitor who also happens to run her own successful boutique breeding operation. She’s also definitely the barn mate you would want to turn to for riding advice and business tips—and probably fitness and style pointers as well.
Foxfield and the Foundations for the Future
Hannah’s no-nonsense attitude and the passion with which she approaches her equestrian career can likely be attributed to her parents, actors Tom Selleck and Jillie Mack—as can her first introduction to horses. The year Hannah was born, the couple moved away from the Hollywood limelight and purchased a ranch in Ventura County, California. There, with several ranch horses and retired movie horses at home, Hannah, now 30, began riding lessons at an early age in order to become more horse-savvy.
“There happened to be a local stable very close by. That’s where I dove in along with other activities, but the riding just seemed to be a fit,” said Hannah, who also showed promise in ballet throughout her childhood but ultimately chose riding as her sole focus, eventually training at the acclaimed Foxfield Riding School in Westlake Village, California.
This article originally appeared on Equestrian Living, read the entire article HERE. This excerpt is published with permission.
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