Special Edition: The stylish equestrian for Madelyn Bricken

Meet Madelyn Bricken: Dressage Diva and fabulous fashionista.

Madelyn has been a horse girl all her life and currently lives in the beautiful Texas Hill Country where she is schooling the upper levels of Dressage. At the age of two, her mother would lead her around on her 17.3 hand Hanoverian gelding… Ever since then, Madelyn’s love for the horse blossomed. Her first pony was an opinionated, stubborn, but incredibly patient Welsh Pony named Brightwood with whom she spent most of her youth, bopping over the small Hunter fences. In 2005, dressage was introduced to her realm: a discipline that quickly became her true passion.

Over the years, she’s been truly blessed in being able to swing her leg over a plethora of talented horses. Each and every one of them have led her to success while instilling valuable learning experiences along the way. During the summer of 2013, Madelyn was presented with the opportunity to travel to W Farms, located in Chino Hills, California. During this adventure, she would have the privilege to seek out her potential equine partner. Upon arriving to the stable on the first morning of the week, she was greeted by a stunningly gorgeous, bright bay, Dutch Warmblood mare with an astonishingly symmetrical blaze. They called her “Ulfilia,” but Madelyn quickly shortened that to “Leah.” She claimed “Leah” as “my horse” for the duration of the trip, hoping and praying that she would be returning to Texas with her in tow… which actually happened! They are currently schooling the upper levels of dressage, and are hoping to make their FEI Prix St. Georges debut quite soon.

In November of 2015, Madelyn launched The Blonde & The Bay, a blog dedicated solely to living the dressage lifestyle. Leah is the centerfold of The Blonde & The Bay, while combining fashion, food, products, tips, fitness, and more into one place.

Madelyn’s passion for quality apparel stems from her fashionable parents. Her father, Barry Bricken, began his career as a fashion designer in 1969, running around Manhattan, New York with fabric samples in a brown paper bag, showing his designs to anyone who would donate their time. It took 23 years for him to become a so called “over night success,” but before he knew it, he was selling his sportswear designs to Bloomingdales, SAKS, and Paul Stuart. Her mother, a luxury women’s sportswear buyer, also handed her an appreciation for clothing, fashion, and all things chic. Fashion is definitely in her blood, and it’s a main aspect of her blog The Blonde & The Bay.

Madelyn describes her style as the ultimate “Ralph Lauren girl.” She prefers pieces that aren’t terribly structured; those with a more boho, relaxed vibe are the types she leans towards in daily life. But when it comes to her riding attire she’s all about taking risks – incorporating rich colors with classic lines and a playful flair. Matching with her darling Leah is something she also loves to do.

“There is nothing quite as fun as being totally coordinated with your horse. I like things other people don’t have: being unique is key! “

Like her style? Here is all you need to know about Madelyn’s look:

Navy is one of Madelyn’s favourite hues, so we tailored the look around this BR Equestrian equipment  Monaco show jacket which could easily be worn out to a business meeting or to lunch on a cool day. We paired it with a rich beige Gucci V neck sweater and of course the no miss Ralph Lauren blouse.

Madelyn loves Romfh equestrian apparel, so we added a classic pair of knee patch breeches to the look. Picking up on the classic navy theme with the accessories, we went for a pair of navy blue SSG riding gloves, a Samshield shadow mat Swarovski detailed helmet, a BCBG fairy tiles scarf and the gorgeous Oughton limited  City Lux M tote bag.

We finished off the look with a pair of stylish Cavallo Polo Noels boots and a matching skinny leather belt from Vineyardvines.

Have a stylish ride!