The Plaidcast
The Plaidcast is a weekly equestrian podcast hosted by Piper Klemm, PhD, publisher of The Plaid Horse magazine. Guests include Olympic riders, top hunter/jumper and equitation riders, trainers, horse show managers and industry insiders, plus in-depth conversations on topics such as horsemanship, collegiate riding, the state of our sport and horse show how to’s for riders at every level. One episode each month is devoted to the mental side of riding with nationally recognized mental skills coach and author Tonya Johnston (Inside Your Ride).
The Plaidcast
Michael Tokaruk (on the Winter Season) by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Piper speaks with rider, trainer and judge Michael Tokaruk of Tokaruk Show Stables about the winter season and his next big moves. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.
- Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
- Guest: Michael Tokaruk is a top rider, trainer and judge who also runs a training and sales business, Tokaruk Show Stables, out of Tennessee and Wellington, Florida. Michael worked with top professionals such as Scott Stewart, Missy Clark, Bob Braswell and Anne Kursinski as a junior rider. Michael has multiple grand prix wins, international and national hunter derby wins to his credit along with continuing his professional education by working with professionals such as Chris Kappler, Andre Dignelli, Katie Monahan-Prudent, and Melanie Smith Taylor. Michael has judged at some of the prestigious horse shows including the 2021 USET Talent Search Finals East, 2022 ASPCA Maclay Finals, the Capital Challenge Horse Show, the 2024 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter Finals- West Coast, and most recently the 2025 Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals.
- Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
- Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
- Sponsor: Sentinel and Chewy
- Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person live event!
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Plaidcast. This podcast is a labor of love, and every single episode exists because of this incredible community of riders, trainers, barn managers, parents, and horse lovers who show up in the barn, in the ring, and right here with us.
At The Plaid Horse, our commitment goes far beyond the show ring. We believe deeply in the power of literacy and education and that every rider, at every level, deserves access to knowledge, stories, and ideas that make them a better horseperson and a better human being. Reading matters. Learning matters. And the stories we tell each other in this sport matter more than we sometimes realize.
Whether you are a junior rider picking up your first copy of The Plaid Horse Magazine, a professional trainer looking for inspiration, or someone who simply loves horses and everything this world stands for then this community is for you. You belong here.
We build this together. Every article, every episode, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, to feel less alone in the challenges of this sport, and to be reminded of why we fell in love with horses in the first place.
Until next time, keep reading, keep learning, keep riding, and remember that the horse world is better when we build it together. I will see you at the ring!