In Fall of 2012 the Grand Prix dressage duo Paul and Nikki Alvin-Smith decided to start a community resource magazine to bring together the equestrian community at the beautiful Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York.
“As a seasoned content writer and author, the idea of putting together a stable of volunteer writers to produce a digital magazine to service the disparate riding disciplines that exist in the region was born both from frustration and the knowledge that it was something I could do to help,” explains Editor Nikki Alvin-Smith.
“One afternoon I set of with our three children to attend a local hunter show and spent hours searching far and wide for it after heading the wrong way on a mountain road. Local shows were always hard to find and never well-advertised it seemed.
We had recently moved to Stamford, NY. The village was known back in the day as “The Queen of the Catskills” with 14 huge hotels that hosted summer visitors from New York City and was a parade of the rich and famous much as the Hamptons are today. Our NYC playground was at that time in 2012 on a downward turn, thankfully now completely reversed thanks in part to Covid and the exodus of city dwellers from the concrete neighborhood to the pastoral lifestyle of Upstate New York. Paul and I wanted to do something concrete ourselves, to help develop and support the equestrian lifestyle in the region and encourage riders from varietal disciples to come together and help build their businesses. When we first moved here finding any resource, farrier, vets, specialist alternative care options, shows or events, or even adjunct farm service help was difficult.”
Today Catskill Horse magazine reaches over 100,000 viewers per month and includes: a Directory of Horse Related Services; an Events and Jobs Page; Hit The Hay accommodation guide; and The Feed Bucket restaurant guide. New feature articles are published monthly, along with a very popular blog and A Yay or Neigh review page that regularly publishes frank content on everything from leading equestrian book titles from the renowned publishing house Trafalgar Square Books to equine feed supplements, tack and apparel. Additionally, two columns Bit Between The Teeth and A Bit Of Advice plus a full archive of articles that date back to 2013 all bring engaging content to the table. Not bad for a small all-volunteer publication. But the magazine reaches far beyond the confines of the Catskill Mountains as publisher Paul Alvin-Smith explains:
“We regularly receive letters from South Africa, my homeland the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, Canada and from horse owners up and down the Eastern seaboard. When we began the magazine, I asked our “Merry Band at the Catskill Horse “staff team whether the name should be Catskill Horse as it might become too limiting later. As it turned out, that was true. While Catskill Horse will continue its growth with the full support our publishing house Horse in A Kilt Media, is launching a new imprint, Eastern Equestrian magazine slated for 2023. If you have writing talent and would like to come on board the team, please reach out to Nikki@HorseinaKiltMedia.com directly.”
A celebratory October issue of Catskill Horse is currently in the works that will encompass many special features with a special ‘thank-you’ promotion to the stalwart group of advertisers that have helped underwrite the costs of the publication through the years with their loyal support.
If you’d like to join the stable of advertisers and take advantage of free ad design, with a special discount promotional package that includes a professionally written focus feature on your equine-related business, a product review if you’d like one, and capitalize on hitting a great target audience of dedicated equestrians, please contact Editor@CatskillHorse.org for more information.
About Nikki:
Please visit www.NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com or email Nikki directly at Nikki@NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com or call/text 607 434 4470.
Internationally published writer, content creator, PR/Marketing specialist, photographer and equestrian Nikki Alvin-Smith offers “Engaging Content that Engages Riders to Read,” with unique and fresh material for your horse or pet related business, magazine, website, newsletter, blog and email blast sales machine. Her portfolio of works is extensive and includes equestrian and pet features that have been published worldwide in over 235 different magazine titles. Her clients include equestrian and “B” list movie celebrities for whom she regularly ghostwrites and provides PR services; manufacturers of equine and pet related medical devices, feedstuffs, supplements, grooming supplies, fencing and barn equipment, horse transport, horse structures and professional equine service providers; profit and non-profit initiatives and organizations; and non-equestrian related businesses/publications in the pet industry, investment, real estate and international travel and rural lifestyle. Please note all services (plus many others) are provided through Nikki’s corporate entity HorseinaKiltMedia.com
Nikki Alvin-Smith is a British international level Grand Prix dressage competitor/trainer/coach/clinician. Together with her husband Paul, who is also a Grand Prix dressage rider, Nikki operates Willowview Hill Farm in the Catskill Mountains of New York; a full-service horse training facility. The duo provides ‘team’ clinician services to clients worldwide to riders of all levels and many riding disciplines.
Contact: Nikki Alvin-Smith: Content Writer; PR/Marketing Specialist
Email: Nikki@NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com
Website: NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com
Cell: 607 434 4470