Meet the Staff

Jessica Upham, Owner

Jess Upham has been working around horses for over 20 years. Having ridden numerous disciplines including eventing, hunters, jumpers, and equitation, she has a variety of skills. At 16 years old, she began teaching at Stonegate Farm and has worked at multiple farms since. She is experienced in working with young horses, rescue horses, and show horses, and she also enjoys the re-training and rehabilitation of geriatric horses. She graduated University of Connecticut in 2012 with majors in Animal Science and Agriculture & Natural Resources with a focus in Equine Business Management. She is also a PAS certified Equine Nutrition Specialist for the NorthEast.

Kathy Gorsky, Head Trainer

Kathy Gorsky has been teaching children and adults to ride for 30 years.  As a teenager, she was a member of US Pony Clubs, earning the ranking of C-2 despite not owning a horse.  She competed in both eventing and equitation and eventually turned the focus of her own riding to dressage.  Kathy was awarded a dressage scholarship which allowed her to train with top trainers including Lilo Fore and Kathy Connelly.  She brings her love of flatwork to her students, encouraging them to use  classical principles of dressage in order to improve their horses and their own riding.  As an instructor, Kathy’s focus is on equitation, and she has successfully coached many students through the ranks.   Kathy has been an IEA coach for 6 years, and her current IEA team, Eastern Connecticut, has been very successful within its first two years. Kathy loves the IEA’s emphasis on horsemanship and sportsmanship, and incorporates many team-building events into her team’s schedule.  Kathy looks forward to many more exciting years of training riders at Magnolia Run Equestrian Center. ​

Chelsea McDermott, Asst. Trainer

Chelsea McDermott has ridden and worked around horses for over 20 years. She competed on the Western Youth circuit as a child and quickly developed a love for the hunter ring. Chelsea is a graduate from the University of Connecticut where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2012. While a student at UConn, Chelsea competed on the IHSA Equitation Team and developed her skills as a teaching assistant for the riding practicum. Now as a professional, Chelsea has turned her focus to cross-country and eventing, teaching her old horse, Remi, some new tricks. Chelsea has trained with top eventing coaches in the area, rode in a clinic with Dom Schramm, spent a week in Aiken, SC lessoning with Alison Eastman, and most recently rode cross-country in Ireland with Cooper's Hill Equine. She currently enjoys teaching and training at Magnolia Run and is excited for the upcoming show season!

Tori Travers, Barn Manager

Tori's love for horses began at a young age as she feels that horses teach compassion and how to live life as a better human being. Bringing lots of diversity to Magnolia Run, Tori has experience with western and driving. Tori is a Certified Wrangler and enjoyed working in Big Sky, Montana in 2018. Additionally, Tori worked as a veterinary technician and has experience with breeding and foaling. Competing in both pleasure and equitation in Saddle Seat and Hunt Seat, Tori has competed in regional and national horse shows for most of her life. Tori also showed at the Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma in 2014. Tori received her Associates in Animal Science with an Equine concentration and her bachelors in Resource Economics from the University of Connecticut. She is proud to be part of the Magnolia Run family. When she is not around horses, Tori enjoys hanging with her dog, Haley, going for hikes, and skiing.

Ryan Murphy, Asst. Barn Manager

Ryan is a senior at the University of Connecticut and will finally receive her BS in Animal Science at the end of 2019! She has been around horses ever since her mother, a lifelong equestrian, held her up on a pony at three months old. After starting lessons as a small child, she began working as a show groom with her trainer at age 10 and has been doing chores ever since. With a background in dressage, Ryan has found a new passion for jumping with her new partner Banjo - a large green pony. Her favorite part of working at Magnolia is the close relationship she has with the horse owners and veterinarians. She particularly enjoys working with owners to provide their horses with the best possible day to day care and to make sure the farm is meeting their needs. When she's not working or at school, Ryan enjoys trail riding and spending time with her family.

Erin Meikle, Youth Specialist

Erin joined us as a freshman in high school with several prior years of horsemanship experience. She was an active member of her local FFA program; acting as Captain of both their Horse Judging Team and Driving Team, as well as a member of their Vet Tech Team throughout her high school career. She takes pride in her previous work riding and driving draft horses, taking an interest mostly in organic farming with horse-powered equipment. Erin grew up with horses of her own, focusing on Western Pleasure and Trail with her devoted quarter horse, Scout. She has recently followed her passion in healthcare and has begun pursuing a nursing degree. In the years she has joined us, she has picked up Hunt Seat riding and has discovered her love for cross country and jumping. Erin teaches both English and Western disciplines at Magnolia Run, and enjoys working with kids of all ages and abilities.

Michelle Grant, Beginner Specialist

Michelle joined us after her graduation from UConn in 2013 where she got her bachelors in Animal Science with a concentration in Equine Science and a minor in Equine Business Management.  Michelle grew up on a horse farm in Vermont where she raised miniature horses, trail rode and did gymkhana and more recently began jumping and driving.  Michelle teaches both hunt seat and western lessons and enjoys giving people positive first experiences with horses and riding.  Her passion is starting young horses for both riding and driving. 

Dan Bergin, Beginner Specialist

Dan Bergin started riding horses at a young age and competed in many local schooling and 4H shows as a child and the CT hunter/jumper circuit during his adolescence. Dan took a hiatus from the sport to begin his career as a clinical social worker and to raise his two children. Since returning to riding, Dan and his draft cross sport horse, Gustav, enjoy riding and showing in many local schooling and rated horse shows. In the Spring of 2018, Dan and Gustav began competing in some low level eventing horse trials. Dan enjoys teaching both children and adults and is known for his patient and supportive approach when teaching his students.

Shannon Gorsky, Camp Coordinator

 Shannon Gorsky has been riding for nearly 15 years and began showing at small schooling shows at a young age. At age 12, she began showing in the IEA, qualifying for regionals almost every year until she graduated high school. In 2017, she was elected to be the Zone 1 Youth Board Representative for the IEA. While attending IEA National Finals that year, she placed 1st in the Holy Innocents Horsemanship Test for Upper School riders and also placed 3rd in the practical horsemanship test. She has been showing on the local rated circuits for the past few years and has attended both CHJA Finals and CHSA Finals. She is currently a business management major at Stonehill College and rides on their IHSA team. She is looking forward to being the camp coordinator again for the summer of 2019 and sharing her passion for horses and horsemanship with younger students.

Brian Piccarello, Head Maintenance Supervisor

Bio coming soon!