Production Team of Equine Affaire®

Karin Brennan joined Equine Affaire in 2002 and has served in multiple capacities within the company. She is currently the Breed Exhibits & Special Features Manager who coordinates all of the breed presence within the events including the Breed Pavilions, Horse & Farm Exhibits, and breed demonstrations. In addition, Karin manages special features of each event (e.g. the Marketplace at the Ohio show), oversees advertising sales for the event programs, coordinates the production of all printed materials for the company, and assists with production of the Fantasia and various marketing efforts. Karin earned a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University with a major in animal science and a minor in agribusiness. During her years at OSU she served as Vice President of the Horsemen's Association, was a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Judging Team, and competed on The Ohio State Equestrian Team while also working in the equine retail industry. Before joining Equine Affaire, Inc., Karin put her business background to use as a Human Resources Assistant at Capitol Manufacturing in West Jefferson, OH. She is an avid horse woman who currently shows her paint/pinto geldings and is a member of the American Paint Horse Association, Pinto Horse Association of America, Inc., and the American Quarter Horse Association.

Lori serves as Equine Affaire’s Human Resources & Business Manager handling all personnel matters, staffing for the events, and general business matters for the company including the contracting of equipment and service providers for the shows. As the supervisor of the Attendee Services Department Lori is also responsible for ticket sales, arrangements with host hotels, and Equine Affaire’s important volunteer program. Prior to Equine Affaire, Lori was with Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH, where her responsibilities included supporting multi-million dollar programs. She brought to Equine Affaire decades of professional experience in providing administrative support on various government and commercial projects. She is a life-long horse lover who, with her husband, owns three Quarter Horses and a Paint gelding along with two donkeys. She enjoys pleasure and trail riding and spending time with her family, friends, and multiple canine companions.

Alyssa began employment with Equine Affaire in the Trade Show Department in 2016. She works closely with Hannah Helsel in developing each trade show and assisting exhibitors. She has strong customer service skills and especially enjoys meeting and interacting with individuals representing companies from all facets of the horse industry. Alyssa is a 2015 graduate of Wilmington College where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in agricultural business. Prior to joining Equine Affaire, Alyssa gained valuable event production experience working for the Ohio Quarter Horse Association both before and during Congress. She has been involved with quarter horses all of her life—having started riding at the age of two—and is currently a member of OQHA, AQHA, and the NSBA. While she shows in a variety of classes, Alyssa most enjoys competing in western pleasure and western riding and believes that there is no better feeling than riding a great horse around the show pen. When not on the back of a horse or at a show, she can most likely be found at the barn spending time with the broodmares and equine babies.

Chad Long joined Equine Affaire in the summer of 2018 and strives to establish new business opportunities and relationships with companies throughout the equine industry. A native of Hilliard, Ohio, Chad obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from The Ohio State University. While attending Ohio State Chad worked for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption where he assisted in rehabilitating, transitional training, and placing horses into approved homes. After graduating Chad joined his family's protection and risk mitigation firm, BelayUSA Corporation, where he worked as the Operations Manager. When BelayUSA merged with its sister company Chad pursued a career in real estate. He is an agent for Coldwell Banker King-Thompson where hard work, ethics, and the client are of upmost importance. Chad is an avid equestrian who enjoys competing in show jumping and breeding warmbloods. Chad, his wife Coagi, and their son Michael also enjoy raising and showing their beloved mastiffs.

Coagi Long, President and owner of Equine Affaire, Inc. has nearly 15 years of experience with the company in a variety of areas. She joined Equine Affaire in 2003 as a member of the Marketing Department, where she facilitated numerous promotional projects. She also served as Program Director, and Vice President & Executive Producer between 2006-2018. Coagi manages the extensive program of clinics, seminars, and demonstrations and coordinates the Fantasia performers and production for each Equine Affaire. She also oversees the company’s Web site, manages the production elements of each event, and supervises the day-to-day operations of Equine Affaire, Inc. Coagi graduated summa cum laude from The University of Findlay, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a dual major in marketing and equestrian studies and a minor in operations and logistics management. With a love for riding and training since her early childhood, she has primarily concentrated on dressage and hunt seat. While at Findlay she earned several awards including three consecutive Intercollegiate Hunt Seat National Championship titles and was the 2003 Intercollegiate Dressage Association Reserve National Champion. Coagi is a member of the United States Dressage Federation and the United States Equestrian Federation. She continues to pursue her competitive career in dressage, and trains and breeds Warmbloods at her farm in West Mansfield, OH.

Since 2003 Linda Maharrey has been an invaluable member of the Equine Affaire production team working part time in a multitude of capacities. Hers is often the first voice that customers hear when they call the office, and the odds are good that flyers and advance tickets received in the mail have passed through her hands. Linda retired from Madison County Hospital after 31 years working in the business office in various public-related positions. Since joining the Equine Affaire team, she has played an integral role in assisting the staff in all departments and handling a wide variety of pre-event projects and details that make each event a success. She has also been a tireless source of information and assistance working at the Information Booth at countless events in both Ohio and Massachusetts.

Margaret Sheldon joined the Equine Affaire team in February 2020. In her position as Attendee Services Associate, she organizes behind-the-scenes for our volunteers, Ride with a Pro clinic applicants, and Versatile Horse & Rider competition entrants. At the event you will find her in the Information Booth, spreading knowledge and excitement. Her favorite part of her role is getting to know all of the people involved with Equine Affaire-
from staff to presenters, volunteers, and especially (of course) the attendees! Margaret graduated from Stephens College in 2017 with a dual major in Equestrian Studies and Human Development, and a minor in Music. Before coming to Equine Affaire, Margaret was the Equestrian Director at YMCA Camp Willson in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Head Wrangler at a “dude ranch” in Tennessee, and held many other positions across the equine industry while interning and traveling throughout college. Margaret only recently became a first-time horse owner, taking on a retired AQHA gelding from Stephens College in 2019. They enjoy trail riding and experiencing new things together.

Hannah Stickles currently serves as Equine Affaire’s Trade Show & Sponsorship Manager and has the huge responsibility of coordinating the sale of the exhibit space in Equine Affaire’s impressive trade shows, managing the on-site production of the trade show at each event, and overseeing Equine Affaire’s sponsorship program. Hannah has been involved in Equine Affaire since childhood; her first experience with the event began more than 10 years ago when she volunteered at a show in Columbus, OH, with her 4-H group. Over the years Hannah’s participation evolved from serving as a volunteer to working as a contracted staff member assisting in the Volunteer Office. She officially joined the Equine Affaire team as a full-time staff member in 2013 as a Trade Show Assistant, and her career blossomed from there. Hannah is a graduate of Miami Trace High School and currently attends Columbus State Community College where she is pursuing a degree in communications. After years of participating in 4-H and open horse shows with her quarter horse gelding, she now enjoys trail riding with family and friends and spending spare time with her equine friend.

Beth Volpe serves as the Marketing Coordinator at Equine Affaire and is involved in organizing the company’s extensive marketing efforts. Prior to her transition to the Marketing Department, Beth worked in Equine Affaire’s Trade Show Department for several years. Beth earned a Bachelor of Arts in art history from The Ohio State University in 2011 and, before joining Equine Affaire, she was employed in the automotive industry. Beth brings a diverse equine and professional background to her role as the Marketin Coordinator. At just 15 years of age she was a trail guide at Ohio’s Mohican River Valley and, since then, she has worked as a trail guide, barn manager, groom, rider, trainer, and instructor in a number of disciplines, ranging from hunter/jumper to saddle seat to western pleasure. Over the years Beth has had the pleasure of working with a wide variety of breeds of horses including off-the-track Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, American Saddlebreds, Hackney Ponies, Quarter Horses, warmbloods, and draft horses. She currently owns an off-the-track Thoroughbred and a blind trail horse as well as other rescue animals.

Eugenia Snyder is the founder of Equine Affaire, Inc. and was the creative force behind the development of both the company and the events from 1993 to 2018. She received her Bachelor of Science in psychology from St. Lawrence University in 1974 where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She subsequently pursued her doctorate in psychology at the University of Maryland while conducting research at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. Eugenia's professional career was quite diverse and included working for many years as a paralegal and statistical analyst for Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, DC, writing as a freelance journalist, providing marketing services for a variety of clients, serving as a band agent in the music industry, and assisting in the production of a major traditional music festival. She has had a passion for and been involved with horses all of her life and had the privilege of enjoying a wide variety of horse breeds and equestrian disciplines. During her competitive career, Eugenia trained and showed Arabian horses to multiple regional and national titles including two AHA Legion of Honor awards and one Legion of Supreme Honor. Eugenia retired in June of 2018 and transitioned ownership and management of the company and events to the company’s long-time employee and former Vice President and Program Director, Coagi Long.

Retired in June of 2018, Guillaume Georges was the Treasurer and accountant of Equine Affaire, Inc. and an integral member of the production team since 2003. Guillaume is a native of France who graduated with a degree in business from Oxford University in England. Prior to joining Equine Affaire he had a diverse professional career which included managing a vineyard and other businesses in France, working in hotel management and accounting for various major ski resorts in the American West, and working for Lindblad Expeditions in Europe and the western hemisphere. Though Guillaume appreciates horses, his time in the saddle has been somewhat limited. Rather, he has devoted his energies to various other athletic pursuits including swimming the English Channel at the age of 15, competing in the Olympic Games in Montreal and Munich and winning two medals in swimming, riding on the French Tour de France team twice, and playing as a member of the French World Cup football (soccer) team. He brings his energy, propensity for hard work, and customer service skills to every Equine Affaire—and indulges his passion for skiing, hiking, and cycling when not at work.