Meet Bryn Toyama, a stylish amateur hunter rider from Birmingham, Michigan. Like many lifelong equestrians, she fell in love with horses as a young child by playing with Breyer horses, and her passion blossomed from there. Fast forward to today, Bryn now has her very own beautiful dappled grey hunter mare named Twilight and is currently training and showing with Heather Irvine of Hillside Farm. Learn more about Bryn in our Q&A style Style Profile feature below!
Give us a little background on you and how you got into horses.
I grew up in northeast Ohio, around the suburbs of Cleveland. Where I grew up there weren’t too many riding facilities nearby, and no one in my family actually had any experience with horses or connection to them so it was pretty peculiar for me to fall into! Nonetheless, I have been drawn to them since before I can remember. My mother even jokes that I came out of the womb that way. As a child, dolls and other toys didn’t really do it for me, I only played with Breyer horses or imaginary ones! I was about six or seven years old when my mother found me a place to begin taking riding lessons. She didn’t know anything about riding or horses, but had called around to a few places, and finally wore down one poor gentleman into taking me a few years early! While I have always been on the small side (5’1 fully grown), from the very beginning of my riding career- I’ve only ridden full-sized horses. The world of ponies is actually a new one for me! With that being said, you can imagine my poor trainer taking me horse shopping for the very first time, and having to kindly explain why a 17.0+ h horse just won’t suit!
What do you love most about being an equestrian?
I love every single part, in every single way. I didn’t always have the access or resources to ride, but to me- the beauty of being an equestrian lies within the love for horses being intrinsically part of who you are, not what your situation may be.
Tell us about your horse … (show name / barn name, size, division you compete in, any “cute quirks” etc)
Oh my goodness… this subject I could talk about all day. Last year I got to buy my very first horse, Bella, coincidentally also named “Twilight” for show! She is a dream come true, and I truly owe it to my trainer Heather Irvine (of Hillside Farm) for not only finding her, but encouraging me to wait for the right one! Bella is a recently seven year old grey mare, who would prefer to think is brown by the way she likes to get dirty! She’s currently showing in the Green Hunter Division, which is so exciting for us! She is the smartest, sweetest girl I know, and definitely my horse of a lifetime. Of all her special qualities, I believe the greatest is her innate affection for little girls. We believe she must’ve belonged to one in her past life.
How do you describe your style?
In terms of my overall style, I’d likely refer to it as being classic or timeless! I do try to keep up with modern trends, but always find myself going back to what I know, back to the basics. Simplicity and versatility are most important to me when thinking about style, so I often gravitate towards the same places. I shop for most of my basics at Target or H&M, Levi’s for my off-duty denim, and on occasion Reformation for a nice dress. Since I spend a lot of my time at the barn, the same goes for my stable clothes! Being able to comfortably and confidently transition from street to stable on-the-go is huge to me. As a result, I’ve found Alessandro Albanese (AA) Equestrian to be a favorite for their transitional equestrian pieces. I get complimented the most when wearing what I have from them, and from both equestrians and non-equestrians.
Do you have any “go-to” favorite pieces that you wear in the horse show ring? What about after the horse show?
I have a few show shirts from Alessandro Albanese (AA) that I am obsessed with. There’s one in particular that I wear all the time, and it’s the same top that I wore in the photos I did with Nicole! (Nicole Schultz Photography). For show breeches, I have a few favorites that I usually rotate through. In my lineup are the Romfh Sarafina Knee-Patch breeches, Cavalleria Toscana Super Grip breeches (I do the Kids), and the For Horses Emma Knee-Grip breeches! After the show I typically just relax the top few buttons on my AA show shirt, and cuff the sleeves for a more effortless buttoned-down look. I’ll toss a light sweater over my shoulders, grab a sunhat for my helmet hair, and am good to go for the rest of the day!
Anything fun you’d like to share with our readers?
Since coming back to riding as an adult, horses have taken me to many new places I hadn’t yet gotten to experience before. Earlier in the year I was able to spend my first full season at WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival) in Wellington, and it was by far one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had! I had never previously been able to do something like that, so to have gotten that opportunity to experience it with my horse Bella is something I will never forget!
