Dressage Makes Ann Romney's Soul Sing

The horses do provide interesting fodder for the campaign tour, however. At a Mitt Romney event last June in Dubuque, Iowa, Ann stumbled as she stepped off  the stage she shared with her husband. She recovered quickly and told reporters that she was bucked off a horse earlier in the week and this was nothing compared to that.

However hectic Ann’s life gets, Baron is never far away. “Baron goes wherever I am,” she explained. “Even if that means he’s only a trail horse in New Hampshire [where the Romneys have a summer home] for now.”

Once in a rare while, Mitt will steal away from the campaign and join her for a trail ride on one of three Missouri Fox Trotters she keeps for guests to ride. She hopes her grandchildren may take up riding someday too.
 
In May of 2007, Ann’s entire family—all of the kids and grandchildren—met in California for the first presidential debate at the Reagan library. Afterwards they traveled to Ebeling’s farm to watch her ride.

“Everyone in her family adores her, and they all cheered her on,” Amy said. “It was a very special moment to see Ann share her love for her horses with her entire family.”

And although duty most often dictates Ann’s schedule, she has already carved out one day on the ’08 calendar—the opening day of the Beijing Olympics.

“If Jan goes up the centerline in the Olympics on Rafalca, you had better believe I will be there, no matter what I have to do to make it happen,” she explained.

Annie Eldridge