OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Josh Dolan’s fascination with horses was evident from an early age. His initial reaction to seeing one made it clear—he was destined to spend his life around them.
Born and raised in Hilton Head, SC, Dolan didn’t come from a family of horsemen. His passion for horses was purely circumstantial, a product of geography and fate. His home’s proximity to a barn played a pivotal role in his future.
“At the back gate of the plantation, there was a stable, and my mom said, like when I was three, I would lose my mind every time I went by, and I always asked to stop to pet the horses,” Dolan recalled. “I think it was my fourth birthday party. I was always just hooked on them. I always wanted to ride, and it was just luck and happenstance that it all happened because my family didn’t know anything about horses or hunter/jumpers. It could have been a saddlebred barn. It could’ve been anything.”
Dolan’s early riding career benefited from strong mentorship and access to top-quality horses.
“I always had great horses and ponies to ride,” he said. “I never rode anything that wasn’t made and perfect when I was a kid. We found out that there were bigger horse shows, and then my sister started to ride some.”
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Dolan’s path led him and his sister to Camden, SC to ride with the Towell family – well-known figures in the equestrian world.
“Right about that time, I would have been about 12 or so, I actually kind of stopped riding on Hilton Head. I had two ponies, and they lived with the Towells (Finally Farm) in Camden,” Dolan said. “I would commute not often, maybe two or three times a year to ride in Camden, and kind of meet them in horse shows.”
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Watching Liza Towell Boyd, one of the greatest show hunter riders of all time, had a profound influence on Dolan’s development.
“Just understanding what she did, why she did it, I think was gigantic in helping me develop in how I rode,” he said.
Can’t Fight Fate
For a time, Dolan stepped away from riding, focusing on other pursuits, including tennis. But horses were never far from his heart.
“I always loved horses and knew that I would circle back to them one day,” he said.
His family purchased a scenic property in Greenville, S.C., fully equipped for horses, which rekindled his passion.
“I started riding again,” he said.
Initially, Dolan had no plans to turn professional. His goal was to own and compete with his horses on a small scale. But life had other plans.
“I would go to Aiken three or four times a year. I would go to Atlanta once or twice,” he said. “That’s all I kind of wanted to do, was to just do a small business, buy some and sell some, and just ride for myself. But some things changed, and I ended up turning pro.”
From a young boy mesmerized by horses to a professional equestrian, Dolan’s journey proves that sometimes, fate knows best.