Gavin Moylan is a very well-rounded horseman. He began riding at the age of eight in his hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta, and by the age of 12 was already managing a boarding stable. By 18, he had decided to pursue a full-time career in the horse industry with the goal of becoming an international jumper rider.
To that end, and fresh out of high school, Gavin took a two-year position as a working student for Brent and Laura Balisky at Thunderbird in Vancouver, BC. Following that, he taught riding lessons and even started Thoroughbreds and exercised racehorses at Exhibition Park.
In 1995, Moylan moved south to Virginia, riding for various sales and training stables while seeking mentorship from top show jumping professionals to further his ambition of competing at the Grand Prix level. He launched his own business, Gavin Moylan Stables, in 1998 and quickly earned respect in the horse community for his ability to start young horses and work successfully with those labeled ‘difficult’. Business grew rapidly.
In 2012, Gavin married Alden Denegre, a Virginia horsewoman with a strong background in foxhunting and hunter/jumper competition. The blended family now numbers five: Joshua, 23, a second lieutenant in the Marines who recently graduated from Virginia Military Institute; Lucas, 22, with a math major from Virginia Tech; and Zachary, 20, currently studying at James Madison University to become a history teacher. Their younger daughters, Evelyn, 9, and Sybil, 7, both ride ponies in the crossrails and walk/trot divisions, respectively.
Gavin Moylan Stables is now based out of Palm Beach Point in Wellington, Florida, where Alden serves as Gavin’s primary groundperson and keeps operations running smoothly through her marketing and bookkeeping expertise. The couple keeps some select broodmares and young horses back in Virginia, and regularly stock the Florida barn with sale and competition horses thanks to frequent buying trips to Europe where Gavin applies his remarkable eye for equine talent. He is also an “R” Judge for hunter and equitation, and the business offers semen sales to encourage US breeders to incorporate top European bloodlines into their programs.
Gavin and Alden.
Although Gavin, 53, has shown horses successfully for decades — and in the FEI jumper divisions since 2015 — he hasn’t competed north of the border for some time. That will change next week when he makes his Canadian Jumping Team debut at the Canadian Open Nations Cup CSIO3* at Caledon Equestrian Park, July 16–20. He will be bringing his top three horses to Ontario: Butterfly, a nine-year-old Westfalen mare; Memphis, an eight-year-old grey Dutch Warmblood gelding; and Anton 869, a ten-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding. “Anton is the newest addition to my string. I’ve developed Butterfly and Memphis since they were six years old, so I know them quite well,” said Gavin. “I am thrilled with how Butterfly is rising to the occasion. She’s jumping very easily and is an exciting horse for the future. She’s all heart!”
Back home, another young horse in their barn has shown special promise. “We have a beautiful eight-year-old Westphalian gelding named Bailando that I am very excited about. My mother-in-law, [Penny Denegre, lifelong horsewoman and president of the Master of Foxhounds Association of North America], originally bought him to be her next Amateur Owner Hunter. While he was too hot-blooded for the hunter ring, it turned out that we had a top grand prix prospect right in our barn — a nice surprise!”
There are others waiting in the wings as well. “I keep my younger horses in Germany until they are ready for the bigger sport. I am happy to say that I have a few lovely up-and-coming youngsters: seven-year-old Clooney, seven-year-old Bonspiel, and six-year-old Bonito, all Westphalian geldings.”
As for his plans for the rest of the season? “Immediately after the CSIO3* week in Caledon, Ontario, my family and I will drive the horses to Traverse City, Michigan, for the Nation’s Cup at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival,” Gavin said. “Next month I will take a week off to visit my family in Alberta. I grew up in Grande Prairie, and I still have family there. For the remainder of the summer and fall I will probably split my time between showing my youngsters in Europe (also a potential buying trip) and competing in my current hometown, Wellington, FL.”
While his current top string has produced some excellent results, Gavin recalls a special favourite. “I would say Balous Diamond was my best horse up until now, a Westphalian stallion who competed up to 1.50m at the FEI level and had a career-ending injury early on. He is now at stud in Germany and, I am proud to say, has sired wonderful horses that have competed up to the 1.60m level.”
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