Israeli Show Jumper Danielle Goldstein is Pretty Badass

If ever there was a want ad specifying “charismatic, passionate girl with unique fashion sense who can ride,” Danielle Goldstein would get the job. Born into an un-horsey but sporty family in New York City, Goldstein has spent the past five years in Europe carving out her own particular path on the international stairway to success. Last summer Goldstein closed the gap on fulfilling her ambition of representing Israel in show jumping at an Olympic Games when she won her first CSI5* Grand Prix and finished in the top 10 at the European Championships.

Her contribution to the sport and to her country is more profound. She co-founded and has been at the forefront of the non-profit organization T.E.A.M. (The Equine Athletics Mission), set up five years ago to advance Israeli equestrian athletes and develop the sport within Israel. The initiative was ultimately embraced by the Israeli Equestrian Federation, which for the past year has taken on the mission of assembling a squad of high-performance riders capable of representing Israel at the Tryon World Equestrian Games this year and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With four riders already armed with certificates of capability, the goal line is imminent.

What does a typical day and work week consist of?

I’m up at 7 a.m. doing yoga and/or self-defense training and in the stable by 8:30. I’ll ride eight or nine horses per day when I’m at home and when I am not, I am competing [midweek] at a national show and most weekends at an international show. I also teach a bit and give clinics whenever I have the opportunity. I find it really rewarding.

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How and when did you start riding?

I grew up in Manhattan in a very sports-oriented environment. My father, Stuart, was an All-American squash player who was ranked number one in the world, and my mother was a nationally-ranked squash player. I was very competitive as a tennis player in my junior years before riding took over when I was eight. We used to go to Long Island in the summer and a friend asked if I wanted to go with her to her lesson and I got hooked. When I was 12, I quit tennis and started riding every day. We’d have to drive an hour and a half each day until I changed to a more flexible school. My first serious instructor was Rita Timpanaro; she really made an impression on me. I was very afraid of her! I went on to do hunters and equitation with Leo Conroy and Eddie Horowitz and then jumpers with Laura and Frank Chapot.

Can you identify a turning point in your career?

I’ve had plenty! When I went to university I stopped riding entirely. When I graduated I went straight back to the sport because I knew from the beginning I wanted to ride in the Olympics. I suppose, though, when I qualified for my first European Championships [Herning in 2013] I thought, ‘yeah, maybe I could actually do this.’

Were sacrifices made along the way?

There are always sacrifices for athletes, but for me it didn’t feel like sacrifice. I never gave up anything that wasn’t worth giving up – although moving to Europe in 2013 and leaving my family was a sacrifice.

What’s the story behind your Florida farm’s name Starwyn?

My grandfather’s liquor importing company was called Star Industries, so we wanted to include that in the name, and we like to win, but it looked better with a ‘Y.’

You must be ultra-competitive by nature, but is there another ingredient that gives you an edge?

[My boyfriend] Alan [Waldman] says he is amazed by my nerves of steel and ability to put pressure aside and just do my job.

How would you describe yourself?

Bold, unashamed, and quirky to be around.

If life hadn’t taken you where it has, is there another profession that would have enticed you?

I think if I wasn’t riding I would try to do something in the fashion industry. I have a real love for fashion. I have always tried to brave my own path with my personal style since I was young. I have recently branched out into equestrian fashion as I try to push the boundaries of what works for the sport, as well as expressing myself. I have a competitive equestrian line in development that I hope to launch sometime soon.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

The Turks and Caicos for vacationing, but big cities are my first love.

Where would you most like to go that you haven’t been?

St. Petersburg in Russia.

Do you have a fitness regimen?

I work out six days a week, doing yoga, running, and self-defense training.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Mountain Dew. I love it, it’s like drinking sugar!

Do you have a burning ambition?

To compete at the Olympics under the Israeli flag.

Tell us something that would surprise people about you.

I have my pilot’s license.

If you could relive six months of your life, when would that be?

I wouldn’t: our experiences, good and bad, help make us who we are today.

Can you recommend a book or movie from the last year?

Andre Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name, both the book and the movie.

Do you have a life lesson to share?

If everyone else is doing it, do the opposite.

If a genie were to give you three wishes, what would you wish for?

Not much, I can’t complain … maybe a slightly faster metabolism .

What’s on the horizon for you in 2018?

The Global Champions Tour first, then the WEG in the fall. This is going to be my second WEG. I’m definitely aiming for best results as an individual, and we hope that they will have a historic Israeli team there as well. As far as I know, the Israel Equestrian Federation is planning it, as we already have four or five riders with COC’s.