By Her Own Design:
Ariana
Rockefeller Yes, that Rockefeller. It’s easy to let a name overshadow a first impression, except, perhaps, if you’re meeting in an empty barn aisle. And on a quiet Monday at her barn, Ariana Rockefeller is like any other girl perched on the edge of a tack trunk outside her horse’s stall. She hails from the type of family that could buy her a stable full of horses, but she owns just two, her beloved 15-yearold Holsteiner gelding Chogun, and a new prospect. She could have had an army of grooms at her beck-and-call as a child, but she grew up mucking-out and cleaning her own tack under her mother’s eye. The 32-year-old, rail-thin brunette with wide brown eyes is the great-great granddaughter of business magnate John D. Rockefeller, co-founder of Standard Oil and patriarch of what’s considered one of the United States’ most prominent families. Their many philanthropic, real estate, and business-related pursuits have firmly etched them into the annals of American history. But those mucking out days must have contributed to Ariana’s low-key, understated attitude; there’s no high maintenance haughtiness to this Rockefeller. Like many children who were born into a name bigger than themselves, Ariana has strived to craft her own identity in a noisy world that scrutinized her since birth. It’s no wonder she finds peace in a barn. She’s a New York City girl who gladly makes the hour-plus commute for downtime with her horse at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY (go to page 47 to read more about Old Salem Farm).
A F A M I LY T R A D I T I O N The Rockefellers are a family of horsemen; Ariana’s mother was an avid foxhunter and still rides. Her great grandfather, John D. Rockefeller Jr., was deeply involved in carriage driving and the Morgan horse breed. He built hundreds of
miles of carriage roads in Westchester County and Acadia National Park in New York, roads that are now protected by the National Trust and open to the public. And so on. Rockefeller competed in three day eventing as a teenager, but when she returned to riding after college, she stepped into the hunter/jumper world, and hasn’t looked back. “I was lucky to grow up around the equestrian lifestyle and sport through my family’s involvement,” Rockefeller says. “Just being around the barn and horses, those are some of my best memories.” Rockefeller trains with Frank Madden and assistant trainer Kellie Langton of Old Salem Farm, and is spending her second winter season with his team at Old Salem South in Wellington, FL. Rockefeller competes as an amateur and is excited to get back into the jumper ring this year. “We all take a conservative, but challenging approach to my riding,” Rockefeller mentions. “There is no stress, yet at the same time I can expect to lose my stirrups on any given day in a lesson!” Without any lessons or activity at Old Salem South on this Monday, we’re free to take Chogun out for a graze along the grass next to the outdoor arena. He might be strong when he’s pulling tiny Rockefeller towards the best patch of grass on the lawn, but he’s a trustworthy, confidence-building mount that Rockefeller has adored since a family friend found him for her several years ago.
A N E P O N Y M O U S S TA R T Rockefeller took a break from regular riding during her years studying at Columbia University in her hometown of New York City. Upon graduating, she promptly moved to Hawaii, and later spent time in Los Angeles before settling back in NYC. In 2010, she married longtime beau Matthew Bucklin. february/march ·
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