Sarah LesslerFlying Feathers, DANI G. WALDMAN, launches the world’s first equestrian highlight show.
Have you ever tried keeping up with the latest happenings in show jumping competitions? It hasn’t always been easy. Dani Waldman, often known as “Flying Feathers,” recently retired from an illustrious grand prix career. Recognizing show jumping’s need for better coverage, she and her business partner Nicol Ramsay have launched the sport’s first-ever global highlights show.
Coming from a sports-loving family, Dani grew up watching SportsCenter to stay informed about various sports. However, when it came to show jumping, she found it tedious to sift through numerous websites to keep up with the latest event results. Acknowledging the lack of a highlight show for show jumping, she thought, “Why don’t I create one?” A natural in front of the camera, Dani always felt compelled to be a voice for the sport. She remarks, “Even when I was riding, I spent a lot of my career trying to broaden the sport and bridge the gap between non-professionals, hobbyists, and enthusiasts who are interested in the sport and the professionals who are deeply involved but don’t have the time to get through all the information.”
Horse Bytes, launched in January 2024, is a weekly, 10-minute show offering a comprehensive rundown of the week’s winners at top shows worldwide. It features in-depth analysis of industry happenings, behind-the-scenes footage, and a touch of humor and entertainment.
With no prior experience in media production and broadcasting, Dani had to learn on the job. To get Horse Bytes off the ground, she worked with Berlin-based consulting company The Next Now, which specializes in guiding startups. Dani reflects that The Next Now team has been instrumental in developing Horse Bytes. “They put me in touch with a lot of different professionals and companies along the way to determine what the production process would look like. They also aided in creating a step-by-step path of how to actually run and launch Horse Bytes,” Dani says.
There have been hiccups and setbacks, but each has given Dani a deeper understanding of how to shape Horse Bytes into what it is today. She reminisced about the first episode’s recording date when a flight to get the team to the Berlin studio was canceled. With no other way to make it on time, she hit the road at three in the morning and drove six hours to Berlin. After a chaotic start, Dani found herself in front of the green screen, ready to film, only to realize that the iconic feathers she always wears in her hair matched the green screen perfectly. “I looked like I had a floating head,” Dani laughed. The team ultimately switched to a blue screen, but it made for a funny story. Since then, Dani has built an in-home studio where each episode is filmed.
Always a creative individual, Dani says that creating Horse Bytes has “sparked so much creative energy in me that I never had the outlet for, and I get that buzz feeling when I am recording. It has been so rewarding and brought an immense amount of joy.”
Dani says, “My primary goal is to make our sport more accessible, modernize the media in our sport, and bring personal touches of connection to the equines and riders.” Horse Bytes has received positive feedback for filling a crucial void in show jumping, providing a dedicated platform for professional insights into the sport. Unlike much of the content in show jumping, which is typically behind paywalls, Horse Bytes is free to access on YouTube and Spotify, with show snippets available on Instagram and Facebook. Remarkably, Horse Bytes has already reached an audience of almost 13 million people. Dani hopes that the template of Horse Bytes can branch into other disciplines within the equestrian industry, such as dressage or eventing.
FLYING FEATHERS
Dani makes all her feather hair extensions by hand. As she began to ride with them, they became a symbol of individuality in a sport where everyone tends to look the same. The name Flying Feathers came about naturally and just stuck. Dani reflects, “It was a way to add a personal touch to a relatively conservative sport, and I continue to wear them because I think they are beautiful. I just love them.”
To see the digital magazine version of this article click here. Take a look back at Dani at home in the April/May 2018 issue of Equestrian Living. Check out the Horse Bytes website and watch the show and subscribe to the channel on YouTube.
