PHOTOS BY George Kamper
There is no doubt that balancing academics, career, family, and competitive riding is difficult.Many riders find there is a time when career and family life have to take priority over horse shows. However, this often leaves a void and an unfulfilled passion. Such was Julie Holzberger’s reality, but she has been lucky enough to find her way back to the horse-show world after a 25-year break from horses, and she has made quite the comeback.
Julie was born into a family that loved horses and enjoyed fox hunting in Ohio. Her father even shoed his own horses. Julie got her first horse at6years old and has fond memories of time spent at a nearby lake with three or four children riding the horse at one time.Originally, Julie was not a competitive rider, and her family kept the horses at their home with everyone pitching in on the daily barn chores. When it became clear that Julie wanted to elevate her riding, her parents allowed her to move her horse to a boarding barn to take lessons and start competing. Her riding evolved into competing in the pony hunters and then the junior hunters’ divisions. However, she always had to prepare her horses and participate in the barn work. “It was never a free ride,” Julie remarks. She remembers being at shows at4a.m., braiding her ponies and getting them ready before a show. She adds, “I attribute my discipline in anything to my upbringing.”
Following high school, Julie continued her education at Miami University of Ohio. She found she wasn’t interested in the riding opportunities there, which initiated a long break from riding. She concentrated on her schooling and, upon graduating, focused on furthering her career. Julie’s career is impressive and shows perseverance, dedication, and innovative thinking. She and her husband, Frederic, opened 11 Aveda retail stores and are co-founders of the Aveda Fredric’s Institute, an industry-leading educational program for cosmetologists, estheticians, and wellness professionals.Together, they created a revolutionary place for aspiring professionals to learn a trade and further their skills.
Julie and Frederic are also passionate about philanthropy and giving back to their communities. They have numerous outlets for the betterment of others, starting back at the grassroots level of their Aveda Institutes.Project Daymaker, a mobile salon created in a Winnebago, staffed by salon volunteers traveled to various locations to provide complimentary styling services to women, men, and children in need. Additionally, Julie and Frederic have made impactful donations to Ohio-based healthcare facilities. At the Christ Hospital, the Julie and Frederic Holzberger Cardiovascular Nursing Excellence Fund has provided the hospital with the ability to recruit, train, and retain the highest quality cardiovascular nurses for their program. The Julie and Frederic Holzberger Nursery at UC West Chester Hospital gives back to women, who make up the majority of the work-force in the salon and spa industry. Julie also has been involved in Ohio therapeutic riding chapters and numerous animal res-cue groups, including Brooke USA.
