Joan grew up in New York, and had a passion for horses at an early age. Growing up alongside her twin sister, the pair took to trail riding their pony as often as they could (trail rides include trips to the grocery store on horseback!). 

At 19, Joan began working for Melaine Smith, then the Leone family before moving onto the Burdsall’s where she accumulated a number of her career highlights. Responsible for the care of Katherine Burdsall’s championship horse, “The Natural”, Joan quickly gained valuable experience caring for “Natty”. Natty, who was known for being a handful in the barn, took Joan across the globe on tour, where the team won three World Cup Qualifiers, the World Cup Finals in Paris in 1987, the Lucerne Grand Prix in Switzerland, the International Masters of Germany, and finally qualification for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Joan’s lifelong experience and expertise led to the creation of North Star, alongside her husband Lou. In addition to supporting Charlotte's individual show jumping career across the globe, Joan’s main passion is the breeding and young horse operation based out of North Star Farm in East Aurora, New York. Learn more about their program here.