Shawna Dietrich, Founder

Shawna grew up in Houston on the back of a horse. When the family moved to Kentucky, she started showing hunters in the Midwest, graduating into teaching and training on a professional level. Personal events led to a change of direction, and into the world of equine insurance as an agent. Dietrich & Company Equine Insurance Services was formed in 1978 at a time when there were not many horse-savvy individuals representing equine insurance. Through the years she has held a United States Equestrian Federation hunter and jumper judges license, a USEF C-1 Steward’s license, and served for two terms as USEF Zone 5 Chairwoman. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Long Run Hounds, and serves on the Board of Advisors for North American Equine Services. Shawna is married and resides at Fox Hill Farm where in addition to her insurance agency, she operates a show horse rehabilitation and retirement center.

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Patsy Mann - Patsy grew up in Kentucky, spending the summers on a working cattle farm, experiencing the agricultural way of life. She attended the University of Louisville, succeeding with a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting in 1964. After school, she began working for General Accident Insurance Co. in the accounting department. In 1966, she took a position with an independent insurance agency and became a licensed property and casualty insurance agent. In 1985 Patsy started working with Shawna in the equine department of Dietrich-Nelson Insurance. Then in 1992, she moved with Shawna to the new organization, Dietrich & Company in Louisville. She is married and a proud mother of two children and two grandchildren.

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Debora Lee - Debora grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois where she began riding in 1986. She graduated from Virginia Intermont College in 1995 with Bachelor of Arts degree in Equine Studies. While she was in college she rode on the Intercollegiate riding team, qualifying and placing in both Regionals & Zones. She was also active on the local and A-Rated show circuits, winning many year-end awards, and qualifying for the adult medal finals in two different associations. After graduation, Debora worked for several horse farms before she joined Dietrich & Company in the summer of 2000. She became an insurance property and casualty licensed agent in 2003. In addition to the world of horses, she travels the country with her nationally acclaimed agility and obedience dogs. She is married to a National Guard serviceman who is serving his third tour in Iraq.

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Robert L. DeSensi, Jr. - A native of Louisville , KY and son of a Thoroughbred race horse trainer, Rob’s interest in horses started at a young age. Rob has experience in various aspects of the equine industry including jobs as a groom, pari-mutuel clerk, marketing department intern for a local track, race horse owner, and syndicate manager. After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1998, Rob worked in banking and sales before returning to the horse industry. He earned a graduate degree in 2004 from the University Of Louisville Equine School Of Business , and joined Dietrich & Company in January 2005. Rob resides in Louisville with his wife and sons. In addition to his duties as an agent Rob is also responsible for the maintainence of the office's computer hardware and software.

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Jennie Fahey - Jennie was born and raised in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, where she began riding at an early age. She was an active member of her local pony club, competing on the girls Tetrathlon team and attending local shows. She attended Gurteen Agricultural College and Kildalton Agricultural College to further her equine education. In 1992, she moved to the United States and Pin Oak Stud in Lexington, Kentucky where she experienced all phases of a commercial breeding and training operation. After 18 months at Pin Oak, Jennie joined Blackburn Farm, caring for mares and foals and prepping yearlings for the sales. In 1999, Jennie went to work for Kirk Horse Insurance Agency to learn the insurance business. Jennie moved to Louisville in 2002 and went to work for Wachovia Insurance Services. Jennie joined the Dietrich & Company farm department team in May 2007. She is married to John, a successful mid-West based thoroughbred racehorse trainer; they have two children, George and Lizzie.

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Barbara Peters - Barbara grew up in Southeast Michigan where she was involved in her local riding clubs, and spent a summer volunteering with the Shrine Circus Arabians as a groom/exerciser. Since few opportunities were available in the suburbs, she put her love for horses on hold to pursue a career in the business world as an office manager, acquiring a variety of skills and experience. She later moved to Northeast Michigan and was able to rekindle her first passion for horses as a stable manager and beginner riding instructor for a small lesson barn. She joined the Dietrich staff and moved to Kentucky in the fall of 2004. She currently lives on a horse farm with her teenage daughter and a haflinger filly, who they are training for a future in dressage and driving.

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Fran Dotoli - Fran began her lifelong horse passion while in elementary school, riding and showing hunters in the Northeast. She went on to Stonehill College , where she graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. Her commitment to horses influenced her decision to make the horse business a career. In 1970, she started Young Entry Stable in Massachusetts with her husband Joe. During this time, they trained the 1982 the ASPCA Maclay Winner, Peter Wylde. She obtained her United States Equestrian Federation Hunter, Jumper, and Hunter Seat Equitation judges license, which has enabled her to travel the country. Fran and Joe closed their private barn in 1992 and moved to Ox Ridge Hunt Club, where they were responsible for the management and show training duties of approximately 60 horses. She obtained her insurance property and casualty license in 1989. In 2004, Fran and Joe retired from Ox Ridge and moved to Vermont . Fran remains active in the horse industry, serving on the USEF committees for Hunter Seat Equitation and Clinics-Continuing Education and acting as an equine consultant to universities and professional horsemen for their equine acquisitions, training, and marketing needs. Fran and Joe have two daughters, Ann who is a professional horsewoman in Belgium , and Julia, who is an artist in Vermont.

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Barbara Ballard - Barbara hails from the Detroit, Michigan area and rode American Saddlebreds during her teenage years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Arizona University with a major in Zoology. From college years she went on to work in the Commercial and Residential Lending and Real Estate industries. Later she went back to school and has been a licensed Massage Therapist for 23 years for people and horses, owing her own business for much of that time and staying current with continuing education programs in many modalities. Barbara resides in North San Diego County and has been a dressage rider for 11 years. She served as an assistant manager of a dressage facility in Tucson, Arizona and worked for the United States Dressage Federation in Lexington , Kentucky before moving to San Diego in 2007.

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Betsy Minton - Betsy grew up in Dover Massachusetts, fox hunting with the Norfolk Hounds. After attending Bennett College, she had the opportunity to live in Ireland for six months and hunt with the Scarteen Hunt. She returned to the United States to attend the University of Colorado, where she graduated in 1977, with a bachelors in Political Science. After graduation, Betsy accepted a paralegal job in Washington DC, which allowed her time to restore her foxhunting passion, riding with the Piedmont Hounds. In 1983 an opportunity in the thoroughbred industry unfolded. This venture was with the Thoroughbred Equity Company, which was the financial subsidiary of Fasig-Tipton company. Her responsibilities included the financing of thoroughbred stallions, broodmares, and racing animals. This position lead to serving as Vice President of Equine Capital Corporation, which she helped establish. In 1990, Betsy and her husband Jeff, moved to Saratoga Springs, NY to concentrate on marketing thoroughbreds at all the major sales auctions in NY and KY. A move to Aiken SC in 2005, launched a new career as an independent insurance agent, specializing in sporting horses and farm property. Further, this enables Betsy to continue her love of foxhunting, serving as a whip for the Whiskey Road Fox Hounds and occasionally reconditioning a thoroughbred for a new career.

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