THE TEAM
Meet the skilled equestrians behind our farm’s success, committed to pushing boundaries and achieving remarkable feats in the showjumping industry.
Dr. Kimberly Janson
Kim has been working with horses for five decades from her early riding, training, and showing of horses to producing national-level athletes in her two children.
In addition to being the principal partner with Michael Janson, she is CEO of Janson Associates - a highly sought-after firm dedicated to optimizing people and businesses.
With her equestrian background, two masters, and a Ph.D. in Business, she is a strong force in helping the business be successful.
Michael Janson
Michael is an incredible horseman. He will spend hours analyzing why a horse is showing up the way he/she is and think through alternatives to help achieve higher levels of performance. He built his reputation for being a successful competitor, being a winner in the big eq for years and winning a national championship at the college level. He was Boston University’s Male Athlete of the Year.
In addition to that success at BU, he earned a Finance Degree. He joined New York Life as a Financial Advisor where he worked for years until the call of building this horse business was too great. He is a horse trainer who has top-tier skills to get the most out of horses, always in humane ways. You will find Michael these days with several of his mounts in the Grand Prix ring pursuing big goals.
Dr. Dylan Spets
Dylan has had a strong riding career with many wins to show it. As a junior, she was a working student for David Oliynyk and now rides and competes with Michael. Dylan and Michael have been thinking, planning, and growing their horse knowledge together since their first date in 2009.
Dylan earned a masters and Ph.D in Neuroscience from Boston College and she is jointly employed by Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital where her research focuses on identifying therapeutic targets for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hannah Janson
Hannah Janson competed alongside her brother, Michael, for years learning all he had to offer and making her own name in the industry.
She was heavily recruited and went to Oklahoma State University as a D1 Athlete, being a starter for all four years. She is an All-American athlete, was chosen as OSU’s Athlete of the Year, and was their nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year.
She’s also a marketing professional who is currently working for a learning and development company.
Betty "Popo" Hill
None of the greatness of Legacy Farms would be possible without Popo. Kim’s mom, Elizabeth “Betty” Walsh Hill has been a great guiding light for all the equestrians in the family.
At 97, she has great judgment and perspective that helps her celebrate the highs and skate fast through the lows. With her soulmate whom she met in second grade and was married to for more than 50 years, Ray Hill, she raised ten successful children of her own after getting her degree from Brown and running the pediatric teaching unit at Rhode Island Hospital.
Everyone who knows Popo loves Popo. You can count on her to have a great perspective AND be the life of the party. At any point, you can find Popo riding her golf cart into the barn to visit with all the horses and giving treats or parked at the side of the ring to watch the rider and horse's progress.
Big Mike/ Mike Janson
Mike is the glue that holds the team together. He is quick to pitch in to help in any way while keeping rings dragged and covering all the basics. Mike works so hard in this second job that he goes to his main job to take a break.
He played college football as a starter and helped the team win two divisional titles in his time. He went on to coach high school football for fifteen years and pee wee footfall for Michael’s team coming in third in the country at the national championships two years in a row. He’s also been a police officer for more than 30 years!