Equestroom Book Club

Exclusive Interview with Tiffany Noelle Chacon

The Equestrian Mind Behind Equestrian Dreams Series

Tiffany Noelle Chacon has captured the hearts of equestrian fiction lovers with her Equestrian Dreams: A Florida Sweet Romance Series, bringing to life the thrills, struggles, and triumphs of the horse world. At Equestroom, we celebrate not only the sport but also the stories that inspire riders and dreamers alike. In this exclusive interview, we dive deep into Tiffany’s journey as an author, her personal equestrian experiences, and the inspiration behind her books. Plus, we’ve crafted unique questions that haven’t been asked before—designed specifically for horse lovers like you!

Interview Questions:

1. Your Books were centered around the sport of show jumping.  Show jumping life is complex, and your riding scenes are incredibly realistic. How did you manage to portray the sport so accurately? Did you draw from personal experience, research, or both?

I grew up riding horses competitively—everything from showing Arabians to barrel racing and dressage to show jumping. While I was in high school and college, we competed in Wellington (where Equestrian Dreams is set) so I wove a lot of my own experiences into these stories. I also consulted with other riders—my mom being one of them—to make sure that what I was writing was as realistic as possible.

2. If you could bring any one of your fictional horses to life, which one would you choose and why? What would their personality be like in the real world?

Mila’s horse, Cyrus, is a mash-up of two of my favorite horses: my Arabian, Chancellor (whom we called ‘Bug’), and my Argentinian Thoroughbred/Oldenburg cross, No Boundaries (affectionately called ‘Obi’). If I could bring Cyrus to life, it would be like bringing both of those horses back to life—they were sweet and steady yet mischievous and competitive. Bug was the type of horse who would all of a sudden turn ‘on’ when he got into the show ring—and if he were a show jumper, he probably would have shared Cyrus’ habit of startling into a gallop at the sound of the buzzer. Both of those horses were incredibly affectionate and would give hugs, nuzzle you for treats, and be a listening ear after a long day—just like Cyrus was for Mila.

3. Your characters face real struggles, both in and out of the saddle. Have any of your own personal riding experiences directly influenced a pivotal scene in your books?

I certainly borrowed some of my own fears in writing Mila’s own. While I’ve never had a sister who was paralyzed in a riding accident or competed in a Grand Prix, I’ve had my fair share of brutal falls that affected my confidence in the ring. I remember one competition where I was standing at the in-gate waiting to go in next and the rider in front of me had a bad fall on course and had a Grand Mal seizure right there in front of me. Even twenty years later, I can still picture it. I had to go in and ride my course after that, which was incredibly challenging. Like most sports, it has such a strong mental component to competitive show jumping, and I tried to depict that in Mila’s journey.

4. Equestrian sports are physically and mentally demanding. How do you think the discipline of riding has shaped your writing style or work ethic as an author?

I’m so grateful that I grew up riding horses competitively because it truly made me a hard worker—and definitely toughened me up! I started writing about ten years ago when I was bedbound because of an (at the time) unknown illness. For months I felt aimless, without the ability to ride, work out, or do much of anything. My life ground to a halt and I was stuck—stuck in bed but also just stuck in life. 

I was reading a lot and decided to try my hand at writing. My first efforts were pretty clunky, but I caught the writing bug. With writing, I found something that I could pour myself into, and really lose myself in the same way that I could lose myself while riding. It was a beautiful thing to discover another outlet like that, especially in the midst of a difficult time. In the same way that riding is more than a workout—more than a sport or a competitive outlet—it becomes part of who you are, an expression of self—writing is the same way for me.

5. Many of our readers are riders who have faced setbacks, injuries, or moments of doubt. What advice would you give to equestrians who are struggling to regain confidence in the saddle?

I grew up in a time when you just had to get back on the horse, grit your teeth and tough it out. In some ways, I appreciate how that shaped me as a person. But I also think there’s some detriment to that way of doing things. When we go through trauma or setbacks, we have to be able to talk about it without feeling judged so that we can process what we’re going through.

Finding a safe person to talk to is a good place to start. Finding a trainer you trust is a really big piece of it—I had trainers that I didn’t completely trust and it made it more difficult for me to overcome my fears. It can be hard to leave a trainer or find a new one, but it’s absolutely worth it if you’re not in a safe space. I was grateful for the trainers I had in high school and college because I knew they would push me to do what I was capable of—but they wouldn’t put me in a position that was unsafe or that I didn’t have the skillset for. It really is a balancing act, especially when you’re trying to overcome fears—to trust your gut while also pushing past your comfort zone so that you can keep growing as a rider.

6. If Jump were to be adapted into a film or TV series, what details about the riding scenes would you insist be portrayed accurately?

It would be essential to have riders who are, well, actually RIDERS. Whenever there’s a scene in a movie or TV show with people riding horses, my husband will ask, “Does that person actually know how to ride?” and usually they don’t. I’m sure we’ve all felt that moment of absolute cringe when you see an actor pulling needlessly on a horse’s mouth or riding like a sack of potatoes. It’s rough! But when you have a story like Jump that’s so focused on the competitive aspect of show jumping, all the little details matter—how the person rides, the height of the jumps, the course design, the location of the competition, even the warm ups and cool downs and everything in between. For the discerning horse person, it all matters.

7. Horses have distinct personalities, and every rider has a heart horse—the one that changes everything. Have you ever had a “heart horse,” and did they inspire any particular character in your books?

My Arabian, Chancellor, was definitely my heart horse. But he didn’t start out that way—he was kind of a typical Arabian trouble-maker. His first night in our barn, he found a way to let himself out of his stall, and then let all of the other horses out of their stalls too! The next week, he rubbed his forelock completely off of his head so that all he had was a little puff of hair there. So we had to keep him in a full-body fly suit—which made him look like a bug. And that’s how he ended up with the barn name ‘Bug.’

Over time, our bond strengthened. It’s kind of like the bond that teammates feel in team sports—where you rely on each other, you succeed together, you fail together, you dream and fight together. That’s how it is when you compete a lot with the same horse, you develop this connection that’s unlike anything between a typical pet and their owner. And that’s how it was with Bug and me. I’ll never forget the first time we went to Nationals in Oklahoma. We had someone else trailer him there and we flew there so it ended up being a few days where we didn’t see each other. When we both finally got to Oklahoma, I remember throwing open the door to his stall. He reached out his head, tucked it behind my back and pulled me in for a hug. 

That’s how it was with Bug, and he’ll forever hold a treasured spot in my heart. And that’s why I based Cyrus’ character, in part, off of him.

8. Lastly, if you could go on a dream trail ride anywhere in the world with any fictional character (yours or from another book), where would you go and who would be your riding companion?

I have so many places I’d want to go! I’m deep in the algorithm on Instagram for reel-worthy trail rides around the world and I frequently send them to my mom. It’s definitely a dream to be able to do something like that. I’d have a hard time choosing between a Scottish Highlands ride or one that involves swimming in the ocean. My mom and I did a beach trail ride in Jamaica when I was in high school, and the experience of swimming the horses in the ocean was really unique. We’ve done swims in a lake, but the salt water makes the horses a little more buoyant. It was really fun. And I’d definitely take Mila and Anya with me! And, of course, my mom. :)

Tiffany Noelle Chacon’s Equestrian Dreams: A Florida Sweet Romance Series series continues to captivate equestrian enthusiasts with its authentic portrayal of life in the saddle. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or simply love the magic of horses, her books offer something special for every reader. Stay tuned for more exclusive equestrian interviews here at Equestroom!