About Us

Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, founded PonyUP! Kentucky to raise money for horse rescue operations. As Rallie searched for the perfect fundraising product, she was also searching for a handbag that reflected her love of horses and equestrian gear.

One day as Rallie was carrying a leather halter slung over her shoulder on the way to the pasture to get her horses, she thought, “Wouldn’t this be a great shoulder strap for a handbag?”

Rallie searched for a purse featuring a horse-halter strap and came up empty. That’s when she decided to design a unique, equestrian-style handbag that she and other horse women would love. After a year of perfecting the design and building a team of skilled craftspeople, the PonyUP! Kentucky line of handbags was created.

For its first fundraising project, PonyUP! Kentucky donated 20 purses to Old Friends: A Kentucky Facility for Retired Thoroughbreds. The brass nameplates on these leather purse straps feature the names of some of the greatest retired Thoroughbred race horses, and all of the money from the sale of these 20 purses goes to support these and other horses at Old Friends. Rallie plans to make the donation to Old Friends and other horse rescue operations an annual tradition. In addition, at least 10 percent of all PonyUP! Kentucky profits will be donated to horse rescue operations.

Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH

Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, is the founder of PonyUP! Kentucky, and she’s passionate about helping horses in need. A lifelong equestrian, Rallie was raised on Thirteen Oaks Arabians in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee. She trained and showed horses for more than a decade before starting medical school. Rallie now lives on a small farm in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, children, and retired horses.

Rallie practices medicine at the SelfRefind clinics, which are dedicated to treating people suffering from the disease of opioid addiction. Rallie is the author of several books, including Riding for Life: A Horsewoman’s Guide to Lifetime Health and Fitness (Eclipse Press) and Private Access: Behind the Gates of America’s Premier Horse Farms and Ranches (Red Sky Publishing). Along with her friend and business partner, Jennifer Bright Reich, Rallie is the coauthor of the Mommy MD Guides series of books.

Lorna Oaks

For Lorna Oaks, sewing is a family tradition, passed down to her from her grandmother. Lorna threaded her first needle at the age of seven, and she’s been sewing ever since.

Lorna is a horse lover and a life-long resident of Stanford, Kentucky, where she met her husband, Terry, while they were in second grade. They’ve been married for 37 years, and they have a son and three beautiful grandchildren.

Lorna’s hobbies? Sewing, sewing, and sewing! “It doesn’t feel like work, because I love every minute of it,” Lorna says.

At PonyUP! Kentucky, Lorna is our resident “Dreamstress.” She’s a card-carrying perfectionist, and she takes great pride in every stitch and detail of the PonyUP! Kentucky creations. If a handbag doesn’t meet Lorna’s exceptionally high standards, it doesn’t leave the shop!

Monica Hess

Ever since someone snapped a photo of Monica Hess on a bad hair day back in 1982, she’s refused to be photographed. But this self-portrait bears a remarkable likeness. At PonyUP! Kentucky, Monica is a Jenny of all trades, and she’s nobody’s mistress. When not jennying around the shop, Monica works as a Feng Shui Master and a Realtor. She’s the author of several Feng Shui books and the author and illustrator of many children’s books.

Jennifer Goldsmith Cerra

Jennifer Goldsmith Cerra is PonyUP! Kentucky’s brand manager.  With more than 20 years of progressive experience in journalism, marketing and corporate communications, Jennifer brings a lifelong love of horses to her role on the Momosa Media team.

A native of Canada, Jennifer immigrated to the United States in 1999.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ryerson University, majoring in broadcast journalism.  She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband and son.

Jennifer Bright Reich

Jennifer is our PonyUP! Kentucky editorial director. Her favorite sport is horse racing (well and okay, NASCAR), which she has loved since she was a little kid. She’s also the coauthor of The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby’s First Year, and The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years. She lives in Allentown, PA, and she loves to visit Kentucky!