Team Knollwood is home from the World's Championship Horse Show, and the laundry is still going.

Our horses and riders all performed wonderfully, our equitation stars shone on their workouts with their patience and horsemanship, and our performance riders rode the hair off their horses in some terrific traffic.

Boy, do we have stories to share!

Bella and Her Stars

Following a successful Junior exhibitor career, Bella traveled to her first Louisville this year as an adult amateur.    In one of the deepest shows in memory, Bella finished 8^th in both her County Pleasure qualifier with Garfield, and om her 5 Gaited Amateur qualifier with Tyler. What an accomplishment for Bella’s first year as a ‘grown up!’

Tori Made the Trip.

It's been quite an inaugural show year for Tori and her charismatic pleasure horse Frankie. They've been gaining valuable experience at shows this season, and decided to make the trip to see what Freedom Hall is all about.

They gained lots of knowledge, and enjoyed the whole Louisville experience while cheering on all of Team Knollwood.

Best of all, they'll be veterans next August!

You Can't Stop Laney.

Nobody works harder than Laney.

Laney will ride any horse any time, just for the opportunity to learn. She even switched to online school for her final year of high school to spend more time concentrating on her final year of competition as a junior exhibitor.

Laney and beautiful Aaron competed in Freedom hall in the 17 year old equitation division.  They worked the arena like pros, looking poised and confident, and finished with  a wonderful 7^th place ribbon in a field of the absolute best riders in the country.

Laney may have missed the cut to compete in the Grand Championship, but she’s already focusing on her next goal, the Equitation finals starting at the All American Horse Classic in September.

Margit is a competitor.

She make look shy and retiring, but put her on a show horse, and she takes no prisoners.

Margit rode Robert, the three gaited show pleasure horse she’s leasing this season, and finished 4^th in her crazy deep qualifier.  To top it off, she showed back in the Grand Championship and made to cut to show again in a 10 horse workout.

Robert is a wonderful horse, but it was Margit’s tenacity and ability to use the ring that made those achievements possible.

Margit also showed her own horse, the one and only Charlie in the stacked 5 Gaited Show Pleasure division. In a gigantic class of the best horses around, Margit piloted Charlie to a reserve world championship (with a first place vote!) in their qualifier.

The top ribbon winners from all three qualifiers showed back in the World Grand Championship, and the dynamic duo finished a fantastic fourth.

Margit can ride.

Payton made the jump.

A perennial winner in throughout her junior equitation career, Payton rode into Freedom Hall for the 14 year old qualifier, and acted like she owned the place.  She and her partner in crime, Eli, looked confident and thrilled to be on the green shavings.

It appears that Eli is really enjoying his career change from 3 Gaited horse to equitation star as the new senior team finished as Reserve World’s Champion 14 year olds!

Heather is unflappable.

Senior equitation at Louisville is beyond tough, but calm Heather and beautiful Sammy rode with the best 16 year old riders in the country and came out with a third place ribbon in their stacked age group qualifier.

These two returned to the Grand Championship  on Thursday night, and performed with the best riders in the country. Even in this star studded group, Heather stood out, especially after  performing one of three clean patterns after making the cut.

At the end of the class, Heather was rewarded with a third place ribbon, quite an achievement.

Richie is a sportsman,

and a horseman.

Richie and Sophie came into Freedom Hall for his last year in the Junior equitation division. This 13 year old Knollwood Kid discovered again that horses are horses and sometimes things don’t go the way you had planned.  After Sophie told him it wasn’t the day for her, he handled it well and finished the class, leaving the ring with a 7^th place ribbon, good enough to earn a spot in the Junior championship.

In fact, he was complimented by several trainers for the way he handled the moment when his morning changed.

But, the young man had a pony to drive in the next class, so he changed into his silks and jumped into the cart an drove his pony to a great 3^rd place ribbon.

Flash forward to Friday when Richie and Sophie entered the ring again and performed beautiful railwork in a class crowded with great junior equitation stars. Richie and Sophie performed a smooth precise workout, and were named World’s Grand Champion Junior Equitation Rider.

Richie’s poise and horsemanship were amazing throughout the challenging week.

Oh, and he ribboned riding the pony, and in both his pony championships.  Thanks to Rick Wallen for the opportunity!

Finn is an overachiever.

Finn finished her Junior Exhibitor career at Louisville on an up note. She’s been an equitation star almost her whole life, and it’s been a dream of hers to finish at the top of the stars.

Poised and elegant on a horse, Finn’s competitive strength is sometimes hidden under her calm demeanor. She and Leila finished second in the stacked 17 year old rider qualifier, quite an achievement in itself.

On Thursday night,  Leila and Finn were ready to meet the best in the country, and looked fabulous in the great company.  They made the cut to the workout, and along with barnmate Heather, rode one of three clean patterns.

At the end of a wonderful class, Finn was named Reserve World’s Grand Champion of Senior Equitation.  What a way to end a Louisville career!

The next day, Finn was off to Ann Arbor to start her college career at the University of Michigan where she’s entered their business school.

What’s coming Up?

We're  closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 6.

 The horses will enjoy a day off!

The Knollwood Fall Show is coming up fast on October 9 and 10.  

Entries are in, and it’s going to be our biggest show ever. In order to make it a smooth day for everyone, we’ve made some schedule changes, and will provide the new listing later this week.

With the strength of our walk and trot division, we’ve added a ‘Premier’ walk trot division for our riders who have shown away from home, or are ready to leave home soon.  These walk and trot riders will compete in the big outdoor ring on Saturday afternoon.

We’ll also provide show attire hand outs shortly, with the schedules.

We’re heading to the Wisconsin Futurity Show in Oshkosh on September 18, and we can hardly wait. It’s the last show of the ASHA Medallion season, so please be sure to complete your point sheets by October 15 to receive your Academy Award from the association.  Please talk to Ann if you have any questions.

Knollwood Kid (and professional photographer) Hanna will be at the barn for photo shoots on Sunday, September 26   You can reserve your session here:

Academy riders, Hanna will be taking your photo on Sunday afternoon for our annual ad in National Horseman.  Please save the date, and we’ll have more info later this week.

The Knockout Steet Clean up is coming up on Saturday, October 2.

Please join your fellow club members as we clean up Oakwood and Nagawicka Roads, and stay for the Knockout Meeting.

See you soon at the barn, or at the in-gate!