What a week it’s been at Knollwood! Let’s catch up.

 

Last Saturday was a busy, busy day in the school and show barns.

Show riders are prepping for the Royal, and Finn made the trip from the University of Michigan to ride before the show, Tancy was in from Iowa, Emma was here from Stevens Point, and even let Jeni ride Eli! Tori visited from River Falls to ride Stella before the Royal, and to visit with Hazel.

The Knockouts performed their semi-annual street clean up in the neighborhood. Several groups of Knockouts and their parents beautified the neighborhood for fall, and we thank them for their time on a dreary day.

Following clean up, the members returned to the farm for a club meeting. New this year, the Knockouts are going to create a Knollwood calendar featuring the lesson horses. They’ll be using pictures from Hanna Agathen Photography, and will feature important Knollwood dates, like school horse birthdays.

The club hopes to have these available for holiday giving!

 

Saturday night featured the return of Halloween on Horseback.

Fourteen Knollwood Kids designed costumes for their horses, and each team had an hour to execute costumes before they entered the arena for judging in multiple categories.

Esteemed Judge Werner had a difficult time creating prize categories for the characters in the arena, and even had to add a ‘favorite food’ division.

Each costume creation received a goody bag before the big pieces of the costumes were removed and games on horseback began.

The riders played a relay game in which they tried to scare the helpers, not an easy task. They finished the games with the largest game of musical towels ever attempted. We think.

After games were done, and horses were taken care of, it was piñata time! So, the strong horse girls bent the piñata bat, and busted the handle holding the piñata, but it wouldn’t break open. Yes, we resorted to running and throwing the piñata on the ground to break it up.

Costume planning has already begun for 2024!

 

Coming Up?

IASPHA Fall Show

October 28-29

The academy team and some show horses are heading out to the last academy show of the season this weekend. We’re attending the Fall IASPHA show at Beyond Stable Farm in Woodstock, Illinois for the grand finale of 2023.

We have ten riders competing in the walk, trot, and canter classes on Saturday afternoon, and seven walk and trot stars on Sunday afternoon.

Classes are big, the Halloween hospitality at the show is fun galore, and we can hardly wait to show.

Come on down to watch a great horse show!!!!

 

 

The UPHA National Championship American Royal Horse Show

November 6-11

The show horses are heading to their last show of 2023 in November, and it’s a biggie.

The Royal features National Championships in many divisions, and is home to the last big National Equitation Finals.

Team Knollwood will be well represented in the finals, with Finn competing in the adult Medal and UPHA finals.

The UPHA Junior Challenge Cup Finals will showcase Amelia, Brooklyn, and Shaye while Maiya, Payton, and Richie will compete in the senior division.

The 17 and under USEF Medal Final will feature both Payton and Richie.

In addition to the equitation stars, the show is a spectacular year end event. It’s available to watch online for a fee, and we’ll keep you updated as the show progresses.

 

 

Woodwear Orders Due

November 12

You can order Knollwood jackets, ¼ zips, hats, backpacks, and parkas just in time for the holidays. The jackets and backpacks will be personalized to keep them straight!

Samples and order blanks are available in the school barn lounge.

 

 

Academy Parent Meeting

November 18

6:00 PM

Think you might be interested in academy showing next season? Parents are invited to an informational meeting where you’ll learn about the process, why we love showing so much, and all the nuts and bolts of schedules, clothing, and pricing.

Please sign up in the school barn lounge so we know how many packets to prepare.

 

Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 23

We’re not holding lessons on Thanksgiving, and your instructor will be in touch about scheduling a makeup.

Please keep us informed of any travel plans that would mean missed lessons. With college kids coming back for the holiday weekend, we’re always looking for open spots!

 

 

Parents Night Out

Saturday, November 25

5:00 PM

Join the Knockout officers and board members for an evening of fun. We’ll be wrapping gifts for the Knockout’s adopted families, eating dinner, and playing games in the arena.

It’s only $25, and you can pay and sign up in the school barn lounge.

 

 

School Horse of the Year Election

December 1 – 31

Pay your 2024 Knockout dues, and receive a ballot for the School Horse of the Year election! The winner will be announced at the Knockout awards banquet on February 24!

 

 

Stirrup Orders Due

December 1

Be sure to get your stirrup requests to Ann by December 1 to ensure holiday delivery.

Remember, all academy show riders must have their own stirrups to show.

 

 

Academy Demo Night

December 2

6:00 PM

Families who have decided to join our 2024 academy team are invited to an evening of demonstrations and information gathering.

Current academy riders and their parents will be on hand to share their experiences, and you'll be able to see riders in full academy dress ride as well.

 

 

Knockout Holiday Party

December 9

6:00 PM

All Knockouts are invited to join us for a party and election of Knockout officers for 2024.

We’ll have a scavenger hunt, pizza, campaign speeches, and an optional gift exchange.

Sign ups will begin soon.

Not yet a Knockout? We’d love to have you join, and you can sign up in the school barn lounge.

 

 

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

 

Last week was a Knollwood classic.

With the show horses in Springfield at the Mane Event Horse Show, the home team was gearing up for the Knollwood fall in-barn show.

We held the grand finale of Knollwood shows while the show horses were competing against the best, and our show riders were competing in the first of the 'big three' equitation finals.

Read on about all of our adventures, both in Springfield, and at the home office!

 

 

Girl Power

Two of our latest ‘project’ lesson horses came into their own last weekend at the Knollwood show.

Jilly piloted beautiful Fiona to 2 blue ribbons, and Bee won her first equitation class, with Sophia in the irons.

 

 Amelia’s First National Final

Knollwood Kid Amelia competed at Mane Event last weekend with the handsome Garfield.  After winning the 13 and under Saddle Seat Equitation class, she dove in to the deep end and rode into her first national equitation final.

Amelia and Garfield rode with 12 of the best equitation riders in the country in a final that’s for riders 17 and under.  Riding against ‘the big kids,’ Amelia absolutely held her own. Her Phase II pattern was beautiful, and she and Garfield looked great.

 

 Those Challenge Patterns

As many of you know, our Knollwood Challenge Final is modeled after the national equitation finals. Riders compete in qualifying classes at Knollwood shows for the right to compete in a final at the fall show.

The night before the final, riders receive their pattern for the final session. They study it overnight, and walk it on Saturday.

Riders show the horse they qualified for the final, so there’s quite an assortment of lesson horses working on a challenging pattern.

This year, the walk trot and canter challenge final used the pattern from the senior division of the Saddle and Bridle Pleasure Equitation Medallion Final.

 

In a true test of horsemanship and patience, the final was won by Jilly on Hugo with Ary and Dexter in reserve.

 

The walk and trot division was a fierce  one. Maddie came in first on Baxter, with Charlotte reserve on the one and only Leon.

 

 Payton’s Former Life

She proved it again. In a former life, Payton was most definitely a horse.

Payton rode the beautiful and always enthusiastic GiGi to a beautiful fourth place finish in the Good Hands National Final.

The picture of equitation, you just can’t take your eyes off these two!

 

 Bravo, Mane Event Riders

Team Knollwood’s riders were tuned in at Mane Event.

A few highlights?

Kerry and Uno won the amateur Park championship, and Kerry won the Open English Pleasure championship with Henry.

Mia was second with Thaylee in the Equitation Jackpot after completing a tough pattern for equitation novice Thaylee.

Margit and her boys were on fire. Robert was second in the Junior Exhibitor Show Pleasure Championship, and Charlie has never looked better.

Tancy and Mia won the Three Gaited Amateur Stake.

Jane and Fergie were a sight in the adult Show Pleasure division, too!

 

 

 The Knockouts Do It Again!

The Knockout team of amazing kids and parents raised over $1900 at the Knollwood show last weekend.

Great thanks to 4 Leaf Roofing for their sponsorship of the concession stand.

The Knockouts are grateful to the parents who helped with gift baskets,  the concession stand, the silent auction, and the 50/50 raffle.

These parents also act as Knollwood ambassadors all weekend, answering questions, supporting riders, and creating a really welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

We are grateful!

 

 

 Knollwood Kids Always Come Back

We were beyond fortunate to have celebrated Knollwood Kid Kelsey in to judge the show. Having grown up at the farm and achieving great success in the equitation world, Kelsey lived the whole Knollwood experience.

Kelsey had words of wisdom for riders, appreciated the lesson horses, and created a positive learning experience.

Her son will be joining us for a mini camp soon, so she may be a Knollwood mom, too!

 

 

 

 What Would We Do Without the Personal Assistants?

We couldn’t run a show for 95 riders without the help of these amazing Knollwood Kids.

On Friday night, Adrienne, Brooklyn, and Natalie put 55 pattern riders into the ring. This feat was done with countless saddle changes, stirrup adjustments, and moral support to the riders.

On Saturday, Thea and Morgan joined the crew. The assistants prepped horses and supported all the riders throughout the performance.

We brought in the troops on Sunday for walk trot extravaganza day.

Twelve personal assistants, one for each horse competing that day, made the day a great one for all the Knollwood Kids.  With each horse having their own assistant all day, our newest riders got to know their helper for the day, and appreciated their help.

Their positivity in contagious.

These kids are so organized that the instructors were freed up to watch their riders compete in the show ring, allowing great feedback to each rider.

Heck, they even stayed on top of setting the barn up for business as usual on Monday.

Amazing, just amazing kids.

 

 

 

Olivia holding Richmond, the boneless cat.

Sportsmanship

If you’ve been around our program for very long, you’ll know that good sportsmanship is a big part of what we teach.  Bad sportsmanship is called out and dealt with.

We loved seeing riders clap for each other in the line up, and the pattern class riders lining up at the chute door to congratulate the class winner after their victory pass. On foot, of course.

 Our favorite story of the weekend involves small but mighty Olivia.

She and Hooper were stars on Sunday, winning all three of their 8 and under walk trot classes.

Her friend and fellow competitor Matilda was second in all three classes.

When Olivia discovered she had won 2 Knollwood champion hats in her qualifiers, she gave one to Matilda because, ‘I wanted her to win.’

Possibly better yet is the thank you note Matilda wrote to Olivia, saying, ‘Thank you for giving me the other hat you won. You’re a great friend! I like riding together.’

Horses raise great kids.

 

 

 

Richie the Horseman

Richie has been a Knollwood Kid from the moment he saw his sister Tori riding and decided he wanted to ride, too.

All of his lessons, including the ups and downs that go along with the process, aligned last week at Mane Event.

While Tori is studying at River Falls, Richie showed her beautiful mare Stella to wins in both the qualifier and championship in the Country Pleasure division, and he showed  Tyler to two wins in the  qualifier and championship in the Junior Exhibitor 5 gaited division.  He also showed two saddlebred ponies from trainer Clark Clouse in Kentucky, winning the 5 gaited pony division, and the 3 gaited division.

Then he put his equitation hat back on, and won the Good Hands National Final on his own horse, Doc.

Richie has become a great horseman. He has always embraced all the behind the scene work in addition to time riding. As a 10 and under walk trot star, he learned how to take care of Tink, even putting her wraps on by himself.

He spends time working in the show barn, and you’ll often find him  in center ring watching and listening.

Congratulations, Richie!

 

What’s Coming Up?

 

Street Clean Up

Knockout Meeting

Halloween on Horseback

 

It’s all happening this Saturday!

Join us at 1:00 as the Knockouts clean up Nagawicka and Oakwood Roads. It looks like its going to be a beautiful Fall day to be outside with friends.

Come back to the barn for the Knockout meeting immediately following!

We have 15 Knollwood Kids joining us for Halloween on Horseback in the evening. Costume creation starts at 5:00, and judging is at 6:00.

All Knollwood Kids are invited to watch at 6:00. We ask that you come in costume to celebrate the Halloween theme.

 

 

 

IASPHA Fall Show

October 28-29

Our last academy show of the 2023 season!

Please join us at Beyond Stable Farm for a really fun show!

 

 

UPHA National Championship American Royal

November 6 - 11

The show horses are off to Kansas City to compete against the best at the National Championships. The Royal features the last of the 2 equitation finals making up the Triple Crown, the UPHA Challenge Cup Final, and the USEF Medal Final.

Webcasting is available with a subscription, and we’ll keep you updated.

 

 

Parents' Meeting

Think you might be interested in academy showing next season? We’re hosting an informational meeting for parents on Saturday, November 18 at 6:00.

We’ll talk about schedules, pricing, lesson requirements, and much more.

Please sign up in the school barn so we know how many packets to prepare.

 

 

Parents Night Out

Saturday, November 25

5:00 - 7:00

Kids, join us for an evening of wrapping gifts for our adopted holiday families, games with the Knockout board members, and so much more. It’s only $25, and you can sign up soon in the school barn.

 

Academy Demo Night

Saturday, December 2

6:00 PM

Parents and riders interested in academy showing in 2024 are invited to join us in the arena for an evening of demos and information from current academy riders and their parents.

 

 

Holiday Party and Knockout Elections

Saturday, December 9

6:00

All Knockouts are invited to join us for our holiday celebration and election of officers and board members for 2024.

 

 

Enrollment Meetings

December

If you show away from home, your instructor will meet one on one to discuss your enrollment plans for 2024.

 

 

 

 

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

The Fall Knollwood Show this weekend marks the last show of our in-barn season, and it’s going to be a blast.

We’ve got some updates to enjoy the big weekend like a pro.

 

We’re thrilled to have Kelsey Nicole Farnham judging all three days of the show. Kelsey grew up a Knollwood Kid, and grew into an equitation rock star. She won at least eight national equitation finals, to top it off, won the World’s Grand Championship of Equitation on her beautiful mare Chimere.

Kelsey offers a wealth of knowledge, and we’re so grateful for sharing her expertise with us for the whole weekend. 

Side note, her son Bodhi is trying riding at our mini camp in November. Think horses are in the blood??

 

With the rainy weekend on the way, we’ve made the difficult decision to move the show inside. The schedule remains the same for all three days. Please refer to your personal schedule in your show bag to see when to arrive.

With all the dampness in the air, it may be a little chilly in the barn. Please feel free to layer shirts under your show shirt to keep riding muscles warm.

Because we were planning on showing outside, we didn’t rent chairs. Please feel free to bring camp or lawn chairs if you’d like to sit to watch the show. We’ll have a rope to contain the seating area.

 

 

Parking is available in the Kettle Moraine Curling Club lot on Friday and Saturday, but they’re hosting an event on Sunday. Please be good neighbors and don’t enter their lot on Sunday.

Parking is always available in our lot, and on the street.  The concession stand will be in the show barn, and Scott’s rig will be at the Mane Event Horse show, so there will be some additional spots available near the Knollwood barns.

Please don’t park on the curve of Horseshoe Bend between the posted ‘No Parking’ signs unless you’d like a visit from an intimidating, yet friendly Delafield police officer.

 

The horse show office will be in the school barn lounge. If you have any questions, please refer your questions to the friendly ladies in the office.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR BACK NUMBER! It saves many texts and phone calls trying to track down missing numbers.

 

We are thrilled to have Four Leaf as the concession stand sponsor. This veteran owned roofing company is a big supporter of Knollwood, and we’re thankful for their generosity.

 

Speaking of the concession stand, it will be located in the show barn. The stand and gift baskets are some of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Knollwood Knockouts. These shows play a big role in subsidizing our annual awards banquet, and in funding the club’s charitable activities.  The stand is staffed by Knockout members who are earning their service hours.

Please stop by and enjoy some delicious food, and take a chance winning a gift basket!

There are still some class sponsorships available for only $25. We’ll announce your message to the crowd, and forms are available in the school barn.

 

 

 

What’s Coming Up?

The show horses are at the Mane Event Horse Show in Springfield, Illinois, which features fantastic show horses in a beautiful arena, and the first of the ‘Big Three’ equitation finals that comprise the Triple Crown of Saddle Seat Equitation.

Team Knollwood is there with a big crew, and we have three riders headed into the Good Hands final.  Best of luck to Amelia, Payton, and Richie as they start the journey.

You can watch the show for free on SeeHorseVideo.com.

 

We’ll have the winning entrants announced early next week for Halloween on Horseback. The event takes place next Saturday at 6:00 PM, with costume creation starting at 5:00 PM.

All Knollwood Kids are invited to come and watch, and please wear your costumes!

 

Our final academy show is coming up at Beyond Stable Farm on October 28-29. IASPHA puts on a great Halloween themed show, and it’s a sellout.  Please come down and support Team Knollwood!

 

The show barn’s last show of the season is the UPHA National Championship American Royal Show November 6-11 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Home to national championships in a number of divisions, and to the last two equitation finals making up the Triple Crown of Saddle Seat Equitation, the show is a spectacle.

Team Knollwood will be there in force, and you can watch it with a subscription.

 

We’re hosting a parent meeting for future academy riders on Saturday, November 18 at 6:00 PM. We’ll talk about why we love academy showing, our schedule, our philosophy, clothing and lesson requirements, and we’ll talk about costs as well. This meeting is for parents only.

We’re hosting a parent and rider meeting on December 2 at 6:00 PM to present what academy showing actually looks like. We’ll have demos with some current riders, and we will have some academy parents on hand to help answer questions, too.

 

The Knockout holiday party and election for 2024 officers is coming up on Saturday, December 9 at 6:00 PM. All Knockout members are invited to attend, and to run for office. More info will be coming soon.

 

Academy and enrollment meetings are coming up in December. If you’re currently showing academy or are interested in joining the fun,  your instructor will reach out to set up a time to discuss next year.

 

 

Finally, as we head into our last in-barn show of the season, let’s remember why we do this.

We show horses to learn, and to enjoy the company of horses and horse friends.

We don’t do it for recognition or for ribbons, or to ride the ‘fanciest’ horse.

Good sportsmanship is the lesson to be learned.

Congratulate your friends, congratulate your competitors. These two groups are hopefully the same.

Treat everyone you encounter with respect.

  This means helpers, parents, other riders, and all horses.

  Should you encounter any disrespect, walk away.

Help someone who’s having a challenging moment.

Hug a horse. Or 100 horses.

Enjoy the moments of glimmer!

 

 

 

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

 

 

The farm is a little quieter these days after six Knollwood Kids have headed off to college for their freshman years.

Team Knollwood is always proud of our high school graduates, and this year we have a particularly big group of Knollwood Kids heading off to higher education. These ladies are Knollwood Kids through and through, having almost grown up at the farm.

These riders were super active with the Knockouts, some helped with lessons and camps, and all of them were instrumental in helping the next generation of Knollwood Kids through their example.

Knollwood Kids always come back, and we can’t wait to see our latest grads in center ring at Thanksgiving break.

Here, in alphabetical order by last name, are Knollwood’s latest group of college girls!

 

Hanna’s horse loving mom Abbie put her on a horse at the age of 18 months, and the rest is history. Hanna started her Knollwood story at a summer camp at the age of 7, and has been taking lessons ever since.

Hanna’s first ever Knollwood horse was Brinkley, and she rode legendary Sparky in her first Knollwood show.

Her favorite Knollwood memories were the Knockout activities that introduced her to all her horse friends. She adds, ‘Being a Knollwood Kid was valuable to me in that I learned how to work towards my goals, advocate for myself, and build lifelong relationships.’

Hanna credits having horses and friends at the barn to help her through high school. ‘Knollwood helped me get through high school because it gave me a safe haven to go to when life got crazy. After a long day, I knew the barn was always there waiting for me.’

Mom Abbie will miss the gatherings at her house that she refers to as ‘Saddle Club Sundays’ when the horse girls took over her barn.

Hanna is attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha where she’s pursuing a degree in business. (She’s already running her saddle cleaning and photography businesses!)

She said she’ll miss being a little less involved at Knollwood during the school year.

 

 

Tori became a Knollwood Kid at age 7 after attending an Open House back in 2012.

Tori started riding in group lessons at the time, and proceeded to privates and showing before eventually getting her very own horse.

Tori has had the pleasure of bonding with her two mares. But honestly, ALL animals love Tori. Just ask Hazel for her thoughts about her!

She’s currently showing her beautiful mare Stella’s Stilettos in the Country Pleasure division.

Mark was the first lesson horse Tori ever rode at Knollwood, and she had the pleasure of showing Dudley in her first Knollwood show.

Tori’s favorite activities growing up at the barn were pattern camps and hanging out with friends and horses at shows.

Mom Tracy will miss seeing Tori’s joy in just being at the farm. 'Whether it was the quiet times she spent bonding with her horses after lessons, walking Hazel on the bridle path or playing with the cats in the school barn, Knollwood has always been her reset button. No matter what was going on in other parts of her life, time spent at Knollwood always brought her joy.'

She adds, ‘I know I have said this before, but I want to stress that the best things about this sport of showing horses is not found at the in-gate or the ribbons coming out. Your time with your child is precious and short, so make sure to put the focus on the memories you make on this journey together, centering around the love of horses.’

Tori is attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and is studying Animal Science-Equine with a pre-vet emphasis.

 

 

 

 

Emilie became a Knollwood Kid at the age of 10  when she signed up for group lessons through Sussex Park and Rec.  She rode Willy in her first lesson, and showed Eddie at her first academy show.

Emilie’s favorite Knollwood memory is pattern camp summers. ‘Besides getting to learn a ton and practice a bunch of patterns, we also tried a bunch of fun games and rode in pairs. I got closer with all of the riders that week and made a bunch of new friendships because of it.’

Mom Anna credits Knollwood for teaching Emilie how to work towards a goal and accomplish it, even when it’s difficult.

‘When Emilie was in middle school, she wanted to start competing in out of barn shows. We made a deal with her that we could pay half of the entry free but she had to pay the rest. That year, Emilie started ‘E-Making Creations’ and used her Cricut to make personalized Christmas ornaments. She sold enough the first year to do two shows, and her business grew over the years thanks to many opportunities through Knollwood. She wanted to ride, and found a way to do it!’

Emily is attending UW-Platteville and is studying mechanical engineering. Emilie would like to work in product development and eventually become an engineering project manager.

 

 

 

Sofia became a Knollwood Kid at age 11 when she started riding with us. Living in Oshkosh has made for lots of bonding time spent in the car with mom Julia.

Sofia was fortunate to ride Sundance for her first Knollwood lesson, and had the privilege to show Klem in both her first Knollwood and academy show.

Sofia’s most valuable lessons learned at Knollwood? ‘I was able to find a community that I fit into really well. Plus, I know I’ll be a part of this community for a long time. I learned how to be scrappy and how to assert myself. Those are only some of the skills that I’ve learned that make me a much more confident person. Being confident has helped me in every aspect of my life.’

Julia credits Knollwood for raising Sofia’s confidence. ‘She has learned that hard work pays off and patience, as sometimes the payoff takes time. She learned about how to be a mentor and the skills associated with leadership roles. She learned about respect, respect for a 1200 pound animal and what they are capable of; respect for the instructors; respect for fellow riders and her own respect.’

Sofia says she’s literally counting down the days until she can be at the barn again to see all her favorite people and horses.

Sofia is settled in at Macalester College where she’s studying Spanish and English. She hopes to go into publishing and editing, and to do some Spanish translation work.

 

 

 

Emma came to Knollwood when she signed up for a group lesson package through Hartland Park and Rec. She had the pleasure of riding Mark at her first lesson.

Emma was a leader in the Knockouts and a camp counselor and even did some lessons for us.

After her academy days, Emma’s parents leased Fergie for her to show.  Emma credits Fergie for teaching her many, many lessons.

She appreciates the friendships she made, saying that her favorite memories were working on Tuesday nights with Heather and Margit. 'Working on Tuesdays with them gave me my best friends that I will have for the rest of my life. Another great memory is the morning before academy shows. Everyone is there supporting each other and willing to help everyone and the environment is just overall very positive.’

Emma credits Knollwood for helping her get through high school. ‘It gave me a safe space that I felt like I could always come and hang out with people who were there or just simply come and hang out with the horses.  Knollwood also gave me the valuable life skills that helped me get through my coursework in high school, to never give up and to keep working hard’

Emma’s mom Pam adds ‘From the sweater vest academy era to suit, there are so many great memories that have been made.’

Emma is attending the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where she’s double majoring in early childhood and elementary education. She’s also on the track team at Stevens Point.

She hopes to become a teacher for kindergarten through third grade. Emma is going to be certified in preschool through 9^th grade in case she changes her mind later.

 

 

 

Maddie became a Knollwood Kid at age 7 when she signed up for beginner lessons through the Hartland Park and Rec department. Willy was the first horse she rode at Knollwood, and Skipper was her trusty steed at her first in-barn show.

Maddie’s favorite memories of growing up a Knollwood Kid include summer pattern camps with friends, the ASAW Summerfun Show, which we consider our home show, and award banquets.

Maddie’s riding career didn’t run on a straight line, as most don’t. She suffered two serious knee injuries on the basketball court, only a year apart.

Her mom Sara says, ‘Knollwood has had this hold on Maddie’s heart from the very beginning. It has been the one special place in her life that allows the other parts of her life to just pass by. It is her retreat, her time away from both of her ACL recoveries of 10 months each. Knollwood has taught Maddie how to love an animal that will truly love you back, that hard work pays off, perseverance, patience, and that when you love something, just do it!’

Maddie will ‘miss the community and the people that build everyone up and make riding at Knollwood a blessing. I will miss show days and weekends that bring so much joy into my life, and I will miss the horses that make riding the best part of the week.’

Sara adds, ‘There are lots of things that I will miss about Knollwood. I actually had the chance to miss them twice before when Maddie was out with her injury and they just made me appreciate them so much more. I will miss Ann tremendously. Her kindness to Maddie, her patience. I will miss the horse shavings in my washer, the smell of the barn in my car, and the incredible smile that riding brings to Maddie. Riding puts Maddie on cloud 9, it’s her retreat , her way away from the outside world of school and sports.’

Maddie is attending the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where she’s studying Sports Marketing. She’s also a member of the soccer team.

 

 

 

What’s Coming Up?

October 6-7

UPHA Chapter 10 Academy Show

 

October 11-14

Mid America Mane Event

 

October 13-15

Knollwood Fall Show

 

October 21

Street Clean Up

Knockout Meeting

Halloween on Horseback

 

October 28-29

IASPHA Fall Show

 

November 6-11

UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show

 

November 18

Academy Info Meeting for Parents

 

November 25

Parents’ Night Out

 

December 2

Academy Demo Meeting  for All

 

December 9

Knockout Holiday Party

 

 

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

 

Cooler weather, trees changing colors, and it's perfect for outdoor lessons.  Of course, our adventures continue!!

The show horses and their staff are home from a successful Wisconsin Futurity Horse Show where several new teams were unveiled.

Amelia continued her success in equitation with a new partner, Far Away Garfield. Thanks to the generosity of the Kingsbury family, this beautiful show horse will team with star rider Amelia.

These two hit it off big at Futurity, winning both the Good Hands qualifier, and the equitation championship.

 

Richie and Showdown made a splash in their debut at Futurity, winning the Junior Exhibitor 5 gaited qualifier and championship. Again, thanks to the generosity of the Kingsbury family, Richie will be showing this grand horse for the rest of the season.

In other Futurity events, Lily and Fergie were champs of the Single Bit division, Natalie continued Lola’s education, Kerry had great rides on both Henry and her sister’s Park horse, and Tancy turned in strong performances with Mia.

 

After a week at home, the show horses will hit the road on Monday and head to the St Louis Charity Horse Show. Home to two pleasure equitation finals, the show boasts deep, deep competition in a beautiful facility with unbeatable hospitality.

We’ll update with webcasting info soon.

 

Our academy team is heading to the UPHA Chapter 10 show in Woodstock on October 6-7. This mostly academy show is perfect for our newest academy stars, and our more experienced academy riders get to show on Friday night. We can hardly wait to take our 15 riders.

 

Our fall in-barn show is coming up fast October 13-15.  With more than 90 riders participating, we’re looking forward to a very busy weekend.

Please consider volunteering for a shift at the concession stand, donating an item or two to the gift baskets, or sponsoring a class or two. We’re looking for some new volunteers, as our show barn families will be at the Mane Event horse show on our home show weekend.

We’re also looking for donations of used clothing in kids sizes for our ‘store.’ If your rider has outgrown jods or boots, please consider donating them to outfit our younger riders for their first show.  All proceeds benefit our school horse ‘sunshine fund.’

 

Speaking of Mane Event, the show horse team will be in Springfield, Illinois for a big horse show, and the first of the ‘Triple Crown’ equitation finals.

Knollwood will be well represented at the show, and in the Good Hands final.

 

Do things calm down after the Knollwood Show?

Heck no!

 

The Knockouts are hosting a street clean up on Saturday, October 21 at 1:00 PM, followed by a Knockout meeting at the farm. Please join us to meet other Knockouts, and to help beautify our neighborhood. We’re looking for parent volunteers as well.

 

Halloween on Horseback is back!

On Saturday, October 21 we’ll host a horse costume contest at 6:00 PM.

More details are coming soon!

 

The academy team and a few show horses are heading to the IASPHA fall show on October 28-29 at Beyond Stable Farm in Woodstock. It’s our final academy show of 2023, and would love a large cheering section!

 

The show horses are heading to Kansas City for their last show of the season, the UPHA National Championship American Royal Horse Show.

Hosting the last 2 equitation finals in the Triple Crown, and National Championships in many show divisions, this show is fantastic.

Knollwood will be well represented, and will be competing with the best in the country,

 

Think your rider might be interested in joining our academy show team for 2024?

We’re hosting an academy meeting for parents on Saturday, November 18. We love academy showing and look forward to sharing information with parents at 6:00 PM on the 18^th.

Because we’re talking about costs and commitments, this is a parent only meeting. We’ll host a demo meeting in early January for both riders and parents.

 

Parent’s Night Out is coming up on Saturday, November 25. Knockouts will wrap gifts for the adopted holiday families after games and dinner. All Knockouts are welcome!

 

 

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