Once you’re a Knollwood Kid, you’re always a Knollwood Kid.

We lost one of our own last week when Hanna Agathen passed away unexpectedly at the age of 20.

Hanna was loved by everyone who met her, including the Knollwood community of which she was a treasured member.

Hanna grew up a horse girl.

Her mom Abbie is an accomplished horsewoman, and the horse gene was passed to Hanna, She grew up with horses at home, including a testy pony that she showed at local shows, starting in leadline.

Abbie delighted in sending us videos of Hanna dealing with his pony antics. We could all tell that even at a young age, this was not a horse girl to mess with.

Hanna became a Knollwood Kid to further her education, and possibly to get away from the pony.

Hanna loved every horse she encountered. Her skills increased quickly, and she started showing at our in-barn shows. That quickly turned into wanting to do more, and Hanna joined our academy team.

Hanna made tons of friends, and shone in the arena, giving us an early glimpse of her future. She enjoyed showing horses like Hooper, Baxter, and Chepengo.

In 2017, Hanna went to the big time when her Mom leased Tucker for her. She and the charismatic bay gelding made quite an impression on judges and audiences. They even made the initial cut in the Good Hands Finals as a junior equitation rider.

The beautiful team was at the top of all the 13 and under pleasure equitation finals, beginning a new phase in her career.

Hanna went on to show a number of horses under the Knollwood banner including Callaway’s Don’t Panic and Go Fund Me.

Hanna was a mentor.

Hanna’s organizational skills and her kindness led her to becoming a show tech and a barn manager. In these positions, she excelled at teaching the younger Knollwood kids how to organize their day, and to prioritize tasks, with the horses always coming first. She taught without judgement, and had the super power of managing  her staff while being kind.

Many of our best current barn managers learned under Hanna’s watchful eye on Monday nights at Knollwood.

As a show tech, Hanna’s horses were always spotless, well cared for, and happy. She would spend as much time as was needed shedding out horses so they looked their best. This can be a task with academy horses who live outside until they go to an academy show!

Hanna was a business woman.

She started her first business at age 10 when she started cleaning saddles. Her first business helped fund her academy career and lessons. These saddles were CLEAN!

While still in high school, Hanna started her second business, Hanna Agathen Photography. She started with photo shoots, and grew her business into covering horse shows such as the ASAW Summer Showcase, and the UPHA Spring and Fall Shows. Of course, she was the official photographer of all the Knollwood Shows.

Hanna also ran a business of house and pet sitting. The Knollwood community loved having her stay with their pets during vacations, and Hanna enjoyed her time with animals of all kinds, including chickens.

Hanna was an artist.

She had a special eye for the connection between horse and rider. Her photos have always had a magical, timeless quality.

Most of all, Hanna was a friend.

Hanna was kind to all, whether they were 4 or 40. She never spoke ill of others, and didn’t tolerate those who did.

Hanna will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know her. We are all better for having this kind, talented soul in our lives.

Peace, Hanna.

Services will be held at Jerusalem Presbyterian Church, 207 West Main Street in Wales on Friday at 11:00 AM, followed by a luncheon at Thunder Bay Grill N14 W24130 Tower Place in Pewaukee, 53072.

Knollwood will be remembering Hanna with a memorial bench and some trees to provide a quiet place to honor her.

Our summer show on August 22-24 will be dedicated to all the happy hours we spent with this amazing person.

Hanna’s family has asked that memorials be sent to            Saddlebred Rescue, or to HAWS.  We’ll be taking up a collection for Saddlebred Rescue at Knollwood through the August 24th show weekend.

Team Knollwood loves the ASAW Summerfun show, which we consider our ‘home show’ of the season. We also love the Lexington Junior League show, which is an important stop on the route to Louisville and the World Championship Horse Show in August.

The solution? Go to both shows!

Scott and Carol took show horses to Rolex Stadium for Junior League while Nancy and Ann took the academy team to State Fair Park.

We had a ball at both shows and have stories to share.

Lexington

Junior League is known as a showcase for equitation riders on their way to Louisville in August. Knollwood’s riders were rockstars on their first trip to Kentucky this season.

 

Mya and Natalie represented Knollwood in senior pleasure equitation, and rode like champs. Both Knollwood Kids rode strong with Mya showing Riddle to his best advantage while horse girl Natalie kept beautiful Garfield focused on the job at hand.

Their championship patterns were beautiful, and the judges recognized their horsemanship skills.  Mya and Riddle were champions of the senior division while qualifier winners Natalie and Garfield were reserve champions.

Fresh out of walk and trot equitation last year, Leighton is making a name for herself in the 13 and under pleasure equitation division. She and her new partner, the amazing Teddy, showed up in Lexington ready to compete.

Leighton and Teddy showed up in their championship focused on the assignment, and executed a near perfect pattern. It was quite an accomplishment for a rider in her first year out of walk and trot where there is no pattern work.

Maddie and Zach are enjoying their first year out of the academy division.  Knollwood Kid Maddie and personality plus Zach showed up in Rolex stadium like they’d been there before.  The team won their equitation qualifier their first time there, and finished reserve in both the UPHA Challenge Cup qualifier and in their championship. They even got to hang out with Zach the boy who Zach the horse is named after!

To say that the senior equitation division at Lexington is deep is the understatement of the century.

The classes feature many world and national champion riders and horses, and it’s a thrill to watch. Knollwood’s three stars all belonged in the group, and displayed feats of horsemanship to earn top awards.

Richie and Doc are a force to be reckoned with.

Richie and his  beautiful horse Doc catch the eye of judges and audiences alike. Richie is a true athlete and a lifelong student of the sport.  This duo won their age group qualifier and finished third in a championship stacked with the best of the best.

Last season’s rockstar 13 and under rider Brooklyn is learning her way through her first  year in the tough senior division. Partnered with the beautiful and energetic Gigi, Brooklyn’s lessons paid off at Lexington and these two finished second in the USEF Medal qualifier and sixth in the championship. What an accomplishment for Brooklyn’s first year with the seniors.

Our third student of the sport Shaye exhibited horsemanship skills as she piloted newly trimmed Garden of Roses through the big time of Lexington.

Riding a different horse mid season is always a challenge, but Scott, Carol, and Shaye made it work for them at a big show. This beautiful team finished fourth in the outstanding championship, cementing their place among the top riders in the country.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin…

The academy team made a trip to the ASAW Summerfun Horse Show to compete against the best academy riders in the Midwest.

We’ve said it before, and here it is again.

We’re beyond fortunate to be located in a part of the country where we’re surrounded by many highly successful academy programs. Great competition raises the level of skills for everyone, and we’re grateful for the wonderful programs in our area.

Judge Nancy Becker commented several times on the level of skills shown in the academy division at Summerfun, and we were happy to be a part of it.

We took some newer riders to the show so they could experience a top level academy show to compete in large classes in a big arena.

Our up and coming academy stars made great shows as they learned to navigate traffic to make themselves visible to the judge.  They got to experience the excitement of a big show, and to learn  by watching classes as well. They all did a dandy job, and learned many lessons.

Our experienced academy riders showed like stars on the rail. Those that made the cut to perform patterns in the championship did them with precision, horsemanship, and style.

Kylie won the walk trot and canter equitation championship while showing Sport for the first time. Her pattern was spot on with the 4 transitions in just the right spots, and Sport loved every minute.

Kali rode Oscar to the championship in the 13 and under walk trot and canter division. Kali may look small on a horse, but she is patient and mighty, as shown in her railwork and pattern.

Rags and Oscar finished our show by winning the championship in the 10 and under walk and trot division. She and Oscar made it look effortless on the rail as they found clear spots, and they nailed the incorrect diagonal pick up on the pattern.

Great thanks to Instructors Molly and Brenda, Dilly, and Allison for helping us at the show. Allison also provided hair styling to the stars.

We’re also grateful for Bridget, Thea, and Jilly who kept the home office running smoothly.

It truly takes a village.

What's Coming Up??

July 26-27

IASPHA Summer Show

Beyond Stable Farm

August 3

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Knockout Car Wash and Brat Sale

Hartland Piggly Wiggly

August 9-10

ASAW Summer Showcase

Ozaukee County Fairgrounds

August 22-24

Knollwood Summer Show

August 25

Helper Appreciation Day

No Lessons

September 1

Labor Day

No Lessons

September 13

Knockouts Street Cleanup

 

 

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

 

Well, that went quickly.

June was filled with horse shows, the start of camp, including two weeks of academy and 2 tiny tot camps, as well as the Knollwood Olympics.

Oh, and just a tad of hot weather...

 

 

 

The latest happenings?

Team Knollwood had a successful Oshkosh Charity Horse Show. It was the 50^th edition of the show with hospitality plus, and everyone who showed had a grand time.

Knollwood horses and their riders were at the top of their games.

College girl Tori and her beautiful Country Pleasure mare Stella are having quite a summer. After great classes at Midwest, this dynamic duo won both their qualifier and championship at Oshkosh.

 

Equitation star Shaye enjoyed Oshkosh with a new partner. She showed the always beautiful Garden of Roses in equitation classes, winning both the Good Hands qualifier and the equitation championship. Friend and barnmate Brooklyn was reserve in the Good Hands.

 

Our academy team competed at Oshkosh with gusto. Classes were so big that the championships had to be split by age.

Our senior walk trot and canter riders had quite a show. Samara, Aubrey, Thea, and Jules used the spacious arena like the experienced riders they are. They came out of the arena with some nice ribbons, too.

The 13 and under riders showed in a huge class, and were stars. Jilly and Dilly have been having quite a season, and their success continued at Oshkosh. Newcomers to the big ‘A” show academy world Hailey and Teagan looked like they’ve been there before, too.

 

Our walk and trot riders were all first time riders at this level, and they made us proud. Kelsey, Rielle, and Rebecca competed in the big 11-13 division with 13 riders in the arena.

 

Olivia competed in the 10 and under division. She may not be the tallest rider in the class, but she and Thomas made a smooth and compelling pair.

We’re grateful for the strong lesson programs in our area that provide such wonderful competition to create strong riders for the future!

 

The UPHA Horsemanship challenge has previously been held at the ASAW Summerfun Horse Show at State Fair Park in July. The event was moved to Oshkosh this year because of the Lexington show dates overlapping Summerfun.

Team Knollwood had three riders in the event, and they were fierce.

The first round involved 20 riders entering the ring on horses they had picked from a hat, and had never ridden before.

After a first class at all three gaits both ways of the ring, an entry cut was made. Horses and riders who made the cut remained in the ring, and showed the second phase on the horse next to them in the line up.

At the end of the event, Knollwood’s own Shaye was the reserve champion, and Maiya was 5^th.  It takes a lot of skill to show a horse you’ve never ridden. These ladies once again showed the value of Knollwood’s grand ‘library’ of lesson horses.

 

The week before Oshkosh, 14 riders spent the week at Knollwood participating in an advanced camp. These riders spent hours with their horses practicing show skills, patterns, and building their muscles.  In addition to riding, they learned Scott's two best tie knots, had to walk to camp some days through construction on Oakwood, and laughed a lot.

The highlight for many of the riders was our 14 entry horsemanship challenge at home. Riders picked a horse out of a hat, and showed at the walk and trot in the arena while counselors acted as judges. (We were limited to walk and trot because of the number of entries.)

Classes were hotly contested, and riders learned a ton about spacing, timing, the importance of looking ahead, and the skill of mental organization.

We had a ball.

What’s Coming Up?

Knollwood Summer Show Entry Window

July 1-13

Please sign up in the school barn lounge.

Fill out a form with horse choices, even if your show is included in your enrollment.

Lexington Junior League Show

July 7-12

Rolex Arena, Kentucky Horse Park

Richfield Video is webcasting the event for ad additional fee.

We’ll post updates as we get them!

ASAW Summerfun Horse Show

Wisconsin State Fair Park

July 10-13

The academy performance is Saturday morning at 10:00 AM.

Please join us!

 

Knockout Car Wash

Sunday, August 2

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Hartland Piggly Wiggly

Please join us for the most entertaining fundraiser of the year!

Help us wash cars, sell some brats, and have a great time with your barn friends.

We’re asking all Knockout members to work a shift, as the fundraiser helps us defray the cost for our fabulous award banquet.

You can sign up here.

 

World Championship Horse Show

August 16-25

Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky

Team Knollwood will be there competing with the the best of the best.

                 

Knollwood Summer Show

August 22-24

Save the dates!

 

 

 

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

  

It’s a busy summer week at Knollwood.

Show horses are in Oshkosh with Lin and Scott, horses and riders bound for Lexington are working at home with Carol, the show barn roof is being replaced, and we have 15 academy riders at the farm for a pattern camp.

Did we mention that the construction has started on Oakwood Road?

On Wednesday morning, the city of Delafield started tearing up Oakwood Road from Highway 83 to Oakwood Road. (This has nothing to do with the state project improving Highway 83.)

It means that the intersection of Oakwood and 83 will be closed sporadically through the month of July.

Our suggested , highly suggested workaround is to get to Knollwood via Nagawicka Road to avoid the long delays.

Some Quick Updates:

The Olympics were a rocking success.

The 28 hard working Olympians gathered 160 more pounds of food in 2025 than the previous year. They also collected over  $1000 in cash and checks and online donations.

Tiny Tot rider Tahlea won a special award for collecting the most food kits of anyone in the Olympics with 10.

We retooled the games for the warm weather, and almost everyone got wet in the relay race while the blanket race was a blast with 8 teams in the little outdoor arena.

School horse charades with the instructors and admins acting were pretty swell, too.

Great thanks to everyone who made the event a big success.

 

The week of June 30 – July 4 is a week off of camp. Weekday helpers, please try to arrive a little early, as we’ll have a lot of brushing to do.

We are not holding lessons on Friday, July 4. Your instructor should have already scheduled a makeup lesson.

 

Show horses will be heading to the big Lexington Junior League Horse Show July 7-12, while the academy team and some show horses will attend the ASAW Summerfun Show at State Fair Park July 10-13.

 

 

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

Arriving via Nagawicka Road, of course.

Photo by Collective Grace

Team Knollwood is enjoying horse shows, summer camps, and long days with barn friends.

Here’s the latest from your home away from home.

 

 

 

Midwest Success

The 84^th annual Midwest Charity Horse Show was a fantastic competition. The classes were big, deep, and so  much fun to watch.

Here are some of our favorite stories

Grown Ups Rock!

Adult show pleasure classes at Midwest are really, really big.  Tancy showed her wonderful Mickey, and Margit showed fresh face Shooter in classes as large as 16 riders.

Both of these teams came out of the championship with ribbons, a huge accomplishment.

 

 

Photo by Collective Grace

Walk Trot Equitation Stars

Knollwood’s 10 and Under walk and trot equitation riders enjoyed their first Midwest experience. Averie showed superstar Prince, and Maddie showed her beautiful Zack in some nice classes. Both riders had beautiful rides, becoming more comfortable as the week went on, and they earned some really nice ribbons.

 

 

 

The Dallens Had A Week

College girl Tori is home for the summer, and is reunited with her beautiful Country Pleasure horse, Stella. Tori and Stella followed up their wins at Madison with a win in their qualifier at Midwest. They finished in the top ribbons in their championship too, in a ring full of the best in the country.

 

Brother Richie was not to be outdone. He and his equitation partner Doc put on a horsemanship lesson in working through a tough pattern to win the USEF Medal qualifier. The top-notch team also finished third in a grand equitation championship.

 

 

Pleasure Equitation Success

Maiya and Riddle also followed up their successes at Madison with a big win in the 14-17 Pleasure Equitation Championship.

Natalie and Garfield won the Saddle and Bridle Pleasure Equitation Qualifier and is headed to St Louis in the fall.

Leighton and Teddy are learning tons in their first season 11-13 pleasure equitation. They even earned a second place ribbon in the UPHA Pleasure Challenge Cup.

Photo by Collective Grace

Students of the Sport

Both Shaye and Brooklyn are enjoying building seasons.

Accomplished equitation rider Shaye is helping her beautiful new equitation partner Lady learn  the ways of an equitation horse. They’re beautiful to watch, and you can see the learning happening with calm steady Shaye at the helm.

Photo by Collective Grace

Last year’s 13 and under superstar has taken on both the challenge of the senior equitation division, and the challenge of the one and only Gigi. Gigi, known in the registry as Isn’t She Something, is a force unto herself.

Gigi is a strong, self-assured handful of a horse, and she and Brooklyn are becoming a team. It’s a blast to watch.

What’s Coming Up?

The Knollwood Olympics

The Knollwood community is gathering this Saturday at 6:00 to celebrate their successful food drive for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County. Everyone is welcome to come to watch. Please consider bringing a donation to the pantry.

 

Oshkosh Charity Horse Show

Team Knollwood is heading to the Sunnyview Expo at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds for the Oshkosh Charity Horse Show June 25-28.

The academy performance starts at 10:00 AM on Saturday, and the classes are super competitive. It’s worth the trip up.

 

Knollwood Show Entries

We’ll start taking Knollwood Summer Show entries on July 1 and will continue to take them through July 13.

 

July 4 Closure

We will not be holding lessons on Friday, July 4. Your instructor will schedule a makeup.

 

 

Lexington Junior League Horse Show

July 7-12

Many of Knollwood’s show horses are heading to Rolex Arena in the Kentucky Horse Park. The 89^th annual Lexington Junior League will be a deep show with the best horses and riders from around the country.

We’ll provide the webcast link when available.

 

 

ASAW Summerfun Horse Show

July 10-13

Some show horses and our academy team will be headed to Wisconsin State Fair Park for Knollwood’s ‘home show.’

You can sleep in your own bed and see a horse show in a beautiful venue. Please join us.

 

 

IASPHA Summer Show

July 25-27

Join us at Beyond Stable Farm’s big outdoor ring for a summer horse show in the covered outdoor arena.

 

 

Knollwood Knockout Car Wash

Sunday, August 3

All Knockouts are asked to sign up for a shift as the club washes cars and sells food at the Hartland Piggly Wiggly.

It’s the most entertaining fundraiser of the year, and helps the Knockouts defray the cost of the annual awards banquet.

 

Photo by Collective Grace

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