Team Knollwood is back home after a very successful Madison Classic Horse Show. With 25 show horses competing and seven lesson horses joining the fun on Saturday, it was a full weekend of friendships, adventures....and brats, as the show shared the grounds with the World’s Largest Brat Festival!

Our newest show riders did fantastic jobs with Brooklyn and Amelia gaining plenty of experience at their second shows. They learned many lessons, and improved with each ride.

Maiya also made her show horse debut on the one and only Riddle. It’s quite a jump from the academy ring, and she did a great job in her debut.

 

Bella joined us from Pennsylvania to show her expressive stars, Garfield and Tyler.  Bella and Garfield were unstoppable in the Country Pleasure division, winning both their qualifier and championship, and athletic Tyler was a force to be reckoned with, winning their amateur qualifier and finishing reserve in the championship.

 

Jane and Willis changed divisions and showed in the Country Pleasure division for the first time at Madison.  This team has worked so very hard over the off season, and boy did it show in the ring.

Team Willis won a class at their first show in their new division, and the look on both of their faces was sheer delight. Great thanks to Jon McCarthy for capturing the story.

 

Our academy riders were stars at a well attended session. We’re fortunate to compete in an area where the academy riders are among the best in the country.

Knollwood’s fantastic lesson horses enjoy the wide open ring in Madison, and looked like they were loving the whole performance.

A couple of academy highlights:

Emilie showed at Madison for the first time, and completed a precise work out to earn a reserve championship.

Maddie lit up the ring with the one and only Nacho, and won all three of her classes.

Leighton made her ‘big’ show debut with Baxter, Tess had wonderful rides with Sport and won a couple of classes, and Mia helped Willow continue her education, even winning a class.

 

This weekend, the Academy Team is off to Beyond Stable Farm for the Prairie State Classic horse show, and weather permitting, it will be held in the beautiful covered outdoor arena.

The show barn will be at home prepping for the big Midwest Charity show in Springfield, Illinois June 14-18.

 

 

 

Saturday, June 11 is a big day for the Knockouts.

They’re holding their Memorial Walk in memory of Libby at 10:00 AM. All pledges will go directly to Lifestriders, a therapeutic riding program in Waukesha where Libby volunteered. Please gather your pledges and join us on the bridle path.

At 1:00 PM, the Knockouts are holding their semi-annual Street Clean Up.  It’s a great way to earn your club service hours and meet some new Knockout friends. We’re also looking for adult volunteers to help with our crews.

 

Midwest Charity starts on June 14!

It’s the first really big show of the year where we meet the Kentucky barns and other southern barns for the first time of the season, and Team Knollwood will be there with big numbers.

If you can’t make it to the show, you can cheer from home as the entire show will be webcast on Richfield Video!

 

 

Knockout Brat Bash

Members, save the date of July 17 for our annual brat bash and car wash at the Fox Brothers Piggly Wiggly in Hartland.

It’s one of our most successful fundraisers of the year, and it’s a blast.

It takes a lot of members to make this work, so please join us for the fun. Of course, parents are needed too!

 

Knollwood Summer Show is coming up August 19-21.

We’ll start taking entries on June 15, and will accept them until July 15.

The shirt color for the summer show is lime green!

 

 

 

See you at the barn, or at the ingate!

This weekend, Knollwood Farms is packing up and shipping out for the Madison Classic Horse show which hasn't been held in the New Holland Pavilion in several years!  We are excited to be back at this all in one facility where rain can't touch us, no matter how hard it tries.

The show barn has a very full schedule at this show with 24 show horses and 3 Upgrade Academy horses already tucked into their well bedded stalls at the show.  The rest of the horses will be arriving later in the week to see the ring, and game plan for their big show day.  

Saturday morning the A circuit show begins at 9:30 am and Knollwood has a whopping 9 show horses going in this short session.  The academy session with not start before noon, but we don't know exactly when it will begin, as it all sort of depends on how quickly the morning session goes.  We are asking that all WTC riders arrive by 10 and WT riders by 10:30.  This will leave plenty of time for our hair ladies to get your show bun in, finishing touches to be put on and pattern walking to be done.  That being said, the Alliant Energy center is also hosting Wisconsin's Annual Brat Fest this weekend so traffic going in and out is likely to be heavy.  Leave plenty of time to get in the facility and come find us at door #21!

We also had the Helper Olympics last Saturday and what an incredible group of competitors.  Our Olympians really showed up and brought an absolute TON of food kits for the Waukesha Food Pantry.  We are so proud of our Knockouts and how they support the community where they operate.  These food kits will go to help families in the area in need of some extra help.  

Summer Camp is almost upon us with our first session next month!  Summer camp season is an exciting time of new introductions to the joys of riding.  If you're interested in helping at summer camp to be a part of showing these new kids what an amazing world the horse world can be, be sure to talk to your instructor about how you may be of assistance and they can direct you to our Summer Camp Helper Coordinators.  

If you have any questions about where and when you need to be for the show this weekend, even if it's just to support and watch, reach out to your instructor or call us at the barn.  

If you can't make it to the show, it's being webcast on Richfield Video! It's at https://richfieldvideoarchive.vhx.tv

 

See you at the in-gate!

Well, our first Knollwood Show of the year has come and gone and what a beautiful weekend it was!  The weather was perfectly sunny each day, and our new schedule with pattern classes on Friday turned out to be amazing and exactly what was needed.

Each day was better than the last with riders and horses all leaving their hearts on (and off) the rail in performances that truly highlighted all the things our students have worked on over the winter.  Our judge, Laney Lonchar, diligently gave riders tips and tricks before tying the classes and used her discerning eye to tie each class.  Starting with Friday night, our more advanced patterns were completed in the regular indoor arena so the complexity of the patterns could be pushed to the limit.  We even had some qualify for the Challenge final! Our WTC top two were Samara Zwieg and Cecilia Berry and our WT top two were Leighton Werner and Dilly Senn!

 

Saturday began with class 6a and rounded out with class 13.  Our raffle and business tents were busy with all kinds of fun silent auction and raffle prizes to be won.  We even enjoyed an amazing concessions stand with a inaugural coffee and tea bar, thanks to our sponsor Hartland Family Chiropractic!  We were all so grateful for boost.

 

Sunday began with our walk only leadline division and finished off with our more advanced walk and trot riders showing off their hard work over winter.  This Knollwood Show set another KF record by being the largest attendance yet so far with a maiden division (meaning first time showing) that was split into THREE groups!  Having three splits of maiden means the future is bright for all these rising stars and their riding and showing careers. 

 

There is so much for us all to be grateful for, but big thank yous are due to our amazing helpers that keep the show going, our riders in the correct saddles, and our leadliners safely anchored.  Thank you to our instructors who come to ensure their riders have a good experience, see a familiar face and can truly learn and develop with feedback from their teacher after their classes.  Thank you again to our conscession sponsor, Hartland Family Chiropractic for making sure we were all caffienated enough to get through the day.  Thank you to the parents and families who continually show fierce support to their riders.  Thank you to the Knockouts for running the concessions, the raffle and the silent auction, set up and tear down.  This youth group sure knows how to get the job done!  The biggest thank you of all to our incredible school horses who tolerate all kinds of chairs, tents, cones, flowers and lord knows what else without batting an eye or turning an ear.  We are so lucky to have some of the most amazing horses here to select from with teaching and developing young riders.  Each has something to offer in a lesson and even more so in the show ring. 

 

Through the good rides and the bad, there's always a lesson to be learned. Sometimes, it's not clear right away what that lesson is, but with some time and reflection, improvements can always be made!  Horse shows are a great magnifying glass on our learning, and riders tend to make big strides in their learning when they take the steps to highlight what they've worked on in the show ring.  There's no doubt that each of our riders made big strides at this show, literally and figuratively.  

 

Up next:  The Knockouts Olympics is this Saturday at 6pm.  Be sure to get your food kits in if you haven't yet!

 

Madison Classic horse show is next weekend with our academy kids performing Saturday, May 28th.  This is our first "A" Academy show of the year at the amazing Alliant Engery Center facility.  We recommend coming to watch!  The competition will be steep and the show is always a fun time.  Saturday we will also be having a little barn celebration of the 30 year anniversary of Knollwood Farms at 2800 Oakwood Road!  While it seems like a small feat, keeping a farm filled with horses going is a tough gig.  Through all kinds of ups and downs, Scott and Carol have truly done the incredible by building, maintaining, and growing Knollwood Farms into the amazing place it is today.  Help us celebrate at the show!

 

See you at the outgate!

Last week the show barn was off at their second show of the season with a bunch of new teams and boy did they perform! FASH is always a great show in a big coliseum, with a lot of opportunities for great passes and great fun.  This year, we had 20 horses competing at FASH and tireless Alex along for the ride for some lessons during the show.

The week started off with a bang having Hershey and Willis showing in a pleasure class together.  Carol qualified Hershey for Kerry, while Allison navigated Willis through his first class in a full show bridle since he joined us here at Knollwood!  Then later that session, Kim took WC Ch Fine By Me for out for a spin.  This seasoned star showed off his propensity for go forward and showing off while Kim expertly navigated the ring in one of the largest classes of the show! 

That evening Allison took to the ring again with Sirtainly Stylish in the same class as Kerry and her new horse Tango's Private Matter.  These ladies were a sight to see as both horses really buzzed around the ring! Kerry also turned in an amazing performance with Hershey, gaining a second place finish later in the week.

Thursday evening also saw Brooklyn's debut with her new horse Gamora and a stunning debut at that.  Leaving the ring in her FIRST ever show in a suit with a first place vote, we know these two are going to truly shine this season!

 

Payton and her beautiful new mare, Isn't She Something made an appearance in the Pleasure Equitation rider 14-17 and dazzled.  This mare really is something!  While she is still learning her patterns, we can't wait to see the finished product of these two becoming the team we know they can be!

 

Eva (Castle Booty) and Amelia had their second show of the season and from the first show to her second, Amelia has made leaps and bounds of improvement getting to know miss Eva in the show ring.  They even left the ring with a second place!  This pair brings a lot of sparkle to the ring and we know there will be a lot of excitement in their future.

 

Scott took Finn's new mare, Riverdream's Masquerade, in the Open class Thursday night to a beautiful 2nd place finish.  This beautiful sporty mare known as "Jade",  has come such a long way over winter and we can't wait for Finn to get in the ring.  The Usual Suspect, now known as Tate showed in the Jumior/Limit Park to a 4th place finish.  Tate is owned by Scott and Carol and has also been working on finishing this winter.  This grand gelding has a bright future.  Allison then took Willis into his first Country Pleasure class and took home the blue!  Allison's expert horsemanship made Willis feel comfortable and confident so he could really show and dazzle the judges.  We can't wait to see Jane and Willis hit the ring in Madison!

 

Erika showed home grown Go Fund Me, known as Frito to his FIRST EVER blue ribbon!  Frito showed that age is nothing but a number and despite being only 4 and at his second show ever, that he was a show horse indeed!  

 

Payton and Eli rode to a blue ribbon in the Saddle and Bridle medallion class.  This duo have had many years together and always show out for the pattern.  Who knew Eli would be such an expert at equitation, and who better to take him on that journey than Payton!

 

Our high tail eq riders performed beautifully in their first show of the year, turning in 1st and 2nd place performances at each go.  Heather and Sampson turned in dynamic and detailed patternwork while Richie and Leila were cool as cucumbers, even while Leila did her signature announcements during the line up and pattern. 

 

Margit and her boys truly performed at this show.  Ken Follet, or Perfect 10 Charlie as we like to call him, was jockied to two unanimous wins.  This slick racking, big trotting gelding moves down the rail with Margit navigating the ring and love hearts floating in their wake. Rosewood's Homecoming Dance, (Robert) and Margit also took home the tricolor in their first show of the year.  Margit and Robert have been learning and growing together for the last couple years and they've truly become a team!

Tancy Becker and her new mare Mia Thermopolis turned in two great performances in the three gaited amateur division.  This is Tancy's first show together with Mia, an energetic mare with a lot of heart.  Tancy, an experienced equestrian, is the perfect person to take Mia to new heights!  Haley and Allen, Americana's Standing Ovation, turned in two beautiful performances to a second and first place finish. Haley and Allen are quite the pair, as Allen's crabby disoposition melts away in Haley's smooth riding and soft hands.

 On their second journey off the farm, Alexa and Aaron, Seven Oak's Heirman, truly made leaps of progress as well!  Alexa has been working hard at so many finishing aspects of her equitation and she received a nod with a second place finish in a championship of seasoned riders!  Alexa and Aaron turned in a clean pattern with ease and even won the class raffle!

 

Last, but of course not least, Scott entered the ring again, this time with Bella Thomas's incredibly athletic gaited horse Tyler and truly put on a show.  Tyler and Scott gave it their all and racked slicker and faster than perhaps ever before!  The judges decided he was the horse to beat and the rest is history.  Bella will have an amazing season on this grand gelding!

 

Next up: the Spring Knollwood show is this weekend!  We are keeping an eye on the weather for Saturday with a raindate scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd, but we have our fingers crossed that we won't need it!  We will keep everyone informed via our Facebook page, so be sure to like and follow to stay up to date.

 

See you at the outgate!

Woo Hoo!

21 Team Knollwood horses and their owners are at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds waiting for the FASH show to start tomorrow. It’s the first big show of the 2022 season for the show barn, and we have plenty of stories to pass on.

Star of the single bit division for the past 2 years, Willis, AKA Garden of Roses, is making his debut in the country pleasure division at FASH. Accomplished rider Allison will guide handsome Willis through his debut in a new division, and we’re looking forward to seeing the progress of this handsome horse. He’s learned a lot while ‘Mattonizing’ over the winter.

Finn just finished her first year at the University of Michigan,  and will be at FASH with her new ride, Jade, officially known as Riverdream's Masquerade.

You may remember Finn as a star in the junior exhibitor devisions, and she's ready to take on the world as an adult amateur with her new star!

 

Iowa Hall of Fame horsewoman Tancy will be showing Mia, AKA Mia Thermopolis, in the amateur 3 gaited division. Lifelong horsewoman Tancy loved cheering on her daughter Lora through her junior exhibitor career, and now that Lora is graduating from college, it’s Mom’s turn to get back to the show ring!

 

Last year’s 13 and under saddle seat equitation star is entering the senior division! Richie will be entering the ring on his new ride, and this new team has been working really hard over the winter. It’s going to be a great team!

 

Payton and Gigi, AKA Isn’t She Something,  rode in a class at the spring IASPHA show to test the waters, and they’ll hit the ring at FASH for a full show. If their initial show together is any indication, this team will be pretty hard to beat!

A Knollwood academy star for the last couple of years, Brooklyn has made the jump to the show horse world. Brooklyn will ride any horse anytime, has helped us with Bee, and can usually be found riding without her stirrups any chance she gets.

 She and Gamora will be making their debut in pleasure equitation at FASH, and we can hardly wait to see this dynamic team hit the ring.

 

 

Alexa and Amelia will be showing in their suits for the second time, having made their debuts at the spring IASPHA show.

It’s going to be a great show, and it’s being live streamed on Visionof8.com.

We’ll post the updated show schedule on Thursday.

 

 

Academy stars had a great time at the Academy Palooza show last weekend. We’re so proud of Adalyn, Charlotte, and Kali who made their debuts with our academy team at the show, and of all our other riders who rode some great patterns, learned lots of lessons, and displayed great sportsmanship all weekend.

Our academy team will be showing next at Madison Classic on Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend, and at Prairie State Classic the following weekend.

 

The Knollwood Spring Show is coming up fast on May 13-15.

Shirts will be coming in at the last minute, and we’ll get your shirt packets ready as soon as we can.

You can pick up lunch pre-order forms in the school barn lounge. Preorder now using cash or a check, and your treats will be waiting for you at the show.

We’re looking to finish up our gift baskets, and you can sign up in the school barn lounge. Please have donations to the barn by May 9.

Would you like to help at the concession stand, or with the show? You can sign up here.

 

 

The food drive for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County continues through May 21, the day of the Knollwood Olympics. Please remember to bring your 5 food kits labeled with your name to the show barn lounge by May 21 so you can participate in the ‘games of skill’ that make up the Olympics.

Congratulations to Molly, Olivia, and Ziva, our first Olympians.

Don’t have time to shop? Checks written out to the Food Pantry of Waukesha County are as good as food, and $15 equals one food kit.

 

 

See you soon at the barn or at the ingate!