Knollwood Summer 2021 is in full swing, and we're loving it.

Here are our favorite things, so far ...

 

 

Walks on the bridle path.

  We’re fortunate to have a beautiful bridle path running along the back of the barn. Perfect for a relaxing walk while your Knollwood Kid is taking care of their horse after a lesson, a walk with the dog, or for our advanced riders, a walk after a lesson to cool their horse down. It’s a great place to see turkeys, too!

 

 

Slower Pace after Lessons

 Knollwood Kids don’t have to rush out after lessons at night during the summer. Everyone hangs out while getting horses put to bed, and the conversations are priceless. No homework means more time with the best lesson horses in the world, and they adore warm baths and wet currying while cooling out!

 

Summer Riding School

 Knollwood Kids who signed up early are having a blast at all kinds of summer riding school. Whether its Tiny Tot Camp, or Classic Summer Riding School,  camp offers fun galore.  Imagine summer Knollwood days with horses, friends, crafts, and memories for a lifetime.

What could be better?

 

Riding Outside

During the summer, we spread out and offer lessons in our two outdoor arenas as well as our cool indoor. It’s a Knollwood right of passage to have your first lesson in the ‘big outdoor,’ officially known as Patternland.

 

Summer Horse Shows

We love traveling to horse shows during the summer!
 
Our favorites? When we travel with both the academy stars and the show horses, of course.
 

 

 

Walking Hot Horses Outside

It’s the best.

After a lesson and your horses’ bath, you can walk outdoors and cool him off. You can spend time talking to your horse,  or invite friends along for the fun.

There’s nothing better!
 

 

Advanced Camps

A week of immersion in the horse world makes a Knollwood Kid an academy star.

They ride, care for the best lesson horses, ride some more, learn horse psychology, geometry, ride more, and laugh. A lot.

Ask a Knollwood show rider their favorite memory...

 

 

Counselors and Helpers

These mentors of Team Knollwood make the summer rock. They do everything!

They’re the first people you meet, and they’re the in the barn at closing time.

From sharing their love of horses with our newest riders to making sure the horses are ready for lessons and cared for afterward, we could not do what we do without them.

We love having these stars in the barn.

Appreciate all they do? Tell them!

 

 

 

Naked Hazel

 Yes, Hazel Belle Boxer Matton is finally without her layers of clothes.
You’ll frequently find her napping in the sun unless it’s really hot, when you’ll find her in the arena or the lounge.
If camp is in session, you’ll find her in the middle of the kids.

And if you’re looking for Richmond, chances are he’s hiding somewhere cool.

 

 

The KF Summer Show

We can hardly wait for the show to take over the farm on July 17-18. 

The show horses will be at the Lexington Junior League show, so the place will be run by the best lesson horses in the world.

 

 Goofing Off

You just can't overestimate the value of summer play time.

We play games on horses, play endless games of sardines, host the ocassional water fight, and spend countless hours enjoying dogs, cats, and each other's company.

 
 
 

What's Next?

ASAW Summerfun

July 8 – 11

Wisconsin State Fair Park

Our ‘home show’ is one of our favorites. Team Knollwood will be there with lots of horses, and 16 academy riders as well.

We’ll post schedules as they’re ready!

 

We are cancelling lessons on Saturday, July 10 as we’ll all be at the show. All Saturday lessons will be credited to your account, and we hope you’ll join us at the show.

The morning performance starts at 9:00 AM, and the academy classes won’t start before 11:00 AM

 

 

Knollwood Summer Show

July 17-18

We’re looking forward to a big show, and we have a few reminders:

Practice Rides will be held on Friday, July 16.  Please see your instructor to sign up for a slot at 5:30, 6:30, or 7:30.

Lunch orders and payment are due July 9 at 1:00 PM. You can pick up your order form in the school barn lounge.

Please consider donating to a gift basket for the show. Themes and items needed are posted on the tack room door. The Knockouts appreciate your generosity!

 

 

 

Team Knollwood is back from a wonderful Midwest Charity Horse Show in Springfield, Illinois. The show has struggled in a temporary arena for the past few years, but the Coliseum of Champions is now better than ever.

Midwest is back!

Of course, we have stories to share.

 

 

Competition and the weather were hot, hot, hot.

Our riders rose to the occasion and had a fantastic show.

 

 

 

Finn and Leila won both their USEF Medal qualifier and the Senior Equitation Championship. 

Heather won her age group, and was second to Finn in the Medal class.

 

 

In her first season competing in the senior division, Payton won the UPHA Senior Challenge Cup qualifier, and finished a strong 4^th in the Senior championship.

 

The Equitation star of the show was our own Laney.

No one works as hard as Laney, and she has just about lived on a horse during the off season. She and Aaron have become quite a team, and all her work paid off at Midwest.

The Pleasure Equitation division was big and deep, and Laney ruled it. She and Aaron won the Pleasure Challenge Cup qualifier, the Pleasure Equitation Medallion qualifier, and the Pleasure Equitation Championship with 11 hard-riding competitors.

 

Congratulations to Laney!!

 

 

 

Richie was a very busy young man at Midwest.

He and Sophie showed off their hard work as well, winning their age group, the Good Hands qualifier, and finishing second in the Junior Equitation Championship.

 

Richie and Fergie were second in both their qualifier and championship in the 13 and under Show Pleasure division.  He and this quirky mare have reached some sort of agreement, and it’s working!

 

Richie also had the privilege of showing a road pony both driving and under saddle. He and Regal’s Overnight Success, owned and trained by Rick Wallen, make a great team. We can’t tell if Richie or the pony is having more fun.

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make Midwest come back!

 

 

What's Next?

 

 

The show horses will be home for a bit until the ASAW Summerfun Horse Show.  Held at Wisconsin State Fair Park July 8-11, we consider this our ‘home show,’ and we compete with lots of horses.

 

In addition to the show horses, Summerfun hosts a huge academy performance on Saturday afternoon with some of the most accomplished academy riders from around the Midwest.

Please join us at the show!

 

 

While some horses are competing at State Fair Park, another set of show horses will be making their way to Lexington, Kentucky for the prestigious Lexington Junior League Horse Show.  Carol will leave with the horses, and Scott will catch up with her in Kentucky as soon as Summerfun is a wrap.

 

The Knollwood Summer show is coming up fast on July 17-18, and we have some updates to share.

 

 

New for the summer show, we have set times for the walk trot divisions on Sunday

Leadline will start at 9:00 AM, or at noon if rain forces us inside.

Maiden classes will start at 10:30, or at 1:30 PM if weather dictates.

Traditional walk trot classes will start at 12:30 PM, or at 3:30 PM if we have to move indoors.

We ask that all riders be at the show dressed and ready to go 30 minutes before the start time of their competition.

 

Sign up sheets are posted for gift baskets.  Please consider donating an item or two to help the Knollwood Knockouts in their fundraising.

Opportunities will be posted soon for the concession stand, show set up, and other activities to help.

 

The horse assignment ‘wall’ is now up, so riders can see who they’re showing.

 

 

 

The Knockouts are looking forward to their annual day at the Hartland Piggly Wiggly. On Sunday, August 8, they’ll man the brat shack and wash cars to raise funds for the club. Please save the date so you can help us and have fun at the same time.

 

 

 

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

 

Things are heating up for Knollwood Summer 2021, and we have stories to share.

From horse shows to Woodwear orders to sold out summer camp, you won’t want to miss a thing.

 

The lesson horses have returned from a very successful Prairie State Classic Horse Show. Our ten riders learned some lessons, boosted their skills, and gained plenty of confidence for the future.

Oh, and they had a lot of fun, as usual!

Academy riders will show next at the Oshkosh Charity Horse Show on June 26.

 

 

 

 

 

The Knollwood Summer Show is coming up fast on July 17-18, and we have plenty of updates about the weekend.

We plan on starting the show outside on Saturday at 10:00 AM, and outside on Sunday at 9:00 AM.  If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we’ll move the show indoors and will start at noon both days.

We’re refining the Sunday schedule to give riders and families a more precise idea as to the time their classes will take place. We’ll update with times after entries are complete.

Entries are due next Tuesday, June 15.

If you’re not able to show, but would like to purchase a show shirt, they’re available for only $20. Just fill out an entry with the desired size selected and write ‘shirt only’ across the form. We’ll charge your account.

 

We will be teaching practice rides on Friday night, July 16, and will start sign ups as soon as horses are assigned.

 

 

Sold out Summer Riding School starts on Monday with a Tiny Tot Camp AND a pattern camp. We can hardly wait for riders to spend their summer days at the barn!

 

 

 

 

We’re ordering Knollwood tank tops through June 19 in misses and girls sizes. These beauties come in lilac and black, and are only $25.  The tanks will feature a small Knollwood logo on the front, and size samples are available in the school barn.

 

 

Show horses are off to Springfield, Illinois for the Midwest Charity Horse Show June 15-19. It’s a sell out this year, and promises to be a fantastic competition. Horses and riders from all over the country will be attendance to show in the beautiful restored coliseum.

Team Knollwood will be there in numbers, and you can watch all the action on Richfield Video with a subscription.

We’ll post the Knollwood show schedule before the show begins so you can plan your viewing schedule!

 

 

 

Summer Parents’ Night Out is almost here!

Let your kids spend the evening with us on Saturday, June 19 from 5 PM to 8 PM while you get an evening to yourself! Drop your kids off at Knollwood and they can create memories with their barn friends. The Knockout officers and board members will host the event where Knollwood Kids play games, eat dinner, and enjoy an evening at the farm.  The event is only $25, and you can sign up in the school barn office.

 

 

Knollwood will be closed on Sunday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. Please keep us informed of your holiday schedules so we can plan lessons for the holiday weekend.

 

 

 

Since all of Team Knollwood will be at the Summerfun Show on Saturday, July 10, we will not be holding ANY lessons that day. We will credit the lesson for all Saturday riders.

Please join us at State Fair Park to watch and cheer!

 

 

Photo by Hanna Agathen

 

We're looking forward to all fun summer activities we have planned, and we  hope you can join us!

                         

Team Knollwood is just finishing laundry from May Classic, and what a time we had!

First of all, great thanks to show manager Vicky and her staff for relocating the Madison Classic show to State Fair Park, as the usual venue was not available due to becoming a Covid vaccination center.  It took an incredible amount of work, and the process was seamless to exhibitors.

The weekend showed us the hilarious side of Wisconsin weather with cold, rainy nights and really warm sunny days on the weekend. Packing for this show was the ultimate challenge for horses, riders, and spectators.

Here are some of our favorite stories of the weekend:

Emma and Fergie

Knollwood Kid Emma grew up in our lesson program. Emma has been involved with the Knockouts, has been a Tuesday night helper forever, and has been a helper and counselor at summer riding school since she could be.

Emma enjoyed a very successful academy career, and finished it out last season showing Alex under the direction of Scott and Carol.

Her parents, Rick and Pam, leased Fergie for Emma to show on the ‘A’ circuit this season, and they made their debut at the May Classic.

If you don’t know Fergie, officially known as Impressive Asset, she’s got a personality and she really loves Emma.

Emma and Fergie showed in both the UPHA Pleasure Challenge Cup, and in their pleasure equitation age group. They earned fantastic second place ribbons in both outings.

Congratulations to this new team on a wonderful debut.

 

 

Margit and The Boys

Margit certainly isn’t a kid who seeks the limelight. You’re likely to find her hanging out with her fellow Knollwood Kids, or helping in the barn.

Like Emma, Margit has grown up a Knollwood Kid, and has been a Tuesday helper since we can remember. Always a friendly face at summer riding school and at academy shows, Margit makes even the most timid new rider feel at home at Knollwood. She also has a vocabulary and sense of humor to die for.

This girl can ride.

At May Classic, she put on exhibitions with Charlie, officially known as CH Ken Follett, showing what a 5 gaited show pleasure horse should be. She also showed the horse she’s leasing, Rosewood’s Homecoming Dance to second place in both their qualifier and championship.

Oh, and then she changed out of her show clothes and helped with the academy performance....because she’s Margit.

 

The Equitation Dream Teams

Knollwood has assembled a dream team of equitation riders for the 2021 season, and their hard work in the off-season was on display at May Classic.

While there may not have been a lot of competitors in the Saddle Seat Equitation division at the show, the Knollwood riders looked fabulous.  The ‘high tail’ team of Finn, Heather and Richie performed their rail work and patterns with composure.

Were the rides perfect? Absolutely not.

Did the riders make adjustments and learn from the circumstances? Absolutely.

 

The Pleasure Equitation riders had some more competition at the show, and shone in their classes.  Emma, Laney, and Payton all earned great ribbons in their age groups and final qualifiers.

This season is going to be SO exciting to watch!

 

Academy Team Success

Our academy riders and their horses were rock stars on Saturday afternoon.

Sport has been traveling to horse shows with Carol and the equitation riders, and all their hard work showed on Saturday as he was confident as could be under Maya’s guidance. This dynamic duo won every class they entered.

Our 10 and under riders were on fire later in the performance.  Maddie and Baxter owned the division, winning their three classes. Brooklyn and Heist were a close second in the championship, and presented quite a picture.

Our future is bright.

 

Teamwork

As always, successes like this only happen with the help of many, many people.

Great thanks to our show barn riders who pitched in to help with the academy performance, providing help with horse prep, rider support, and warm up assistance.

Great thanks to Sue for making sure all our academy riders were sporting ‘the Berget bun’! And thanks to all the parents who support these great kids, and to our unbelievable lesson horses. They truly are the best academy horses in the world.

 

What’s Coming Up?

 

Summer Riding School Helper Sign-Ups!

We're starting with a Tiny Tot Camp on June 14, and classic Summer Riding School starts on June 21.

We're asking all current helpers to sign up for the days they'd like to help at Knollwood Summer 2021.

You must currently be a helper, and have the approval of your instructor. Exceptions go through helper scheduler Brenda.

 

 

 Knollwood Show Entries are Due June 15!

Entry blanks are available in the school barn now,  and you don’t want to miss this one! The show is outside on July 17 and 18, features earlier start times (weather permitting), and is sure to be a wonderful time.

Plus, who doesn't want to wear a neon pink show shirt??

Your instructor is happy to provide more info.

 

Parents’ Night Out

June 19 from 5 PM to 8 PM

For only $25, your Knollwood Kid can enjoy an evening of barn fun with the Knockout officers. We aren’t riding, but there are plenty of games, time with barn friends, and dinner.

Sign ups will start on Thursday, and the event is only $25.

 

Prairie State Classic

Beyond Stable Farm

Woodstock, IL

 

10 Academy riders are headed to the Prairie State Classic this weekend.  We’d love a cheering section for the Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances!

 

Midwest Charity Horse Show

June 15 - 19, 2021

Coliseum of Champions

Illinois State Fairgrounds

The best in the country are meeting in Springfield, and Knollwood will be there in numbers.

You can watch all the action on Richfield Video

 

 

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

 

 

Our spring show last weekend was a wonderful adventure, and the May Classic Show at State Fair Park this weekend will be another exciting weekend of horses and friends.

The Knollwood Show was an adventure with lots of twists and turns.

Saturday went off without a hitch thanks to sunny warm weather, and a  super organized pit crew of Heather, Margit, Erika, and Emma who were joined by the instructors as their assistants.

Judge Shelby Hader had her hands full sorting through large, deep classes in our big outdoor ring.

With our audience spread throughout the shady spots of the arena, it looked like an old timey horse show.

Our Saturday show featured 26 classes with a total of 142 entries. It finished with a rollicking game division, and even judge Shelby joined in the finale.

 

Let’s talk about Sunday.

Originally scheduled to start at 11:00 AM in the little outdoor ring, on Thursday we decided to move the start time to 9:00 AM to beat the weather forecast.

Then the forecast called for all day rain, so we moved the show inside starting at 2:00 PM so the show horses could finish their last workouts before heading off to May Classic on Tuesday.

Heck, we even changed the class scheduling in our attempt to keep the spectator population down in the arena during these days of Covid.

Our customers were fantastic with all the schedule insanity. We cannot thank them enough for their flexibility and good humor about the whole thing.

Oh, and it didn’t even really rain.

 

Our Sunday riders impressed us beyond belief, and Judge Shelby was having a really difficult time placing the walk and trot riders.

Twenty-eight maiden riders showed first in pleasure, equitation, and championship classes. Due to the numbers, we split the maiden riders into five divisions.

Riders were ‘on,’ and rode like they were born to it. Heck, even most of the diagonals were correct.

Leadliners showed next, and the classes were not to believed. The personalities and smiles on our youngest  show stars surely brightened up an overcast day. The contestants even had Shelby laughing, and being as funny as she is. THAT'S quite an accomplishment.

Best line from a leadliner? Before she went into the ring, she asked, “Wait, is this a competition?’

 

Our experienced walk and trot riders finished the day, and really put on a show. Classes were fierce, hotly contested, and fun.

For those of you counting, the Sunday show featured 159 entries, bringing the two day total to 301.

 

This was a weekend showcasing the teamwork of Knollwood.

Our crack parents’ team went into action changing cooking and food prep times when the Sunday schedule was altered, and prepared a rain plan for their ‘tent city’, home to gift baskets, silent auctions, and raffles. Look in Wikipedia under ‘unflappable,’ and there’s probably a picture of them.

Jeni announced from under a tent, in full sun, and from center ring. And she was always funny.

 

Knollwood Kid For Life Shelby Hader joined us for the weekend to judge all events. Even a life long exhibitor and student of the sport admitted the classes were difficult to rank.

Photographer Hanna shot in full sun on Saturday, and in the lighting-challenged indoor arena on Sunday.

Ringmaster Nicole worked on her tan on Saturday and  on staying warm on Sunday.

 

 

The unbelievable personal assistants went above and beyond. They got sunburned on Saturday, were told they’d have to be there at 7:00 AM on Sunday and then were told they could sleep in and arrive at noon. They encouraged, informed, and calmed the maiden and leadline riders, and drove the more advanced riders to strong performances in the ring.

Our customers have the best senses of humor. We changed Sunday plans three times, because we have to admit that we cannot control the weather. Through it all, our customers were patient, supportive and humorous about all the changes. Thank you.

 

Most of all, we owe the weekend's success to the best lesson horses in the world.

They worked in hot sunny and muggy weather on Sunday.  Our walk trot and canter horses entered the ring ready to work for every class. While we gave them mini-baths when we could and took water breaks, they worked through a lot of early summer heat.

Our walk and trot horses were stars on Sunday. With 28 maiden riders, our most patient boys worked for many classes and maintained their senses of humor. Gentlemen to the end, they created many, many memories for their riders.

We are grateful for all of it.

 

This Weekend?

Most of our show horses and eight academy horses are heading to Wisconsin State Fair Park for the May Classic Horse Show. Usually held in Madison, the show has moved closer to us because the New Holland Pavilion in Madison is currently a Covid vaccination site.

We’re thrilled for the ‘home show’ and look forward to a weekend of horse showing and friends.

 

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

 

 *All Saturday photos are from Hanna Agathen Photography.