First of all, we hope everyone enjoyed watching the virtual Knockout banquet as much as we enjoyed putting it on.  Club officers and board members organized the event, and did a great job for everyone. We sincerely hope this is the last time we need to celebrate virtually!

Great thanks to Lisa and Pam for creating the swag and award bags, and for creating the décor for the event.

Great thanks to Wendy for all her time and expertise with the slide show.

Finally, thanks to the best lesson horses in the world who make the lesson program the success that it is. Special congratulations to Horse of the Year Sparky, and Reserve Horse of the Year Baxter.

 

Here’s a complete listing of Knockout winners:

 

2020 In Barn Champions

Leadline

Champion Tie: Madelyn R and Reagan S

Reserve Champion: Brae E

8 and Under Walk Trot Equitation

Champion: Dilly 

Reserve Champion: Jilly

9-10 Walk Trot Equitation

Champion (TIE): Cecilia  and Sophia K

Reserve Champion: Olivia K.

11-17 Walk Trot Equitation

Champion: Alessia

Reserve Champion: Taylor K.

 

8 and Under Walk Trot Horsemanship

Champion: Maddie S

Reserve Champion (TIE): Stella  and Leighton 

 

WT Horsemanship 9 and Up

Champion (TIE) : Alessia and Olivia R

Reserve Champion: Cecilia 

 

Walk and Trot Pattern

Champion (TIE) : Alessia and Dilly

Reserve Champion: Maddie S

 

10 and Under WTC Equitation

Champion: Brooklyn

Reserve Champion (TIE): Amelia  and Tessa B

 

11-17 WTC Equitation

Champion: Mia

Reserve Champion: Maiya K

 

Adult WTC Equitation

Champion: Whitney

Reserve Champion: Lynn 

 

10 and Under WTC Horsemanship

Champion: Brooklyn

Reserve Champion: Amelia

 

WTC Horsemanship 11 - 17

Champion: Mia

Reserve Champion(TIE):  Catherine S, Addison J, and Maiya K

 

WTC Horsemanship 18 and Over

Champion: Whitney

Reserve Champion: Lynn 

 

13 and Under WTC Pattern

Champion: Maiya K

Reserve Champion: Lily K.

 

14 and Over WTC Pattern

Champion: Whitney

Reserve Champion: Lynn 

 

 

 

In Barn  High Point Winners

Champion (TIE): Mia and Maiya K

Reserve Champion: Brooklyn

 

 

 

2020 Out of Barn Champions

8 and Under Walk Trot Equitation

Champion: Maddie S.

Reserve Champion: Dilly 

 

9-10 Year Old Walk Trot Equitation

Champion: Brooklyn 

Reserve Champion: Amelia

 

11-17 Year Old Walk Trot Equitation

Champion: Samara 

Reserve Champion: Alexa

 

Walk Trot Horsemanship

Champion: Brooklyn

Reserve Champion: Alexa

 

Walk and Trot Pattern

Champion(TIE): Maddie S. and Samara

Reserve Champion: Brooklyn

 

WTC Equitation 13 and Under

Champion: Mia

Reserve Champion: Maiya

 

WTC Equitation 14-17

Champion: Lauren B

Reserve Champion: Emma K

 

WTC Equitation 18+

Champion: Lynn 

Reserve Champion: Rachel

 

WTC Horsemanship

Champion: Mia

Reserve Champion: Lily 

 

WTC Pattern:

Champion: Mia

Reserve Champion: Lily 

 

 

Overall High Point Award Winners

Champion: Mia

Reserve Champion: Brooklyn

 

ASHA Academy Awards

In addition to Knollwood awards, nineteen of our riders have earned ASHA Academy Awards by earning points competing away from home!

Bronze Medallions:

Adrienne

Brooklyn

Dilly

Emilie

Maddie S.

Silver Medallions:

Alexa

Amelia

Maya

Tess

Gold Medallions:

Emma

Samara

Sydney

Tori

Master Bronze Medallions

Jules

Lauren

Lily

Maiya

Mia

Sofia

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all the winners, and to all who showed this season. Every time you enter the ring on a horse, it’s an accomplishment, and we’re proud of all these riders have learned.

 

 What's Next?

Our academy Kickoff Meeting is coming up this Saturday at 7:00 PM. Join us in the socially distanced arena for demonstrations with 2 academy stars as we discuss final schedules and clothing for the upcoming season. Jodi will have accessories and ties for sale as well.

If you haven’t already signed up in the school barn lounge, please let Ann know that you’re attending so we have enough handouts available.

 

 

March is the month for academy show meetings! Your instructor will set up a time to set show schedules and help with memberships, clothing, and answer questions one-on-one.

 

The Knollwood Spring show is coming up May 22 and 23, and we’ll start accepting entries March 22. Entries will close April 22 to ensure production of shirts for the show.

Everyone is welcome, from leadline riders to our most experienced academy riders wo are trying to qualify for the Knollwood Challenge. Please talk to your instructor for more details.

 

 

Our first show of the season is coming up April 17-18 at Beyond Stable Farm n Crystal Lake, Illinois. The IASPHA show series offer strong classes, great hospitality, and well run shows all the way around. Plus, these shows offer ‘green’ division for first year show riders.

 

See you at the barn!

 

 

The 25^th annual Knollwood Knockout banquet is coming up in virtual fashion this Saturday, February 27 at 7:00 PM.  We’ll be in the arena with most of our audience joining us on Facebook Live, and we can hardly wait.

 

We have a few additional seats that are available if you’d like to join us in the arena. For a minimum $50 donation to the Knockouts, you can sit in the arena and enjoy the festivities in person.  Please talk to Ann if you’d like to snag a seat.

If you pre-purchased a swag bag, it will be available for pick up at the barn. Great thanks to Lisa for putting these all together!

The annual slide show is finished, and will be available via a link to YouTube.  We’ll publish the link on Saturday. In-person attendees will view the slide show the traditional way in the arena. This year’s show is a  good one, and we thank Wendy for all her work!

 

 

Coming Up?

We’re sorry that Patchwork Pony couldn’t make it in person last weekend, but they are willing to do Facetime appointments. Please see Ann if you’d like more information.

 

Our academy kick-off meeting is coming up Saturday, March 6! If you’re new to academy showing this season, please join us in the arena at 7:00 PM for demos and opportunity to ask questions of riders, parents, and staff.

Academy show meetings will be held with your instructor during the month of March. They offer the chance to plan out the season for each individual rider to meet their goals.

 

Our first out of barn show is coming up at the IASPHA Spring Show on April 17-18, and we can hardly wait!

 

See you at the barn!

 

Congratulations to Emma on making the jump from academy showing to the show horse world!

Emma will be hitting the ring this season on Impressive Asset, known around the barn as Fergie. Owned by the Wenzel family, this expressive mare is a champion of teaching riders the ways of a show horse.

 

Emma has been riding at Knollwood for five years, and has become an integral part of Team Knollwood. 

The one and only Distinguished Mark gave Emma her first riding lesson at Knollwood, and the rest is history. She’s had an accomplished academy show career, learning lessons from Baxter and the boys and finished it up last season by showing show barn lesson horse Alex (AKA Perilous) under the direction of Scott and Carol.

She’s currently Co-President of the Knollwood Knockouts, and has been a legendary Tuesday helper for many years, teaching lots of young horse kids the ways of a Knollwood helper.

Pattern camps have changed her life, and her favorite game on horses is ‘Steal the Crop.’

Emma is very excited about her big move, and is grateful to her parents, Rick and Pam.

We can’t wait to see Emma and Fergie enter the ring this spring!

It’s a milestone in the history of Knollwood Farm, LTD as Willy has chosen to retire from the lesson program. 

At 33 years young, Willy has decided to join Brinkley and Sundance as a pensioner.

Born in South Dakota, and officially registered in the American Quarter Horse Association as Dakota’s Diamond Sam, this grand gentleman has been an important part of the lesson program for an incredible 30 years.

Willy, AKA 'The Golden Sofa,' is known for his patented super slow jog trot which has taught literally thousands of riders to post.

Heck, he's taught three generations of the Kellner-Van Hecke and Honkamp families!

While he was FAST in his younger days, he’s chilled out and become a legendary tiny tot instructor.

He’s also mellowed out to tolerate fly spray, spritz bottles of ‘magical drying spray,’ cats napping on his back, and even Scott shoeing him.

Willy will spend the rest of his days chilling with Brinkley, enjoying sun on his back during the day, and endless attention from all his former students.

And yes, he’ll still help at camp for grooming and tacking demos if he’d like. 

His days are his alone to schedule.

We thank you, Willy, from the bottom of our hearts for all you’ve done for all of us.

We’ll give you a happy, relaxed retirement with complete spoiling and, of course, all the benefits due the best lesson horses in the world.

 

Enjoy your well earned restful days, Willy.

Your lessons have changed the lives of many, many Knollwood Kids.

 

Well, well, well ...

Didn't Scott and Carol pick the perfect time to head to Florida?

Hope you’re all enjoying the Wisconsin heat wave when 15 degrees feels downright balmy!

We’re excited that spring is on the way, as evidenced by the start of shedding season. Be sure to ask the helper in your house about the joys of the season!

We have a lot coming up in the next couple of months, so let’s make sure everyone’s up to date.

As you can tell, Knollwood is a pretty busy place these days. Please be sure to arrive 15 minutes early for your lesson so the helpers can assist you in getting to the arena so your lesson can start on time. If you get your own horse ready, please be in the arena at least 5 minutes before the start of your lesson.

 

 

If you’re going to watch the Knockouts Virtual banquet from home, be sure to order your swag bag by this Saturday, February 20 at 1:00 PM.

 

 

And, if you’d like to help the Knockouts and watch the events in person, be sure to enter the seat auction going on in the school barn lounge.  For a minimum $50 donation to the youth group, you can join the Knockout officers in the arena and help with the festivities if you’d like!

Act soon, as we only have 20 seats to auction!

 

 

 

The Patchwork Pony Road Show is this Saturday from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM at the Comfort Suites Johnson Creek Conference Center. Sue, mom of our 2018 Triple Crown winner Haley will be there from 8:30 - 10:30 AM to help you shop, and she'd love to meet you!

 

 

If you’d like to know why we love academy showing so much, be sure to join us for the Academy Show demo night on Saturday, March 6. We’ll meet in the arena to watch demos by experienced Knollwood academy stars, and you can ask questions of riders and parents, as well as learn our 2021 schedule.

It’s a really kid friendly event, and not as fact dense as the first meeting.  Please bring the interested rider(s) in your house!

You can sign up in the school barn.

We’ll schedule individual meetings in March as well.

 

 

 

Our first academy show for 2021 is the IASPHA Spring Show on April 17 and 18 at Beyond Stable Farm in Woodstock, Illinois. One of our favorite shows, it features academy classes for all levels, including a ‘Green’ division for riders participating in their first calendar year of showing.

We can hardly wait for the season to begin!

 

 

 

Our first Knollwood show of 2021 is coming up outdoors on May 22-23. We’ll start taking entries on March 22, and entries will close on  April 19 to make sure our show shirts are ready in time.

 

 

 

Summer camps are selling fast, and we already have three sessions sold out.  Please make your purchases quickly to avoid disappointment.  Of course, please give us a call at 262-367-2391 with questions!

Knollwood Summer 2021 is coming fast, and we hope you’ll join us!

 

And don't forget to drop any and all questions in the tin. We have some great submissions so far, and would love to hear all your questions, and answer them in future blogs.

 

 

See you at the barn!