Knollwood is in full horse show prep mode with trunks double checked, tack cleaned 'til it squeaks and horses beautified with clippers and shampoo. It's almost time to leave for our first show of the season, the IASPHA Spring Show in Gurnee. The show is sold out and for the first time, our show horses will be joining the academy and 'B' horses for the show.

With so many horses making the trip, Team Knollwood will be making two trips with horses, and will be stabled in two separate areas. The academy and 'B' horses will be in their usual stalls with their traditional neighbors, Huntoon Stables and Country Meadow Farm. We can't wait to see them again!

The show horses will be stabled in temporary stalls just across from the best concession stand on the horse show circuit. Really. Be sure to check out Kevin's Catering, whose motto is, “If you don't eat, we'll both go hungry.”

The first show of the season has its own sense of excitement, but this one has some very special stories ready to unfold.

 

Three Knollwood Kids are making the transition from academy stars to the show horse world this weekend.

Emma, Heather, and Jordan will don their suits for the first time, and we can hardly wait!

 

Susan will be reunited with the one and only Geronimo this weekend. This grand gelding has made a remarkable recovery from some physical setbacks and is ready to hit the ring once again.

 

Richie and Tink are starting their 10-year-old year and are ready to make waves in the walk and trot equitation division again this year. These two have worked hard all winter, usually with Richie in a tee shirt no matter the weather, and they are ready to rock it.

 

We have nine walk, trot, and canter riders showing on Saturday afternoon, with Sofia and Lily making their cantering debuts. 

Sunday afternoon will showcase six of our walk and trot academy riders, and they are ready to show.

 

Add an aisle decorating contest, a pet class, nightly exhibitor parties, and it sounds like a memorable horse show weekend. Please stop by and watch! It's a short drive less than 10 miles south of the Wisconsin/Illinois border to Fields & Fences, and we'd love all the cheerleaders we can get!

 

 

Here's the schedule for the weekend. 

Hope to see you there!

As we head off to Gurnee for our first show of the season next week, we’d like to take some time to remember the remarkable lesson horses who got us there. At Knollwood, we are all beyond fortunate to learn on some of the best lesson horses ever. Past and present, we’ve learned on some of the kindest souls and some of the best four legged teachers ever.

Remember your first lesson? You were probably so excited that you can only remember bits and pieces of the event. But we bet you can remember the big brown school horse eyes that were looking at you. They may have belonged to Willy or Sparky, or maybe an angel from the past like Ethan or KC Pony.

These beginner horses who have started countless riders come in all different shapes and sizes, but they all have had the patience of saints. We think they may actually be mythical unicorns in horse form.

Remember learning to post and how hard it was? Your horse just kept the beat while you struggled to get the rhythm and you were probably using his mouth to come up and down. He was OK with that.

Remember when you lost your balance, crossed the center line of your saddle, and your horse stopped to let you get back to the middle? Just another service they offered.

Remember learning to ride with two reins, which felt impossible? How about trying to switch your crop WHILE HOLDING two REINS? Yup, we know you probably dropped your reins, and your horse stood by while you figured it out.

How about that first bareback ride when you struggled to stay back while Willy jogged at possibly the slowest trot ever? He just kept the beat and made his adjustments to make sure you stayed in the middle.

 

Remember your first cantering lesson on Blue or KC Pony or Trigger? (The role has been passed down to Brinkley and Picasso today.) You had no idea how to deal with the three beats underneath you, but you were smiling as you went town the rail, and the professional had it all covered. Always happy to canter, these rockstars were happy to do it with little or no direction needed. Blue was even willing do it after the rider dropped their reins.

 

So, when you eventually found your confidence on these patient saints, it was time to move on to the testers.

Pretty sure you were ready to take on the world, you then met the likes of Forest or Duke. Not a new term, this group of lesson horses has long resided in the world of ‘alternate facts.’

So, you think you should draw back on the left rein to turn left? Imagine your surprise when Forest decided to go right, and Duke decided to, well, fold in half with his head going left and his butt heading to the right!

Or perhaps you were lucky enough to ride the great Ethan past, oh say, an open door. You’d survive the first shying attempt, just about get yourself to the middle of the bareback pad, and he’d go and do it again. We’re pretty sure he giggled every time it worked.

Everyone has experienced Picasso’s selective attention span. Unable to respond to the rider who is telling him (repeatedly) to trot through the turn, he is mysteriously able to hear the instructor’s voice at any time or place in the arena. When she says any word with a long ‘O’ sound in it, whether it’s ‘Hold the mane for a two point,’ or ‘The nOvember show is coming up fast,’ Picasso will come to a screeching halt because she said “WHOA”.

This special group of horses has taught many, many riders the value of paying attention, listening to horses’ signals and staying one step ahead of the chaps.

 

Remember the first time you rode a Saddlebred? How it felt to have that neck in front of you, whether it was Sundance, Hugo, or some of the greats from the past like Baron, Harley, or Pedro? These wonderful horses taught you about the people pleasing attitude (most of the time) that the breed is known for, and the gaits are to die for after hours and hours building strength and attitude on the quarter horses and other breeds.

 

Remember deciding to show in academy and getting to ride the ‘box stall horses?’ These confidence builders love their jobs and are rock stars at it. Dexter and Hooper take the tiniest of riders through their walk and trot classes in safety and style. For our walk and trot riders, these horses teach them that success is attainable with teamwork.

We’re fortunate to have had so many wonderful show ‘starter models’ over the years. Whether they were retired show stars like Buzz and Harley, or horses who found their calling there like Wedgie the Fresian and Dexter, they’ve taught many, many riders the ways of the show ring.

After riders have enjoyed success in the academy division, they can keep riding more and more advanced lesson horses.  Riders can step up to current horses such as JD, Panic, and Heist who will teach the ways of the show horse. Panic never saw a rail he didn’t want to race down, and Heist never saw a pattern that he thought he’d enjoy.  We’ve had some great souls filling these shoes, from Priscilla to Zeus and Baxter back in the day.

We’ve had the best personalities in our lesson program.

The last two mares in our lesson program were unique in their own ways. Indy was an older Arabian lady, but we never let her know she was an Arab. All the lesson boys thought she was beautiful, and several of them crashed through fences just to be near her. And yes, Dudley was one of them. She was a kind soul who would bring riders into the instructor if she had just had enough.

Blanche, officially known as Northern Rainbow, was a rescue saddlebred. She had been quite a show horse when she came to Knollwood at a pretty advanced age. She traveled to some academy shows with us, and even at the ripe old age 28 couldn’t possibly walk down a rail, rails were for trotting! She taught the littlest of show stars to stick with her as she made pass after pass, and to look out for sun spots on the arena footing, as those were made to jump over.

We’ve had some unbelievable Morgan teachers, including Ethan who could change leads on a dime, teach everyone from beginners to the most seasoned show rider, and had a killer ‘double pump’ shying trick. Louis and Prego were former show horses who became extraordinary teachers. Both were a little crabby in their stalls unless you came with their favorite treats. Louis would do ANYTHING for a root beer popsicle or a banana. Once they hit the ring, they were perfect gentlemen doing their jobs, and rising to whoever was riding them.

 

These extraordinary horses teach lessons both in and out of the arena. Many of them grew old with us, and all remained with us in our ‘retirement program.’ Our older riders will remember taking care of Baron, Ethan, and KC in their retirement. These horses enjoyed time with their kids in spa treatments and walks. When KC’s feet were betraying him, his fans would come to his stall and eat their lunches while sitting with him.

Currently, Zeus enjoys spa treatments as he stays with us and performs odd jobs such as teaching unruly yearlings pasture manners.

Unfortunately, not all horses live to enjoy old age. Losing a favorite lesson horse is a painful experience for riders and it’s often the first time kids experience a big loss. Luckily, memories stay with us for a lifetime. (And one of our riders always shows with the halter name tag of one of our lost souls on a gold chain in the show ring.)

As we start the adventures of 2018, please take some time to appreciate the lesson horses who got us here. No one gets to the in-gate without priceless lessons learned on some kind souls. Whether it’s some spa time, some extra hugs, or favorite treats of carrots or mints, enjoy some time in the presence of these legendary educators.

 

 

Tradition.

Honor.

Passion.

 

Team Knollwood kicked off show season last weekend with our Spring In-Barn Academy show. Our two-day event showcased riders who have been working hard all winter to advance their riding skills.  Both horses and riders enjoyed showing off in front of family and friends as well as our enthusiastic judge.

As we started this year’s show campaign, we created some amazing stories that we’d like to share!

 

Deep, Deep, Deep

Riders of all ages and level enjoyed classes filled with hard riding competitors. From our eclectic adult classes with riders new to the show ring as well as seasoned show ring veterans to our lead line class showcasing the youngest stars, none of the classes were easy for our judge, ASAW President and lifelong saddlebred exhibitor Vicky Holston. We enjoyed three strong splits of walk trot and canter equitation, and our nine and 10-year-old walk trot championship was one of the best we’ve seen for a long time. Nine riders of different levels rode on the rail and work outs, and it was exciting!

 

Mother Daughter Mayhem

So, we tried something new this time. Eight hard riding teams of mothers and daughters joined us for the first ever Mother Daughter class. Mothers rode their horses the first way of the ring, and following a most entertaining tack change session, riding daughters took over and showed the second direction.

Keep in mind that there was a delightful prize awarded for the quickest tack change, these are competitive ladies, and let’s just say it was a very exciting change over.

While Nicole and Mia were winners of the class, Holly, Lin, and the littleist Knockout, Oli Shearman, stole the show on Brinkley.

And yes, we’re including this newest division in all of our in-barn shows this season, and have added it as a high point award for the banquet next February!

 

Show Horses on Display

We were treated to a couple of exciting demonstrations of show horses on Sunday. Since many lesson students ride at times when the show barn has completed their training for the day, these shows are a valuable chance for everyone to witness the beauty of the American Saddlebred.

Our first demo treat was an equitation display by Emma and Fergie, officially known as Impressive Asset. Emma has been a star in the academy division, having grown up a Knollwood Kid. This season, she’s fortunate to move up to the ‘A’ division and will be showing in the Pleasure Equitation division.

She and Fergie put on quite a show as this beautiful horse fed off the enthusiasm of the crowd and Emma’s instructions. We can hardly wait to see them in their debut at the IASPHA show in April.

Later in the afternoon, we were treated to a demonstration of a 5 Gaited show horse when Haley hopped aboard Gabby’s horse Ken Follett. Haley also grew up a Knollwood Kid and enjoyed a great academy career before moving into the Equitation world. She has enjoyed great success and is now a member of the US World Cup team that will be competing in Lexington this July.

Haley showed her horsemanship skills as she rode Charlie for the first time in front of a crowd, and made it look easy.

 

Knockouts Worked It!

The Knockouts put a lot of effort into preparing for the show and it was evident this weekend. With the concession stand moved indoors to the show barn due to the very un-springlike weather outside, they rose to the challenge and had a most successful weekend. They added bouquets to their list of show efforts and had a strong presale even before the show started.

It was exciting to see so many new parents and members manning the stand. It’s a fun way to get more involved in the club, meet more friends and watch the show.

The Knockouts also staged a great silent auction in addition to the gift baskets. Great thanks to everyone who donated to the baskets and solicited for the silent auction items. These shows are the biggest fundraisers of the year for the club, and we really appreciate everyone’s efforts.

 

The Rookies Rocked!

We welcomed a really strong group of 11 riders to the show ring for the first time this weekend, and they performed like pros! The group was split by age, and while some of the shorter riders had a hard time finding their diagonals, it certainly wasn’t from lack of trying!

We applaud their efforts and look forward to seeing our newest show ring stars progress as the year goes on. We’re so proud of them!

 

They Always Come Back!

We were excited to welcome back two of our ‘college girls’ this weekend. Heather and Molly were home for spring break and decided to join the fabulous group of personal assistants in the school barn just like old times. They dug right in with tack changes and supporting the riders like they never left.

Heather was even trusted to ride Willy in a few classes on Saturday, so he wouldn’t be too excited when he entered the ring on Sunday!

 

Sportsmanship is ALWAYS in Style

One of our favorite sayings has always been, “It’s not the ribbon, It’s the ride,”  and it was obvious that the message is being absorbed by our riders. Whether clapping for each other in the line-up, embracing ribbons of all colors, or being good sports about horse changes after more than one rider qualified for a championship on the same horse, these kids were all good sports.

 

Big Knollwood Kids Give Back

Our experienced show ring riders from both the academy and show horse divisions come on Sunday to serve as ‘personal assistants’ to our newest show riders. Each lesson horse has his own assistant so the riders experience continuity throughout their show day. These mentors make sure saddles and stirrups are adjusted properly, offer pep talks and show ring advice to our up and coming riders. They also serve as great examples of good sportsmanship, and we can’t thank them enough for their efforts.

The Real Stars Have Four Legs

We say it often, but we’ll say it again. These are the best lesson horses in the world.

They’ve worked hard in the weeks leading up to the show and worked hard both days of the event. They acted like the gentlemen they are through lots of riders, many different classes, and plenty of championships. It seems that they love what they do as much as two legged staff at Knollwood!

 

Finally, a big 'Thank You' to everyone who contributed to our wonderful weekend of horse showing.  It takes a village to put on an event of this size for so many people, and we have a great one!

 

What's Next?

Don't forget to join the Easter Egg hunt this Saturday at 10 AM. Kids can search for eggs filled with candy as well as some Knollwood gift certificates.

 

Our first out of barn show is coming up on April 14-15 at Fields and Fences in Gurnee. It's going to be quite an affair, with show horses as well as academy horses making the trip.  It's just a short drive away, and you won't want to miss it!

 

See you at the barn!

 

 

 

It’s Almost Show Time!

 

After an off season of honoring 2017's success, learning and preparation, we’re ready for the start of the 2018 show season with the Knollwood Spring Academy Show. Sure, all those rides without stirrups were great, but now we’re all ready to show off the progress we’ve made. Everyone from our show ring debutantes to our most experienced academy stars are ready to hit the ring.

Here are some of the stories that will unfold this weekend as we set out on the journey of show season 2018!

 

The Future is Now!

We’re happy to say that we have 11 new riders making their show ring debuts at this show. They’ve been working really hard all winter, and are ready to ride through the in-gate for the very first time.  These maiden riders are lucky to be riding some of the best lesson horses ever, who are professional academy mounts.  Their classes will be a joy to watch, so please watch and cheer them on if you can!

 

Important Parking Change!

Our friends at the Kettle Moraine Curling Club are having events all weekend, so we CANNOT PARK IN THEIR LOT. Instead, we will use the lower pasture for overflow parking. Please do not park between the No Parking signs on the Horseshoe Bend curve.  If you do, you’ll be visited by a Delafield police officer who will write a ticket. It’s a low visibility area on a quiet day, so it’s very important that we keep it clear for everyone's safety.

 

 

 

Rain or Shine, Snow or Clouds,

The Show Goes On!

 

After the success last November moving the concessions indoors, and the less than pleasant forecast this weekend, we’ve decided to once again move the concession stand indoors to the show barn. (Plus, we’ll enjoy the added benefit of additional parking spots by not setting up the tent!)  The stand will be right inside the barn, across from the World Championship pictures.

 

 

Here Comes da Judge!

We’re happy to welcome life long Saddlebred exhibitor Vicky Holston as our judge for the weekend. Vicky is president of the American Saddlebred Association of Wisconsin as well as show manager extraordinaire for many shows in the area. We’re grateful for her time and expertise this weekend!

 

 

 

Thanks to Soul Fire

Great thanks to our friends at Soul Fire Art Studio in Delafield for its sponsorship of the concession stand for the show.  Soul Fire is a great place to get in touch with your artistic side. There are many opportunities to participate in various projects, parties, classes and events with a very friendly and creative staff whose goal is for adults and kids to have fun.

 

 

The Deep End of the Pool

Our Knollwood Challenge qualifiers are full this weekend.

 Modeled after the national championship equitation finals, the Knollwood version involves riders showing on the rail and then completing a required pattern. The top two finishers at each show are eliminated from further qualifying classes, and will advance to compete in the finals held at the November show.

We offer versions for both our walk, trot, and canter riders on Saturday, and the walk and trot version on Sunday. Winner of the finals in November receives a custom show shirt from deRegnaucourt and a beautiful bronze traveling trophy.

 

Just For Fun…

 

We are fortunate to have a number of mother/daughter combinations riding at Knollwood. We thought it would be fun for them to show together, so we are hosting our first ever Mother-Daughter class. Mothers will ride the first way of the ring, and daughters will show the same horse the second way.

We have eight teams competing in the inaugural class, and we expect plenty of laughs, particularly during the tack changes. You won’t want to miss this!

 

By The Kids, For The Kids

The show is a major fundraiser for our award winning youth group, the Knollwood Knockouts. Members and their families have created a number of fundraising activities for the weekend including gift baskets, silent auctions, and the concession stand. Please consider supporting this great group that works hard for Saddlebred Rescue, the Food Pantry of Waukesha County, and others. The Knockouts also enjoy plenty of fun, horse related activities including their annual holiday party and award banquet.

 

 

We hope you're as excited as we are for show season to start this weekend.

 

See you at the show!

 

 

Tradition.Honor.Passion.

Hello everyone, Forest here! 

I have commandeered the school horse IPad, and have embarked on a new journalistic adventure. Since many of our students are traveling to exotic destinations for Spring Break 2018, (Mia already enjoyed horse swimming in the Caribbean!)  I thought I’d interview my co-workers about their dream destinations for break. 

Since we’ll all be busy preparing for and performing in the Knollwood Spring Show, I also asked many of them what songs they’d like to hear played during their classes. All proceeds of Songs for Saddlebreds benefit Saddlebred Rescue, so please consider supporting their soundtrack requests with a $5 donation per class.

 

 

 

Being a traditionalist and a bit of a history buff, Willy would like to rent an RV and drive to see Mount Rushmore.  While driving across the plains, he’s be listening to 'Holiday Road' by the Zac Brown Band or anything by Bruce Springsteen.

 

 

Thomas doesn’t feel he’s been here long enough to have earned a Spring Break this year, but he has high hopes for a future Arizona spa visit. He’d like to enjoy quiet times, massages, and sand. Thomas would like to plan his break so he could meet up with Susan for lunch, too.

Thomas will work with some advanced riders during the spring show and looks forward to competing ‘for real’ at the summer show. To stay calm and collected, Thomas would like to zone out to Beethoven’s Symphony #6, the Pastoral.

 

Sundance would like to travel to the Rockies where he can enjoy beautiful scenery that’s UP so he never has to look down and stop. He’d enjoy hiking and quality time relaxing in the bar afterwards. Sundance is a great fan of all music by Stevie Wonder.

Bo would like to travel to Boston and participate in the marathon. Heck, he’d probably run it twice before he noticed that others only did it once.  Bo’s favorite music is anything by Metallica.

 

Brinkley’s dream is to travel to NYC and see musicals for a week. Of course, he’s always listening to the soundtracks of 'Hamilton' and 'Dear Evan Hansen' with a little 'Cabaret' thrown in.

Pony Frank would like to hitch a train to California and see the world from the open door of a freight car. He’s pretty sure no one will notice the pony on the train listening to Woody Guthrie songs on his headphones.

 

Dudley is always trying to better himself, so he’d like to travel to a remote yoga retreat where he can work on overcoming past traumas like the great body clipping of 2016, and become more open to future hair cuts. His soundtrack to his better self? Abba’s 'Dancing Queen,' of course!

Duke would like to take a quick trip to the moon, because he thinks traveling without gravity would make everything seem crooked, not just him. While traveling, he’d listen to Madonna -  a lot of Madonna.

Tony would take advantage of his thick winter coat and travel to Iceland where he could enjoy the geysers and cool air. He’s looking forward to sitting around a fire at the spa, drinking a Harvey Wallbanger  after a long day of hiking.  Of course, he’s a Kenny Chesney fan and would enjoy the entire catalog while chilling.

 

Fred would shock all of us and head to Miami  to enjoy the night life in South Beach. When he’s not in clubs hanging with celebrities, he’s be chilling out, or maybe dancing down the street  to anything by Bruno Mars.

Another shocker is that Sparky would like to travel to Mexico and experience cliff diving in Acapulco. (It’s always the quiet ones.)  Being a little older, his favorite music is REM, particularly ‘It’s The End of the World As We Know It.’

 

Hugo would travel to a Star Wars convention where he would spend the majority of his break sleeping in his hotel room. When not napping, he’d be starting fights in the bar, just like in the pasture at home.  Hugo’s favorite song?  'Despacito' - over and over and over…

Picasso would like to travel to Spain where he could see some original artwork by his namesake. His favorite recording artist is, of course, Beyonce.

 

Joey would travel to Louisville on Derby weekend, enjoy the festivities, and really wish that he could show his speed off to the huge crowd.  To calm his nerves, he’d listen to Taylor Swift, and his favorite is 'Shake it Off.'

Mark wouldn’t leave his stall, unless some nice child offered their basement for video gaming. Because of his less than stellar communication skills, we think he said he’d  listen to Barry Manilow, but maybe he said Bare Naked Ladies.

Big Frank would travel to Colombia to ‘study’ drug cartels. His favorite music?  Lady Gaga!

 

And Me?

My dream is to travel on a mailboat through the Fjords in the land of my ancestors. (Even though I was born in Beloit, the beauty of Norway is calling me!) I’d enjoy shore excursions, and fine cuisine on ship. My favorite recording artist is Justin Timberlake, and my favorite song is 'CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC.'

 

Of course, I didn’t ask the ‘Box Stall Boys’ because every day is a break for them. With their fancy wardrobes in the winter and fans in the summer, with frequent play breaks, tail washes, and pedicures,  their life is a vacation.

Since they’re mostly Saddlebreds, they’d like everyone to buy songs at the show to help their friends who have not been as fortunate as Knollwood lesson horses. Even Morgans Klem and Eddie agree that it’s a great cause, and recommend 'Happy' by  Pharrell Williams as a starter. Please pick your favorite, most inspiring song to play during your class, and help Saddlebreds in need.

My battery is running out…. See you in the arena! I’ll be the one hatching my next plan!