Photo by Collective Grace

Great things are happening at Knollwood.

Our first new 2025 team announcement is a Knollwood legacy rider.

Madalyn Rowe has moved up from our academy program and will be showing the beautiful Zach Attack in the 10 and under walk and trot equitation division.

Photo by Collective Grace

Maddie had been riding for five years in our lesson program, and has made a name for herself in the show ring and in the barn.

She’s a fierce and generous competitor, and is a valuable asset in the barn. Ever since her leadline days, Maddie has stood out as someone who adored horses, and couldn’t get enough of them.

She helps in the barn on every Saddlebred Saturday, and rides every horse she can, whenever she can. She has a special place in her heart for speedy Hackney Honey Bee.

Supported by her grandparents Bill and Dana Scherer in addition to her parents Jason and Courtney, we can hardly wait to see Maddie and Zach come together as a team. Younger sister Ensley will enjoy extra barn time with her favorite cat Margit.

Madalyn’s mom Courtney enjoyed a highly successful equitation career herself, and is the 1998 UPHA Junior Challenge Cup National Champion. We're happy to say she's now an instructor in our academy program.

Zach was purchased from EAC Equine LLC with Altar-Win LLC acting as agent for the sellers. Knollwood Farm LTD was agent for the buyers.

 

Photo by Collective Grace.

Congratulations to the Sherer and Rowe families. 

We can't wait to watch Maddie and Zach's journey.

We’re in March, and daylight savings time is coming this weekend, so spring is surely on the way, right?

That means that March is a great month to shrug off winter and get ready for more sunshine ahead.

March is a great month to ...

Join or Renew Your Association Memberships.

Each horse show is run by a particular organization, usually a state club affiliated with the Saddlebred Association. These groups of dedicated volunteers create opportunities for members to show their horses in safe, well organized shows. Our membership fees help to support all the work they do to support our horse passion.

 

Academy riders should all join the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association. (ASHBA) The Association offers their academy award program to all riders competing in the academy division. Our Knollwood Kids earned a total of 22 medals in 2024, and we’re looking to do even better this year.

You can join or renew ASHBA here.

 

Are you showing at any of the Illinois American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Association (IASPHA) shows in Woodstock this season? Be sure to renew or sign up here.

 

 

Are you showing at Summerfun or Summer Showcase?  These shows are sponsored by the American Saddlebred Association of Wisconsin, (ASAW) and you can join here.

 

 

Check Your Show Wardrobe For the New Season.

If you’re an academy rider making your out of barn debut this season, please be sure to sign up and attend our academy kick off event on Saturday, March 15 at 6:00 PM. You’ll receive handouts and directions about what to pack for every show.

Our experienced academy stars should check their show clothes for fit and condition. It looks like ALL of our riders have grown this past winter, so please double check pant and sleeve length. Review for missed buttons, and be sure you have extra tie downs in lots of different places. Tie downs break at the most annoying times.

 

 

Check Your Lesson Attire

Please make sure all your jods and leggings have tie downs on them. It’s hard to ride with fabric bunched up under your knees, and it’s difficult for your instructor to monitor your position with your pants halfway up your leg.

Do you have some nice form fitting shirts for lessons? It’s important that your instructor can see your upper body to help you achieve your best position.

Is your name in your helmet? With the many, many helmets that come through the barn each day, it’s often difficult to tell them apart. An adhesive address label works really well, as it stays put forever.

 

 

 Set Your Goals

Before you start showing in 2025, you and your instructor will discuss your goals for the season. It might be diagonals, it might be learning to use the ring well, it might be a body position goal, or even a certain academy horse to show.

Be sure to add your goal to our bulletin board.

 

 

What’s Coming Up?

 

Academy Kick Off

Saturday, March 15 at 6:00

New and experienced academy families are invited to join us for a fun and informative evening. Please sign up in the school barn lounge to learn from the pros about hair, makeup, clothing, packing, and how to tie the perfect knot for the ring.

 

 

Knollwood Spring Entry Window March 20 – April 10

We’re accepting entries for the Knollwood Spring Show coming up May 16-18.

Please talk to your instructor and fill out a form with your class and horse choices.

If your shows are included in your monthly enrollment, you’ll still fill out an entry form so we know your horse choices and class selections.

 

 

Easter Themed PNO

Saturday, April 5

The Knockout officers and board members are planning a fun evening with dinner, crafts, and games. We’ll start signing up in mid-March.

 

 

IASPHA Spring Show

April 12-13

Beyond Stable Farm

Please join us for our first academy show of 2025. We have some new riders making their show ring debuts, and some very experienced academy show stars as well.

It’s a beautiful facility, and is climate controlled for any weather.

 

Easter Sunday

April 20

We’re closed for the day, and your instructor will be in contact to schedule makeup lessons.

 

Spring Street Clean Up

April 26

1:00

Please join the Knockouts as they clean up Oakwood and Nagawicka Roads for spring. It’s a fun way to earn club service hours, and meet fellow members who ride on different days of the week.

Join us in the show barn lounge after the clean up for a Knockout club meeting, too.

 

UPHA Spring Show

May 2-3

Our academy team is headed back to Beyond Stable Farm for another fun weekend of horse showing.

 

 

See you soon at the barn.

 

The day has arrived! 

You can sign up for Knollwood's Summer Riding school starting on March 1. We have the perfect fit for the horse lover in your home.

 

For riders ages 7 and up, we offer 5-day sessions at Knollwood.

 Camp days are spent with our fantastic lesson horses and staff, both in the barn and in our riding arenas. Campers will learn safety around horses as well as horse care and equipment care in the barn.

In our arenas, campers will learn the basics of saddle seat riding. They’ll achieve a good solid position at the walk and the trot with our patient lesson horses and instructors.

On Wednesdays, we welcome our friends from Soul Fire Art Studio for craft activities. Each student will create a camp memory to take home.

Camp runs from 9 AM-3 PM on Monday to Thursday. Riders will finish the session with a riding demonstration on Friday morning at 11:00 AM, and will leave after the show, usually around 12:30 PM.

Cost for this unforgettable week is $800.

Our 2025 Summer Riding School Session Dates are:

July 14-18

July 21-25

August 11-15

For our younger horse lovers aged 4-6, we offer a shorter version of summer riding school.

Our young riders will enjoy a 3-day session from 9 AM until noon each day. Each camper will have their own ‘personal assistant’ throughout camp. With their help, riders will learn safety as well as horse care.

We use a very special set of our horses for daily riding lessons for this group of new riders. If you haven't yet met our tiny tot horses, you're in for a real treat.

Campers will finish their three day session with a demonstration for parents and friends at 11:00 AM on the final day.

Cost for this experience is $425.

Our 2025 Tiny Tot Session Dates are:

June 9-11

July 7-9

July 28-30

Please call us at 262-367-2391 to learn more, or to sign up the horse lover in your house for an experience they’ll never forget.

Did you know?

Knollwood Farm LTD, established in 1978 by Scott Matton and now in its fifth decade, is one of the country's most respected horse farms, excelling in training American Saddlebred horses and developing riders through one of the nation's largest and most honored lesson programs.

• We offer lessons year round in our heated indoor arena and two outdoor arenas.
• We offer three in-barn horse shows each year to advance our riders' skills
• We travel to 10 academy shows each season with our lesson students to compete against other professionally run lesson programs.
• Our show horse owners and riders won an incredible 17 champion or reserve World and National titles in 2024.

We love what we do.

 

 

NEWS FLASH! Due to demand, the refreshment station is returning to the show barn lounge!

You’ll soon be able to enjoy coffee, tea, and hot chocolate again while you sink into a comfy couch and watch lessons.

 

 

Here at Knollwood, we welcome and encourage hanging out in our lounges. There are no cocktails or Vegas lounge singers (most of the time! ;-) ), but the Knollwood lounges do provide the best places to learn about riding and allow you to witness some incredible equestrian educational experiences.

Why should you make use of these inviting, climate-controlled spaces?

Frequently overseen by lounge queen Hazel and princess Izzy, the show barn lounge is the perfect place to watch lessons or catch up on work.

We love parents staying to watch lessons. 

You'll watch your rider build skills in the arena as they learn skills from different horses.

You’ll learn from your rider’s instructor what they worked on in the lesson, and how it went.

You’ll also learn about what the next goals are.

You'll become well acquainted with Hazel and Izzy who both think they're lap dogs.

You’ll hear all about special events coming up at Knollwood, and how you can be involved.

And, you’ll meet other fun Knollwood Kid parents enjoying the role of spectator. We can frequently hear the lounge laughter in the arena.

Do you have work to do? Enjoy our free wifi and set up your mobile office with us!

And then there's the school barn lounge!

Overseen by fabulous friendly admins and the cats of Knollwood, the school barn lounge may look a little more rustic, but there’s a wealth of information to be found here.

Our admins know just about everything Knollwood related and can find answers to things they don’t.

They can help get you involved in upcoming events, keep you informed of all the barn news, and relay information to your instructor when needed.

We have bulletin boards with information on upcoming events, and about our show stars.

The school barn is where you’ll find samples when we’re ordering merchandise as well as show entry registrations and information about Knollwood shows.

 

Please join us in the lounge of your choice, We guarantee you'll learn many things, and meet lots of fellow horse parents!

What’s Coming Up?

March 1

Camp opens to the world!

Currently enrolled students should be signed up for their selected week before the beginning of March.

 

March 15

6:00 PM

Academy Kick Off

New academy stars and their families are invited to join us for a fun evening of information and demonstrations.

We’re also welcoming experienced academy families who would like a refresher course.

 

March 20 – April 10

Knollwood Spring Show Entries Accepted

It’s time to fill out your entries for the Knollwood spring show on May 16-18.

Your instructor will be happy to help you with class and horse selection.

 

April 5

6:00 PM

Parents Night Out, Easter Edition

All Knockouts are invited to join the club officers and board members for a fun evening of crafts, games, and dinner, all for only $25.

We’ll start signups in mid-March.

 

April 12-13

IASPHA Spring Show

Our first academy show of the season at our favorite facility!

 

April 20

Easter Sunday

No lessons.  Your instructor will be in touch to arrange a makeup.

 

April 26

1:00 PM

Street Clean Up

Join the Knockouts at their first service event of the year.

Members will clean up Oakwood and Nagawicka Roads for the arrival of spring flowers. Following the event, we’ll meet back at the farm for a Knockouts club meeting.

 

 

See you soon at the barn!

We lost a special soul at Knollwood today when  legendary lesson
horse Hooper crossed the rainbow bridge.

Born at Knollwood on June 13, 2002, Hooper joined the lesson program after a brief career as a show horse.

With his flashy markings, pop eyes, and engaging personality, he
quickly became a favorite. Hoop was a star on the Midwest academy
scene and was sought after by all the Knollwood Kids.

Numerous national and world champions including Sydney
Budzinski, Ainsley Budzinski, Nick Maupin, Abby Kastenholz, and
Hailey Berget all showed him in academy. Heck, Syd even performed
a 7 loop serpentine at a show, and Hooper went along with it.

In most recent years, Hooper has enjoyed teaching small
Knollwood Kids the ways of riding a legend. With his high head, he
was a master at teaching walk trot patterns over and over.

We’ll miss his patience, his quirky personality, his fear of blankets that went on over his head, and his trustworthiness in the arena.

Peace, Hooper.

You were well loved.