About

I think every horse crazy girl has a fond memory of the first horse she ever rode. For me, this wonderful, patient teacher was “Tonka”, a sorrel Quarter Horse/Arabian cross with a wide white blaze and soft brown eyes. I fell in love with “Tonka” and horseback riding, and my life would now begin the path I feel I was destined to take as a showman, riding instructor, professional trainer, clinician, and judge.

In the early 1980's when I was 9 years old my parents surprised me with riding lessons at a local small riding stable. I progressed very quickly through the beginner and intermediate level. I became a bonafide 'Barn Rat'. I wanted to spend every waking hour at the barn. As the stable was not too far from my home, I would ride my bicycle there in the morning and stay there all day...mucking stalls, cleaning water buckets, raking, cleaning tack...anything that would allow me the opportunity to ride. I usually earned a 45 minute ride on a stubborn little Shetland pony named “Rusty”. Rusty taught me how to fall off and catch a loose pony whose saddle was hanging around his neck. But on a good day I would muscle him into a canter and feel the freedom that only riding a fast moving horse could provide.

One day, there was a new speckled small Appaloosa horse pacing in one of the stalls. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She was a very nervous horse, having come to that stable after being saved from going to the slaughter sale. I was able to ride her, although catching her from her paddock sometimes took a bucket of grain and lots of patience...I vividly remember sitting on a rock in her paddock just quietly waiting for her to become curious enough to come check me out. We began to bond in a very special way.

As time went on I became truly attached to this small horse that the stable owner had re-named “Peppermint Patty”. I was told that she was for sale as she was not appropriate for the lesson program as she was too nervous. My parents sat me down one day when I was 12 years old and told me that someone had bought “Peppermint Patty”. I choked back tears and asked softly, “Oh no, who bought her?” My parents smiled and answered, “A little girl named Kendra...” I don't remember any more of that sentence as I was already down the stairs pulling on my rubber riding boots and running to the car to go see my new horse!!

“Peppermint Patty” became the little horse that amazed everybody..She was an amazing jumper for her size and we began showing her. We were a great team and soon my bedroom wall was covered in blue ribbons.

While attending a local show, I was approached by the judge. His name was Leonard Roy and he wanted to recruit me to ride on an all-youth all-Appaloosa team and participate in the Northeast Appaloosa Youth Olympics. I was so proud and my parents were so supportive. I had only shown at small shows and was overwhelmed to realize that some of my classes had 80 to 100 entries in them. My teammates were amazing and lent me a horse to ride western (although I had never ridden western before in my life!!) and I was taught how to do Showmanship at Halter the night before my class. Although I did not earn a ribbon at that enormous show, I did win the Sportsmanship award and made the cut in many of my classes. I was hooked...big shows were for me!!

It became obvious as I turned 13 that I was outgrowing “ Peppermint Patty” who was only 14.1 hands tall. As I was now involved in the Appaloosa shows, we purchased another larger Appaloosa. Over time as I became more and more competitive my parents also purchased a horse for me that could jump and do the Saddle Seat division, and next a barrel racer. We still had Patty (who was never for sale, we turned down multiple offers for her) and being fortunate enough to have an affordable rough board situation at a racehorse layover stable that was within walking distance of my house allowed my family to indulge in pursuing our passion for showing. All during this time my mother worked the night shift as a nurse and cleaned my horses' stalls upon ending her 11pm -7am shift. My father worked detail shifts as a policeman to support my showing career.

One day in late Spring I was hacking one of my horses down a path from the stable that I now rough boarded at. I rode this path almost every day as it lead to a quiet side street that I enjoyed riding on. Something spooked my mare and off I went...hard. I was hurt, my horse was galloping off, and I felt myself losing conciousness. Thankfully the stable owner was home at the time. She saw my riderless mare bolting back into the barn, followed her hoofprints, and found me laying face down having landed on a rock.

After x-rays it was discovered that I had damaged my Coccyx bone and moved my hip out of alignment, causing my back to curve. My mother being a registered nurse realized the severity of my injury but (thankfully) opted not to have the back surgery the doctor was recommending which would have involved putting a metal rod in my spine and being confined to a body cast. Instead, I went to a wonderful chiropractor who was a fellow Equestrian who kept realigning my back. I healed well, but still had soreness.

This injury forced us to sell some of our horses as I could not walk, sit, or ride for many months. After I healed we purchased yet another Appaloosa. It was at this point that I felt that I would like to make a break from my current trainers who showed only Appaloosas. We got a lead on a gorgeous sorrel overo double registered Paint/Pinto mare in Ohio. My parents and I flew out there and purchased “Teak Would Ransom”, who to this day is the horse I wish I could still have. Teak was amazing; she was my partner. We understood each other and she let me guide her through many Showmanship and Horsemanship patterns. That soon became my strength and we felt that I was ready to show at the Pinto Nationals that was being held in Syracuse, NY. I was never able to attend the Appaloosa Nationals at it was too far away and the cost of trucking, trainer fees, etc., was not in our budget.

The 1989 Pinto Nationals is a show I will never forget. Traveling without the assistance of trainers, I pinned in every class I entered and won the Youth Art contest with a pastel drawing I did of my mare Teak gazing into a stream. My parents had allowed me to realize my dream of attending a National Show. I am forever grateful to them as they are to this day still my biggest supporters.

1989 is the year I also graduated from High School and went on to attend Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI majoring in Equine Sciences. After one year there, although I had attained Dean's List, I decided that I was not getting the education I needed to become a successful trainer. Luckily I had heard about a position my past trainers had mentioned that was at Alan-Brooke Farms in Ashland, VA. There was a young trainer there, Herm Sherwin, who needed an assistant and it seemed as though I fit the bill to a “T”. All of my time spent around the race horse stable and riding stables as well as my show experience had taught me how to groom, wrap legs, braid manes, tend to general first aid, and my Dean's List grades helped me gain an assistant position that included some of the office work as well. So at age 18, I decided to give up my college education, turned in the New England Pinto Queen title I had won, gave up my last year eligible to show as a youth, and headed south for Virginia.

Within 2 weeks it became obvious that I was not just a groom and office worker, but an accomplished rider. Soon I was given my own string of horses to train, show, and I began coaching the youth and Amateur clientele. The first 2 years at Alan-Brooke farms went very quickly. Our show string of Appaloosa horses all earned Top10 in the Nation titles and my youth student went on to win the Novice Youth Western Equitation class at Appaloosa Nationals. In the winter I delivered foals and helped with the broodmare band. In the early Spring training and breaking began and show season was underway. I loved the lifestyle and was very fortunate to have a wonderful atmosphere to work in. I enjoyed working with the elite competition horses that were made available to me. I had really come a long way from the little girl who rode her bike to the barn to ride the obstinate Shetland Pony.

After 3 years, Herm decided my apprenticeship was done. The next 10 years after Alan-Brooke farms brought a few jobs, none of which matched the experience I had enjoyed in Virginia. I had a very nice job in Suffield, Connecticut at Echo Ridge Training Center working for my past youth trainers that allowed me lots of experience, but I felt something was missing.

Just before the beginning of one show season, I suffered a serious accident: the little mare I was riding stumbled and fell directly on me, hyper extending nearly every tendon and muscle in my left knee. I could not walk without crutches and the damage to my knee meant riding was out of the question. I realized that I would need to do something else to ensure that I could still financially support myself. After leaving that job once my knee was nearly healed, I applied for my Instructor's Licence in Massachusetts where I was now residing and pursued my New England Horseman's Council Judge's card. In addition I joined the American Quarter Horse Association Professional Horseman's program which allowed me to help promote the versatile Quarter Horse. In 2001, I realized what was missing from my life was finally committing to marrying my long-time companion Scott Riley. We had begun dating in High School and had enjoyed a loving relationship for many years. On April 27, 2001 we were married. We now have two young sons, Shane age 3 ½ and Andrew age 1 ½..

Marriage and motherhood brought responsibilities that put showing horses on the back burner. I still had a wonderful private clientele that I worked with and continued to teach lessons at Lane's End Farm in Danvers, MA. I also freelance taught at Dusty J Farm in Kingston, MA and Salty Lane Stables in Derry, NH. In addition I had now been judging for over 10 years and even judged up to the end of each pregnancy. I attended the AQHA Judge's seminar in Irving Texas while 5 months pregnant with my first son. In judging across the northeast I worked with many different breeds and appreciated the talents each breed had to offer.

The newest chapter in my life is now bringing my family to the beautiful state of Maine. I will begin teaching and training at Sable Oak Equestrian Center in Brunswick.. This wonderful stable is owned by AQHA & NRHA Judge and fellow Professional Horsewoman Sherrye Johnson-Trafton and her husband John who is a professional farrier as well as an active board member of the Maine Quarter Horse Association. This stable offers an extremely high quality of service to it's clientele and lesson program. This wonderful environment is exactly what I have been looking for since settling down and having a family. This unique situation will offer the highest quality atmosphere for those who are in search of experienced professional instructors and trainers who are under one roof in a private facility.

After settling into my new home I will begin working towards multiple Breed Association Judge's Cards. It is necessary for the Equine Industry to continue to help interested individuals remain educated about the need for qualified Judges. I feel it is a Judge's responsibility to familiarize themselves with many different breeds to be able to judge in an unbiased fashion. My greatest enjoyment is judging some of the extremely competitive multi-breed and multi-discipline classes and rewarding the best ride regardless of breed or seat discipline.

I am one of the lucky individuals who has been blessed with a great amount of support from my family, friends, and colleagues to pursue a career in something I am passionate about: the complex and rewarding world of the Equine.