Our Riders

Our Riders, Boarders and Students!! At Lynchland, we work hard to inspire and encourage each other. Here are comments from current and former members of Team Lynchland (if there is such a thing as a former member!)

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I came to Lynchland 5 years ago as a determined little 11 year old with massive dreams. I started riding with Jackie and just learning the basics in weekly lessons. Soon that turned into 2 and eventually I was leasing horses and practically living out at the barn. When I was 13, my parent's gave me the Christmas present of being able to lease Sadie for three months. After Sadie, I leased Taboo, and when I was 14, Jackie made an exception to her "18 and over role", and allowed me to come onto the work-exchange program to earn more lessons. The work-exchange has helped me learn even more about horses and the effort and care that they
need. Its not all about riding anymore! Its also really taught me responsibility.

Through the years, I've helped with big rescue projects, and small rescued foals. I've ridden and fallen in love with Off the Track Thoroughbreds, and horses that had just been dumped at auctions. This past year in February 2009, I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Hodkins Lymphoma is a cancer that attacks my lymphatic system. The barn has been my sancuary for this entire ordeal. I can't say how much the horses helped me. They helped me keep my head up when times were rough. Horses were the most amazing therapy. I have no idea what I would have done without the love and support of my barn buddies either. They were my second family during this entire roller coaster ride.

Luckily, I finished chemo on June 18th and the cancer is gone! I got really lucky. In May of 2010, I finally bought Sinister from Jackie. She is a 6 year old Grey Thoroughbred mare. She is the best! I'm so excited to train her up and hopefully take her to a couple of shows this fall! Lynchland is the most amazing barn and I have made some of the most amazing friendships there that I'm sure will last for the rest of my life.

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At a young age, I have been enamored with horses and when I turned 9, my parents enrolled me in Westernaires, a precision drill youth group based in Golden, Colorado. Westernaires, the fastest drill team in the world, performs at the National Western Stock show and travels around the country performing at various rodeos and events. I started as a tenderfoot, but by the time I was 16 had made it up to Red Division and had finally saved enough money and proved to my parents that I could take care of a horse. That was when Zips Jazz Jangles, or Jay, came into my life. She was a young western pleasure horse and although the flags, costumes, and music were all a bit much for her at first, she settled into the life of a drill horse and soon enough we were whipping around the arena at breakneck speeds working with 30 other riders to creates beautiful drills and maneuvers for cheering audiences. We were in Westernaires together for three years and became quite the team during that time.

In fall of 2010, I transferred to CSU and brought Ms. Jay along with me to Lynchland - where I knew a fellow Westernaire was already boarding, working and learning. We began to learn the completely new art of English riding and (hopefully soon!) jumping! It's a big transition for my little drill pony and I always get teased for being over 6' and riding a small 15.2 hand horse, but to me, she's just "fun sized"! Slowly but surely, we're getting this english thing down, but I still love to throw a western saddle on her and just play around. I'm so thankful to have horses in my life. The bond I have with my Jaybird is one of a kind and I love having her at Lynchland where she gets to be in a paddock with her buddy and regular turn out so she can have a social life too! I've made so many friends at the barn already and it's such a good way to take a break from the rigors of school. I love Lynchland!

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From Melissa T. - CSU Freshman: I am largely a self-taught rider, so when I moved to Colorado, taking lessons was an intimidating prospect. I worried I’d be looked down upon by better riders and that I wouldn’t end up learning much. As I began to look for a place to ride, Lynchland Stables immediately drew me in with the promise of, “No snobby people allowed, ever!” As I hoped, I found Lynchland is truly a place where everyone is respectful of one another. The environment here allows for learning without the fear of criticism. Lynchland riders don’t need to be competitive with one another. It’s about doing our personal best and remaining a tight-knit community of horse people. Now I’m learning something new every lesson and I have a great group of people standing behind me. I wouldn’t leave for the world!

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At 31, still a grad student, still (and probably always for that matter) far from rich, I just couldn’t hold out any longer. I’ve been riding horses for most of my life, but horse ownership has taken a backseat to travel and education for the past decade or so. Part of this may be due to the horse-show burnout that resulted from spending my teenage years waking up at 5 a.m., putting horses before dates, and spending my summers galavanting around southern California with a bunch of equally horse-crazed girls rather than frequenting desert parties or whatever normal 16 year olds did. But, I seem to have finally gotten over all of that; I’ve been riding with Jackie and volunteering at Lynchland for a little over six months now and it’s reminded me of the easy camaraderie accompanies the sharing of such an all-consuming passion as horses. So I’ve begun the search for my first horse as an adult, and what a trip it’s been.

I grew up riding off the track thoroughbreds (OTTB) so that’s really what my riding style and expectations are most suited to, not to mention my heart. The years I’ve spent volunteering with rescues means I can’t imagine getting a horse that wasn’t looking for some sort of “second chance.” But finding a cheap, young, sound OTTB jumper prospect in northern CO is not an easy feat and I quickly realized I would need to explore options outside of my adopted state. I have scoured the internet (what would I do without it?!) for organizations that either rescue TBs or serve as a pipeline to rehome them before they end up on the path to auctions and kill buyers. So far, I think I’ve fallen in love from afar with at least 5 horses and nothing has quite come through yet - the first horse had the story, the looks, the heart, but probably not the brain or the legs; the next one was adopted by someone else as soon as I made the “I want him” decision; one organization won’t adopt horses all the way to Colorado and on and on it goes. As of today, I’m deciding between two stunning, sweet, athletic creatures on opposite ends of the country and I worry the decision itself will break my heart yet again. But that’s what’s so great about this whole process - once I find “the one,” that’s when everything will actually begin.

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"As Jackie has put it, I am a unique boarder in that I have been riding at Lynchland through a variety of levels; I started out taking lessons, then I half-leased Edge, then I bought Edge, and now I work off part of my board here at the barn and still take lessons when I can. I have volunteered/worked at 4 other boarding facilities in Fort Collins and have yet to find a barn superior to Lynchland in any way! I've also had the experience of keeping my horse in my backyard, and while I learned a lot during that time, when I came back to Lynchland it was a weight off my shoulders...I could sleep in, I could travel, I don't have to worry about his safety. Lynchland is like my home away from home. The people I have met here are some of the nicest, warmest and most welcoming people I've ever met (which is rare in the horse world)! You couldn't pay me to leave!:)

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I came to Lynchland in my Freshman year at CSU with my 10 year old Quarter horse Poco, and immediately began working with Jackie in the lesson program to build our partnership. Jackie helped fine tune our rides and we were soon flying around the jumper courses! I unfortunately outgrew Poco, and he now spends his days teaching beginners to ride. He is an absolute favorite in the lesson program, and I still get to see him every day. In the fall of 2007, Jackie rescued Felix, an off the track TB from a local slaughter yard. I had entrusted Poco to Lynchland while I was in New Zealand for a semester, and in addition to Poco updates, I kept hearing about Felix. In the spring of this 2008, Felix became mine, and we are now working on a new partnership, and are making progress with every ride! I loved working with Jackie and riding at Lynchland! It is such a relaxed environment and everyone is so friendly, and I know that my horse is always being looked after. The people at Lynchland are like my second family. In 2009, I graduated from CSU, and bought my current horse "Twilight". Although I no longer live in Fort Collins, I will always think of Lynchland as "my barn", and keep in touch with all of the friends I made there.

**August 2010 - we're excited to announce that both Katie and Twilight are back at Lynchland! Katie is now attending CSU's vet program!

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I have been riding at Lynchland for over two years. I began riding with Susan; she is a wonderful instructor, and her lessons were fun and upbeat. I started riding with Jackie the last 6 months and appreciate her attention to detail in my lessons. I have been riding for 10-12 years off and on and have ridden at my share of barns. I haven’t been to another barn that offers so much in the way of quantity and quality in the arenas and people! I have made some of my best friends at this barn, where at many other barns it was impossible to make friends because no one socialized! There is a real sense of community here. The other thing I have found unique to Lynchland is the quality and diversity of horses. There are horses for every level—not just beginners or intermediate riders! That’s so rare in my experience. I can’t imagine ever moving if for no other reason then trying to find a barn half as fabulous as Lynchland!

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I came to Lynchland Stables my freshman year with two horses, a western saddle, and a desire to learn more. I began taking jumping lessons from Jackie, and quickly found myself hooked. Fast-forward to my senior year, when I was introduced to "Flash", a somewhat zany thoroughbred that Jackie had rescued from a CSU auction. Jackie was convinced that he was my perfect match - turns out, he was! I found myself spending every possible moment at the barn, working off my board, working with some of the rescue horses, and soaking in the knowledge that I gleaned from my horses, Cloudy, Dakota and Flash, and from Jackie and my fellow boarders, who had become my closest friends. Never have I seen another barn like Lynchland, where everybody is so warmly welcomed into the fold. Even though I have since graduated, I will be forever grateful for the amazing experiences I had during my four years at Lynchland stables.

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After 3 years, we're sorry to see Michelle and Rocket leave us. We know you had to graduate Michelle, but we'll miss you both!

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My family moved back to Colorado from Texas in 2008, and I wanted to continue my riding. I found a ton of places online, including Lynchland. I tried many of the other places out, and they weren't a great fit. I loved Lynchland from the first lesson. Everyone was so inviting and made me feel at home. After 6 months of private lessons, I started taking group lessons with Jackie. Riding in groups helped me learn so much more, and I've made so many friends! When I look back on my riding in Texas, I can see huge improvements in my posture and riding in general. The lessons that Jackie and Claire teach are so fun, and we learn something each time we ride! Jackie and Claire have taught me so much about riding and horses, and I'm so grateful for it, too. This summer, I started half-leasing a newer lesson horse, Zsa-Zsa, who is the sweetest thing ever. My relationship with her grows everyday I'm down here. We are like one big family here at Lynchland- you couldn't get me to leave!

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Kristen Waldron - it's impossible to put Kristen's decade with Lynchland into words - so here are a few pictures. Isis - rescued from the infamous CSU auction, Dante - her awesome SWB, and Copa (aka Babycakes) with Talia - his orphan mother. We'll miss you Kristen - but Florida is not really that far away!

My name is Ali Cristello - I came to Lynchland starting as a freshmen at Colorado State University and it quickly became my home away from home. I harbored some initial reservations about Lynchland being perceived as a solely "English" barn, but I am now in my junior year and am so happy with Lynchland. The huge paddocks, regular turnout, great feed, and diligent workers create a great living situation for my horses. My horses have received the best of care while at Lynchland, and the cross country course and track have become my favorite place to gallop around.

I was very concerned with how to financially afford a horse throughout college, and with Jackie's work program that allows experienced horse people to work off partial or full board I have been able to keep riding and owning my own horse. The boarders and my fellow workers have become my second family and some of my greatest friends. I've had western horses and english horses at Lynchland, (reiners and jumpers mostly) and love how there is no discrimination regarding whatever discipline I chose to ride. Lynchland is a great barn and I look forward to finishing out my college years working and boarding there.

Last year I got the privilege of teaching Lynchland's beginner riders in the basics of horses and horsemanship. I've worked with really young kids, as well as adults, schooling them in both English and Western riding. I've found I really enjoyed being able to consult with the other trainers here - and bring a well rounded foundation to our students.