Holloway's Pretty Good Horse Barn
Is excited to announce the addition of Riley Funkhouser to their team!
Riley will be joining Jess and Meggan, complimenting their existing lesson program as their new instructor. Riley's background with instruction, barn management and horse shows will be a huge asset to the barn.
Holloway's Pretty Good Horse Barn is going to offer an Adult Intro. to Eventing Camp this summer and Riley will be assisting with this event as well. The camp will be limited to 10 people, will run from July 7-10 and will culminate in the Bozeman Dressage & Combined Training Club schooling show and derby at the barn.
Come out to the barn and meet Riley!
Or call 970-275-8697 to schedule a lesson with Riley.
More information and photos below.
A general overview of Riley Funkhouser's Equine Accomplishments...
Riley started riding at the age of one month when she won her first blue ribbon in the Romwell Hunter Trials in the family class strapped to her mom's chest! Probably an unfair advantage. It's hard to beat a baby.
She rode, showed and hunted as a child and got her colors with the Romwell Hunt Club at age 10.
1992- Grand Hunter Champion of Indiana. Eq. 11 & Under Champion and Children's Hunter Champion. Qualified for the Marshall/Sterling League 1993 and began riding juniors hunters. One of 8 to qualify for the Maclay Finals Regionals held at Kentucy Horse Park. The youngest to qualify in Zone 5.
1994 - Won Children's Hunter Classic at Motor City. Rode in the Berrien Springs High Jump and cleared 5'9" when she had to withdraw because her mother was having a heart attack!
1995 to present - Continued to ride in the juniors and on through her high school years. 1996-1999 Groomed and set jumps and was a pair of eyes for her mom, who was WCHR Amateur-Owner National Champion awarded at Capital Challenge. In 1998 and 1999, her mother was awarded the Best of America's Horse trophy, the highest placed Quarter Horse in the nation awarded at the USEF banquet in Las Vegas.
Theories of Teaching
Riley's theories of teaching center around the Forward Seat Riding system developed by Littauer. She feels it is important for her students to understand why stabilization is the cornerstone for all disciplines. She breaks her teaching down to the 7 physical qualities and the 4 fundamentals of good riding. When a student is having problems, it becomes easy to target that problem, and then use exercises to correct it. She has too often seen instructors become frustrated when they cannot convey their thoughts to their students -- often resulting in yelling at the students which becomes so counter-productive.
Riley works constantly on being concise and using words that create pictures. She really enjoys seeing the beginner master the posting trot as much as watching an accomplished rider find all the distances at a big show. Her style is upbeat and supportive. She feels that horses are remarkable animals and very fortunate to be in a career that allows her to enjoy them everyday.
Practical Experience:
Riley grew up riding with her mother, who is a large R judge, ANRC judge and instructor, as well as a National Champion. She taught a little during her high school years and then she started riding with other instructors such as Pam Baker, Valerie Renahan, Julie Ulrich, Jimmy Cantwell and numerous others.
Riley then went off to college for bronze sculpting and no horses. Once she got out of college, and realized that she really did not want to do art for a living, she decided to go back to the horse world and start teaching full time. She started at a little barn in Gunnison, Colorado, and after about 2 years moved on to a large hunter/jumper facility in Lake Tahoe where she was the Head Coach. She took kids to shows and had some great medal riders and winners, but she was only there for a year before she moved back to her family farm to help there.
Riley helped with the Purdue University Intercollegiate Program and taught lessons on her own. She also put on the schooling and rated shows that were held at her home farm, Foxton Farm. Her students competed at these shows and other shows, too, all with Riley's guidance and support.
Riley is excited to be a part of the Gallatin Valley! She brings with her a very solid skill set that will mesh well with the team at Holloway's Pretty Good Horse Barn. Right now Riley has her Level Three in the ANRC teaching certification and will be obtaining her last two levels in the fall/winter of 2010. She is also going to be certifying for her Trainer Certification through the USEF.