As a typical horse-crazy young girl, I was fortunate enough to have parents who got me into riding lessons at age 7. After
several years of wishing for a horse every Christmas and birthday, my first horse, Flint, came into my life as my 13th birthday
present. At the time, I didn't have great ambition to compete but started with the local schooling hunter and dressage shows. I
was encouraged to give eventing a try at age 15 and was immediately hooked. Flint and I won our first recognized event at
Hearthstone Farm and continued to compete somewhat successfully at the lower levels. While my little Arab-Morgan cross was
never going to take me to the top, he taught me a lot about humility and how one can never make a horse do anything.
several years of wishing for a horse every Christmas and birthday, my first horse, Flint, came into my life as my 13th birthday
present. At the time, I didn't have great ambition to compete but started with the local schooling hunter and dressage shows. I
was encouraged to give eventing a try at age 15 and was immediately hooked. Flint and I won our first recognized event at
Hearthstone Farm and continued to compete somewhat successfully at the lower levels. While my little Arab-Morgan cross was
never going to take me to the top, he taught me a lot about humility and how one can never make a horse do anything.
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| Fairwind Stables |
| Amanda Bingley-Miller |
After graduating from high school, I became a working student for Wilhelm Genn of Lebanon, OH. This was
everything in between. I was able to start focusing more on my competitive career and, after Flint's retirement,
my first real opportunity to ride a wide variety of horses from the greenies to the Grand Prix jumpers and had
the opportunity to lease a horse named Sinatra who'd had eventing experience. "Frank" and I competed
through Training Level over the year that I leased him. I left Wilhelm's after nearly a year and a half to
concentrate on my college studies. During this time, I bought my first off-the-track Thoroughbred, Jack. A
big, goofy guy with a heart of gold, Jack was very successful at Training Level and never had a XC penalty.
everything in between. I was able to start focusing more on my competitive career and, after Flint's retirement,
my first real opportunity to ride a wide variety of horses from the greenies to the Grand Prix jumpers and had
the opportunity to lease a horse named Sinatra who'd had eventing experience. "Frank" and I competed
through Training Level over the year that I leased him. I left Wilhelm's after nearly a year and a half to
concentrate on my college studies. During this time, I bought my first off-the-track Thoroughbred, Jack. A
big, goofy guy with a heart of gold, Jack was very successful at Training Level and never had a XC penalty.
Once I finished up college, I packed up my belongings and Jack and moved to North Carolina to be a
working student for John Hamilton at Farnham Equestrian. An opportunity of a lifetime, I got to ride
and compete every horse that came through the barn with John coaching me through every ride. I
learned just as much about horsemanship and stable management as I did about the riding. I also learned
that, while Jack was a good jumper, he lacked the ambition to put in the effort for Prelim. While Jack
had a lot of great traits and I was proud of how far we'd come, he was never one to put forth any more
effort that absolutely necessary so it was time to move on. I was able to continue competing all of
Farnham's horses in eventing and jumper shows while I looked for my next horse. It was the basis of
what I truly enjoy doing as a trainer today - bringing a wide variety of green horses through the levels.
One of these horses was a Thoroughbred gelding named JJ. I fell in love with him immediately and
remember our first dressage test together the judge had written, "wow, what a horse" on the bottom of
the sheet. Of course, that was also the test that I wasn't sure we'd stay inside those little white fences but
that's just the kind of presence that JJ had! When given the opportunity to buy, I jumped at the chance
and finally, after competing many horses through the lower levels, had a horse that I could compete at
the Preliminary level.
working student for John Hamilton at Farnham Equestrian. An opportunity of a lifetime, I got to ride
and compete every horse that came through the barn with John coaching me through every ride. I
learned just as much about horsemanship and stable management as I did about the riding. I also learned
that, while Jack was a good jumper, he lacked the ambition to put in the effort for Prelim. While Jack
had a lot of great traits and I was proud of how far we'd come, he was never one to put forth any more
effort that absolutely necessary so it was time to move on. I was able to continue competing all of
Farnham's horses in eventing and jumper shows while I looked for my next horse. It was the basis of
what I truly enjoy doing as a trainer today - bringing a wide variety of green horses through the levels.
One of these horses was a Thoroughbred gelding named JJ. I fell in love with him immediately and
remember our first dressage test together the judge had written, "wow, what a horse" on the bottom of
the sheet. Of course, that was also the test that I wasn't sure we'd stay inside those little white fences but
that's just the kind of presence that JJ had! When given the opportunity to buy, I jumped at the chance
and finally, after competing many horses through the lower levels, had a horse that I could compete at
the Preliminary level.
Flint
Yukon Jack
Mystic
| In 2002, after a year in North Carolina, I returned to Ohio and started Fairwind Stables. What started as an equipment shed, a couple of bank barns, and 10 acres has turned into the farm of my dreams. My parents, Ted and Debbie, have been huge supporters of my dream and I know I couldn't have done much of this without them. While horses have come and gone over the years, they've all left me with a little more knowledge and I appreciate each of them for the rider that I've become. I have two great horses right now, Podge and Piccolo, that I have a lot of pride in and hope they can help me continue to move up the levels. In September of 2009, my husband, Ryan, and I became extremely proud parents of our beautiful little girl, Claire, who I hope grows up to find something that she's as passionate about as I am about my horses. |
Claire & Podge
