FIND OUT THE LATEST NEWS FROM WINDCHASE, AND KEEP UP WITH PHYLLIS AND THE CREW.

Learn about
Windchase XC Schooling

Get Info on the
  Windchase Jumping Clinics

Own an Event Horse with
the Windchase Syndicate

See our excellent
Horses for Sale


Learn about our trip 
to
Africa in 2019 
 

See Phyllis's travels on
 the Trip Report Page  
Canada 2010


Learn about the
Windchase Derby


Learn about our
Working Student Program

For past news from Phyllis and the 
crew at Windchase, go to the
WINDCHASE NEWS ARCHIVES


Visit us on Facebook

For some light entertainment, 
visit our new page:
WINDCHASE BLOOPERS


Windchase Quotes:

  
Never underestimate Luck as a life strategy. 
                               
~ Lloyd Camp ~
 




March 15, 2024
     The Windchase XC Derby is back! 
Come join us on Saturday August 24! (The rain-date is Sunday August 25.)
Fun and informal, and a good school for you and your horse. Ride individually or as pairs. There are Prizes! 

Enter on Strider: https://www.striderpro.com/a/gRDuZCErLEKkDA-5jdsF6g

     Windchase is located on Hillsboro, VA. For more information or questions, E-mail Phyllis Dawson at  PWindchase73@gmail.com

     The Windchase Cross-Country Derby course will run over our 100-acre-plus XC courses, going from field to field. Courses will be approximately 1.75 miles long. Participants may ride individually or in pairs.
Footing permitting, the course will include water, banks and ditches, as well as some foxhunting type obstacles. All courses designed to be confidence building and inviting, and you have the option of jumping fences a level lower or higher than your entered division. The Intro/Elem division will have small trot-over log options for all obstacles.
     More photos of our XC course can be seen here.

     This is a unique chance to ride over the beautiful rolling hills of western Loudoun County, at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, while competing in a fun and informal atmosphere. What is unique about our XC course is that we have so much space; the course will be run from field to field, and be approximately 1.75 miles long. For those who don’t want to walk that far, we will take people around the course by vehicle the afternoon before and in the morning before the derby starts.
     We will have a division for Pairs, where two riders go out together (and hopefully come back together too!), as well as the regular individual classes.

Divisions:
     Intro/Elementary: Fences not to exceed 2’3, speed 275 meters/minute
     Beginner Novice: Fences not to exceed 2’7, speed 325 meters/minute
     Novice: Fences not to exceed 2’11, speed 375 meters/minute
     Training/Modified: Fences not to exceed 3’4, speed 425 meters/minute
     PAIRS - Two horse/rider combinations go out together. Choose your jump heights, pairs can be mixed. Choose your optimum time target. 

     Classes judged on jumping penalties and closest to Optimum Time. In all divisions, you may choose to jump a lower or higher option at any fence. If you skip a fence altogether that is OK too, but a small time penalty will be added to your time. Lead horses will be available for the Intro/Elem and BN divisions.

     Sign up on Strider:  https://www.striderpro.com/a/-JTVYcmn6U-NCFHj9MX-nw    

E-mail Phyllis Dawson at  PWindchase73@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Come Jumping!

Cheers,
Phyllis



February 17, 2024
     Sadly, we said goodbye to Windchase Phoenix Star last week. Phoenix was a homebred Irish Sport Horse that competed successfully to the Advanced level, and recently had been forming  a fabulous partnership with a Young Rider.  Tragically, Phoenix had a catastrophic pasture injury and had to be euthanized. We will miss his great talent, sense of humor and wonderful personality. The below verse makes me think of the feeling I always got when riding a horse like Phoenix.

What Delight
To back the flying steed
That challenges the wind for speed.
Seems native more of air than earth!
Whose burden only lends him fire!
Whose soul, in his tack, turns labour into Sport.
He makes your pastime his.  I sit him now!
He takes away my breath.  He makes me real.
I touch not earth,
I see not - hear not - all is an ecstasy of motion!
               - James Sheridan Knowles


Windchase Phoenix Star, jumping the Leaf Pit at Morven Park with Cindy Anderson-Blank


    
On a happier note, I recently returned from a fabulous photography safari with Makomkom Safaris, in Botswana. I am still in the process of downloading my photos and writing up my notes; at some point I will post a journal and photos on this website, but it will take a while to get it done. In the meantime, I am already making plans for the next safari, so if you want to join us, contact me! Or if you want to plan your own safari, I can put you in touch with Makomkom, which is a terrific safari company, for the trip of your lifetime.

Cheers
Phyllis



January 4, 2024
     The Windchase Working Students celebrated the New Year with a Polar Dive! Although they did not have to break any actual ice off the surface of the lake like in previous years, it was cold and windy, and showing like mad!  Congratulations to McKenna, Emma and Natalia for a welcoming 2024 in a memorable way. You go girls!

     Some of Windchase’s senior staff, Kendall and Clara, also made the plunge along with their significant other’s. And we had quite an audience of Windchase Boarders and clients there to watch, complete with lawn chairs and hors d’oeuvres!

     I am off to Africa tomorrow for a mobile camping safari in Botwana, with Makomkom Safaries. Our group will be with super guide Gee Mange, our travel companion and guide on a number of previous trips. I can’t wait; look for photos after I get back.

Cheers
Phyllis



November 23, 2023
     I am thankful for many things every day. I get to live and work in one of the most beautiful spots in the world, and I never take that for granted. Every day I look around Windchase and reflect on how lucky I am.
     I am thankful for the horses, the lurch
ers (dogs), and the wildlife around me. I am grateful for the green fields and rolling hills, and the Blue Ridge Mountains looking down over the valley. I love the way the surface of the lake reflects the sky, and the Short Hill Mountain glows pink in the rays of the setting sun.

     I am very grateful for my excellent staff. Farm Manager Jose Bautista keeps Windchase looking perfect all year round. Head trainer Molly Kinnamon keeps both the horses and riders at Windchase well-schooled and in good form. Jineen Reed is our dressage guru, and manages to make her dressage lessons both effective and fun. Clara Lenhart does a great job schooling a variety of horses, from youngsters to seasoned schoolmaster sale horses. Kendall Doran does a fantastic job as stable manager and super groom, keeping everything running smoothly and the horses looking superb. Hannah Lujbli is a great help as well, assisting with everything from barn chores to grooming to painting jumps.
     But the real shout out goes to the Windchase Working Students. Headed up by Kelly Bahrs, the group includes McKenna Rhoades, Emma Beard, Natalia Escaip and Christi Whitehouse. They do a fantastic job of taking care of all the horses, allowing Windchase to offer the very best of care to our clients and boarders. Thanks, all of you, for doing such a great job!


Some of the Windchase Staff and the Working Students participating in the Windchase Halloween Gymkhana. Great fun was had by all!

     When it is time to say grace at Thanksgiving dinner, I always think back with a laugh to that old civil war movie Shenandoah, starring the great Jimmy Stewart. Playing the patriarch of a large, hardworking farming family, this is the prayer that Jimmy Stewart offered at the start of their Thanksgiving dinner:

Lord, we cleared this land,
We plowed it, sowed it and harvested it.
We cooked the harvest,
It wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be eatin’ it,
If we hadn’t done it all ourselves.
We worked dog-boned hard for every crumb and morsel,
But we thank you just the same anyway, Lord,
For this food we’re about to eat.
Amen.

Cheers
Phyllis



October 15, 2023
     It’s been a whirlwind of activity this autumn, and I apologize for being so tardy updating this page. I will try to do better, but you can also keep track of what is going on here at the farm by following our Windchase Eventing Facebook page.


Kendall and Virago, winners of the BN Area II Championships at Loch Moy!

     The Windchase horses have been going well at the events. Molly has been campaigning her two up-and-coming horses, with Maximum Quality now going Novice, and Athlone moving up nicely to Training. Clara had a great go this weekend at Morven Park with Windchase Finley in the Training division, as did Kelly and Bojangles. Tenley has won several starter trials with Luray. But the big congratulations goes to Kendall Doran and her mare Virago; this pair won the BN Area II Championships at Loch Moy last week.

     We have some really nice horses for sale; both experienced competitors and young prospects with excellent potential. See them on our Horses for Sale page.

Cheers
Phyllis



July 1, 2023
     Windchase hosted a USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) Assessment last week, with candidate instructors from across the country coming to test for certification. I have been on the faculty and committee for the ECP from the onset 20 years ago, and I think it is an excellent program. The goal is to promote safety and good riding through better instruction and coaching, and I think it has helped to raise the level of teaching and riding in this country.
     Congratulations to Windchase’s Assistant Trainer, Clara Lenhart; she tested at this Assessment and successfully got her ECP Level I certification!  We are very proud of her, and happy to have all of our full time trainers ECP certified.


Clara gained her ECP Certification

     Putting on an Assessment is a large undertaking; much thanks to all our staff and friends for their help. Windchase head trainer Molly Kinnamon (ECP certified Level III) did a great job at assisting with the logistics, scribing and demo riding. Long time Windchase trainer Jineen Reed administered the Stable Management and Horsemanship test, stable manager Kendall Doran kept us all organized, hydrated and fed, and Hannah Lujbli and Meaghan Richmond were also invaluable helpers. The working students, Kelly Bahr, Tenley Snow, Emma Beard and McKenna Rhoades, were great as demo riders and jump crew. And much thanks to all of the other riders who came and rode for the assessments, headed up by the great crew at Destination Farm, as well as Andy Armstrong and Jessica Hall. And also, great credit goes to our farm manager, Jose, for keeping Windchase looking fantastic as always.


Some of our helpers!

     Clara, Kelly and Kendall have been competing their horses all spring, and the young horses have been getting out to some schooling shows for experience. After a cool April, a wet May and a very dry June, we have finally started getting some good rain again. Lots of horses in work, and a lot of fun riding every day.  We have a good group of horses for sale at the moment; see them on our Horses For Sale page.


 Windchase Gold, offered For Sale

Cheers
Phyllis




May 7, 2023
     It has been a lot of fun raising our litter of ten lurcher puppies, with the great help of my brother, Buddy. Now they are four months old and have all gone to their new homes, other than Half Magic, the lovely girl I kept. She named after the wonderful horse I used to have of the same name. Magice is four months old, and learning to be a grown up. 


Half Magic and her Uncle Speedy

     The Spring Event season is going well so far; we don’t have a huge number of horses doing the recognized events this spring, but getting the babies out to the starter trials has been a lot of fun. Looking forward to when they can all move up the ladder. In the meantime, Clara and Kelly are doing the Modified and looking to move up to Preliminary quite soon.

 
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, the winners of Kentucky five star.

     It was really exciting to watch Tamie Smith and Mai Baum win the five-star at Kentucky; it was the first time an American has won it since 2008!  They put up a great performance, fending off the challengers from Great Britain and Europe. Being a member of the USEF Selection Committee, I am particularly invested in seeing the United States Equestrian Team return to being a top Eventing powerhouse.

Cheers
Phyllis

March 1, 2023
     The lurcher puppies are now eight weeks old, and they have been taking up a lot of my time. Much thanks to my brother Buddy, puppy sitter extraordinaire, for helping me take care of them the last few months – but now he has headed back to his home in Texas, so it is just me and 14 lurchers living in the kitchen!

     We have enjoyed one of the mildest winters I can remember, with temperatures in the forties and fifties, and occasional sixties, all through January and February. It has been a real treat to be able to use the outdoor arena most of the winter, and hack out on unfrozen ground.

     We have a really nice group of young horses in training, and Molly and Clara have been doing a great job bringing them along. I have a great selection on our Horses For Sale page, so have a look.


Athlone, offered For Sale

      The spring Event Season is just around the corner, so we are getting the competition horses ready to go.  The trees are budding and the crocuses are blooming, and life is looking good! Contact us if you want to come be part of the Windchase Team, as we are always looking for new clients and working students. See you out at the Events!

Cheers
Phyllis




January 13, 2023

     We have puppies! Our lovely lurcher, Grainne (named after Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen, an infamous character from Irish history – Grainne is Irish for Grace) just had a litter of ten beautiful puppies. The father is Teddy, another lovely lurcher from Surefire Farm. 


Grainne and her Puppies!

     For those of you not familiar with lurchers, they are a sighthound cross originally bred by the Gypsies to poach game in the royal forests in England and Ireland. They are not well known in this country, but are very popular in Ireland and the UK.
     The pups were born on December 30, so two weeks old today, and just starting to get their eyes open. They are spectacular puppies, and I wish I could keep them all! It will be a hard decision on who to keep, but there will be some available to exceptional homes, so email me if you are interested. Watch this space!  


The puppies Auntie Rae - this is what they will look like when they grow up.

     On the equine front, we have a super group of horses available; see our Horses for Sale page. And there are a number of others that will be ready to be seen quite soon.

Cheers
Phyllis



November 24, 2022

     This is the day to reflect on the things that bring us joy, but I am thankful every day that I am lucky enough to live on this special spot on the earth that is Windchase. With rolling hills and green fields in a valley between two small mountain ridges, this is the ideal spot for horses and the people who love them, as well as the wide variety of wildlife that makes it home.  There is a special enchanting quality to this peaceful and beautiful spot. We call this Windchase Magic.

     I am thankful to have a wonderful staff to take care of the horses and the farm at Windchase. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of them. Jineen Reed has been essential to developing and managing Windchase for over thirty years, and is our dressage instructor extraordinaire.  Trainers Molly Kinnamon and Clara Lenhart do a terrific job training, teaching and running the barn. They are able to keep all the horses going great and making steady progress. And the riders, too!
     Stable Manager Kendall Doran is super at overseeing everything that goes on around the barn, and having the horses turned out looking great. Hannah Lujbli is a great addition to the staff, helping with having the horses prepared and well cared for. Our working students, Kelly Bahr, Lillie Miller, McKenna Rhoades, Emma Haste and Christie Whitehead, do a super job at keeping the horses happy, the barn clean, and doing all the chores that running a competition barn entails. 
     And most importantly of all, Jose Bautista, our exceptional farm manager, keeps Windchase in top shape and looking like a little slice of heaven.
     Much thanks to this outstanding group of people who make Windchase Magic possible.

     I am thankful for the four-legged companions in my life. My horses, my dogs and cats, also all the wildlife that lives here, great and small.
     I am thankful for great friends and staff, and a close-knit family.
     I hope you all have a joyous Thanksgiving. Here’s wishing you all some Windchase Magic, or its equivalent, wherever you are.
     Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers
Phyllis




October 30, 2022
     I love this time of year. The air is crisp and clear and the trees are in all their autumn glory. The leaves have been especially beautiful this year. Got a chance to get out for a little drone photography last week; here is a glimpse of autumn Windchase Magic. 

Cheers, 
Phyllis



October 11, 2022
     Life at Windchase is busy, as always, but I wouldn’t have it any other way - it seems I have always been at my best and most efficient when I have more to do than I can possibly get done. (Unfortunately updating this page has been one of the things I have not gotten done as often as I would like.)
     The competition season has been going well, with Clara, Kelly and Molly doing well at the local events, along with many of Windchase Eventing’s clients and students. We have sold a bunch of horses, and have a whole new group of talented youngsters being prepared to offer for sale soon. We are enjoying the cool crisp autumn weather. Jose keeps the farm looking wonderful as always; to help him do his job more efficiently I have just purchased a new John Deere tractor and batwing mower.   

     Congratulations to Team USA! So proud of our USET riders for winning a Silver Medal at the World Championships at Pratoni, Italy last month. As a member of the Selection Committee I am very invested in their performance. The US was represented by Will Coleman on Off the Record, Tamie Smith with Mai Baum, Boyd Martin on Tsetserleg, Lauren Nicholson with Vermiculus, and Ariel Grauld with Leamore’s Master Plan.
     As I write I am at the Maryland CCI5-L, and looking forward to a fabulous weekend of top class Eventing. It is an honor to watch world class horses and riders, both from the US and Europe, compete at the five-star level. Ian Stark’s XC course is masterful, and I can hardly wait to see it ridden on Saturday.

Cheers
Phyllis



August 7, 2022
     I recently returned from a fantastic photo safari in the Okavango Delta with Makomkom Safaris, along with Jineen, and friends Tracey, Natalie, Paula and Laureen. It is so awesome to do the mobile camping safaris; the animals come right through your camp at night, and you really feel you are part of the wilderness. Traveling to Africa and going on safari is my second passion after horses, and I can’t wait to go again.

     Meanwhile, back at the ranch, things are going well at Windchase. Much thanks to Molly Kinnamon and the working students; they did a great job of not only running things while I was gone, but cleaning up the barn and sorting out the cabinets – it was a much needed makeover of all the storage spaces!
     We have some exciting young horses in training that will start competing soon, and it is great to watch them progress. We also have an awesome group of experienced Eventers that have come in on consignment; it is really fun to have these schoolmaster horses available. Check them out on the Horses for Sale page.

Cheers
Phyllis




June 25, 2022
     I am off to Africa this coming week; this is a trip that has been postponed three times due to covid, so I am beyond excited to go. As you may know if you have
followed my travel blogs, Africa safaris are my second passion, after horses. Jineen and I are going, along with four other friends, for a two week mobile camping safari with Makomkom Safaris, owned and operated by our friend and superguide Gee Mange. I will have tons of photos to post when I get back!
      While I am gone Windchase will be in the capable hands of Molly Kinnamon and Clara Lenhart; you can reach them on the barn number, 540-668-6024.

Cheers
Phyllis




June 1, 2022
     Windchase Eventing is excited to welcome Molly Kinnamon to our staff. Molly is a long time upper level competitor and coach in Area II.

     Molly grew up with horses in her life. Early in her career she competed on the North American Young Riders (NAYRC) two-star team in 1998 and received her “A” rating in the U.S. Pony Club. She then went on to obtain a BS in Animal Science at California State University, Fresno. Molly is an accomplished competitor through the advanced level, with many successes training both horses and riders. She specializes in developing young horses that are sound in both body and mind, as well as coaching riders of all ages to a deeper understanding of correct basics and strong rider biomechanics. We are very happy to have Molly join us at Windchase.

Cheers
Phyllis



April 17, 2022
     Happy Easter!
     Event season is in full swing, and the horses are going well. We started off the season at the April Loch Moy starter trial with six horses from Windchase competing; all six of them finished on their dressage scores and in the ribbons. Windchase trainer Clara Lenhart has taken over the ride on my feisty chestnut mare Karat Gem, who placed 2nd in her first Event. Congratulations also to Tara Swersie, who was 2nd in the Novice with Chatsworth. Also in the ribbons were Kelly Bahrs on Bee, Dharma Crabtree with Doogie, Meaghan Richmond on Stormchaser, and Clara on Blazer.


Kelly and Bo, preparing for Prelim

     Kelly Bahrs had a nice ride in the Training at Morven Park on Bojangles, preparing to move up to Preliminary next month. Morgan McGrath is now riding my homebred Windchase Phoenix Star, which is a lot of fun to watch. They made their debut at Morven Park in the Preliminary, having a great run. She then went on to Fair Hill this past weekend, where she had good rounds in the two-star with both Phoenix and her talented horse ‘Newton’.


Morgan and Phoenix at Fair Hill

     Clara also had a great ride XC with her Windchase Finley in the Training at Fair Hill; this talented horse has not been easy, but Clara has done a great job with him, and he is really starting to show off his ability and potential.  It is great to see all the horses going so well, as they prepare for bigger and better things coming up.


Clara and Finley at Fair Hill

Cheers
Phyllis




March 28, 2022
     Spring is finally here! Or at least I thought so until yesterday; the temps dropped down to the low twenties last night, and snow flurries were flying. But remember, the last weekend in March has always been the date of the Morven Park horse trials – it usually snows at Morven Park in March! But fortunately this year Morven has been moved to the first week in April, so I am counting on sunshine and seventy for our Eventing debut next weekend.

     In the meantime, Windchase has five new horses listed on our Horses for Sale page; check them out!

Cheers
Phyllis




March 12, 2022

     Despite getting about 4 inches of snow today, Spring really does seem to be upon us. The grass is starting to get green, the horses are beginning to shed, and it is supposed to be in the sixties and seventies all next week. I love this time of year!
     Event season is just around the corner, and we have some exciting changes happening.  Windchase trainer Clara Lenhart has taken over the ride on Windchase Karat Gem; it will be fun to see what she can do with this feisty redheaded mare – so far they seem like a great match. 


Clara Lenhart riding Windchase Karat Gem

     Morgan McGrath is now riding Windchase Phoenix Star; they are going well together, and it will be great to watch this pair out competing. And Kelly Bahr has an exciting season planned, including moving up to Preliminary with her Bojangles. We have quite a few other students and boarders preparing for the start of the season, so it should be a lot of fun.  


The Grey Team - Morgan on Phoenix, and Kelly with Bojangles

     We also have just had several terrific horses come in on consignment, as well as having a great group of Windchase youngsters available. I have about six new horses that we will be listing on the Horses for Sale page soon – once we get a chance to get some decent photos of them!


Windchase has some exciting youngsters available.

Watch this space!

Cheers
Phyllis




January 29, 2022
     Remember summer? Yeah, me neither. But we can dream.

     We had good weather right up through the end of the year, but January has been cold and icy and miserable. We have been short staffed over the holidays and through the first part of this month, and everyone has been fighting covid. But I want to give a shout out to everyone on our excellent staff, who have all done a superb job of keeping things going through this frigid weather. The barn is not a lot of fun when it is 12 degrees out and we are spending a good part of our time scooping ice out of the stall waterers, but this group has done a great job without complaining (much).
     Great thanks to Jineen Reed, stable manager extraordinaire. After 30 years of keeping us all in line, Jineen is now taking a bit more time for the fun things, and is teaching part time instead of full time. But I am sure she can still keep us in line.
     Lisa Bauman and Clara Lenhart are doing a super job training and riding, and also taking over some of Jineen’s management duties. The horses are going great, and I am very lucky to have them both.
     Our working student group is headed up by Kelly Bahr, who has been a huge asset to us during the past months, and I am so happy to work with her going forward.  We also have two excellent new working students, Heather Johnson and Dharma Crabtree; they have joined us recently and are doing a great job. Our group is filled out by Christi Whitehead, our long time and much valued part time student.
     Jose Bautista keeps the farm in top shape as always; Jose is the one absolutely indispensable person on the farm – I don’t know what we would do without him.
     And we are so lucky to have a great group of boarders and clients, that are a joy to work with.
     Thank you, one and all, for being part of the Windchase Team!


Cheers
Phyllis




For past news from Phyllis and the crew at Windchase, go to the 
WINDCHASE NEWS ARCHIVES.


 



  Horses for SaleWindchase NewsBoarding and Training | Breeding/StallionWorking Students  
  Eventing with PhyllisWindchase EventingTeam WindchaseAbout Irish HorsesLinks  
Phyllis's Travels Windchase Photos |  Web Site Map |  Contact UsHome Page 



Windchase
Phyllis Dawson
E-mail: pwindchase73@gmail.com
Phone: (540) 668-6024 stable,  (540) 454-3834 cell,  (540) 668-6548 home
Address: 36502 Kidwell Road, Purcellville, VA  20132  USA