A Day in the Life of Jackie Dwelle - St. Andrews Faculty & Dressage Coach

For the summer I thought it would be fun to do a "Day in the Life of..." series. I am kicking it off with my "average" day with the hopes that I can inspire the Equestrian staff to share what an average day  (if there is such a thing) is like for them.

 

My days during the academic year start with a large cup of English style tea and exercises for my back. Since having back surgery 2 years ago for a ruptured disk, I have been dedicated to stretching and strengthening every morning. My 60 pound yellow, German Shepherd/mutt (Abby) and I take a walk, the length of which varies with what time I need to be on campus to teach. Having fed Abby, my sweet little black cat Ziva and myself I make the 20 minute drive to campus.

Mornings are usually spent teaching academic classes. Every semester I teach Stable Management, Basic Riding Instructor class and Lab and spring and fall I alternate between Equine Business, The History & Theory of Modern Riding, Introduction to the Management of Equine Operations and Natural Horsemanship. Lunch is a quick sandwich at my desk and the afternoons are spent at the barn teaching dressage lessons.

Tuesdays are my really busy day with classes starting at 8:00 a.m. while other days I have time for class preparation, planning for events, special projects and working on the social media campaign. Friday afternoon is dedicated to dressage practice. Weekends are flexible depending on whether or not we are hosting a horse show, event or clinic, traveling to a horse show or once in a while a free weekend from work related responsibilities. On those occasions Abby and I head out for some long forest hikes.

At the end of the day a stop at the grocery store is a common occurrence to pick up things from my ongoing shopping list. Abby is always pleased to see me when I get home, I like to think Ziva is too she just won’t admit it. Abby and I take a quick walk to the community mailbox to pick up the mail followed by doggy dinner time, a glass of wine for me, dinner and emailing. I record Cramer’s Mad Money on weeknights and try to catch some of the show to see what the stock market did that day and pick up a hint or two on how to become a better investor. Bedtime comes early although I usually fall asleep in front of the TV.

Straight From the Horse's Mouths

Here is the St. Andrews University Equestrian Center 2014 Newsletter sent out to all students recently.

Equestrian Program Reviews

Each year the History and Theory of Modern Riding class puts together reviews of our program to document the  highlights of the previous year. Summer is a great time to share these student projects.

Katie Ballard interviewed the barn managers last fall to see what it is like to work at the St. Andrews barn. Click here to find out what she discovered.

Since this was written Andrew has accepted a job with a fox hunting family in Louisiana. He recently moved south and is enjoying living in a rustic cabin and galloping through the woods.

Life as a Barn Manager at St. Andrews

Each year The History and Theory of Modern Riding class prepare a review of the previous year. This year Katie Ballard chose to report on the tasks and challenges that face the St. Andrews Barn Managers.



Mariann, Jennifer, Andrew, Kellie G & Kelly M. photo by Pebble Turbeville

Barn managers are the back bone of any barn. A barn the size of the St. Andrews Equestrian Program not only presents all the usual challenges that barn managers face but also the added challenges of multiple instructors, students that fit in their riding lessons around their class schedules, our resident Veterinarian Dr. Kellam and her interns, the stall cleaning and maintenance crew and the four farriers each on a different schedules; all of which creates an enormous challenge when it comes to keeping everyone informed as to the status of the 120 plus horses. In addition the barn managers teach the Stable Management Lab. and assist with other Labs and team practices.

Over the past week or so, I have had the chance to talk to each of the barn managers: Kellie Garrabrant (KG), Jennifer Sansbury (JS), Kelly Meehan (KM), Andrew Micheal (AM), and Mariann Stark (MS). 

Katie: What is your favorite/best thing about your job?

KG: Watching the freshmen come into St. Andrews and seeing them grow through the years. I also love to work outside which is basically where all my work is.

JS: I love everything! I work here because I love the horses and the learning environment. I love being around the horses all the time and being able to have my horse, Charlie Pops here. I really enjoy getting a chance to make a difference in the future of the students.

KM: I get to be around horses all the time. I also get to meet some very interesting people. I love being able to continue learning by being exposed to a huge variety of different experiences.

AM:  I like being able to work with willing students and watching them develop. I enjoy having consistent time off, a regular pay check and health care benefits.

MS: I really enjoy being able to learn new things, every day. I love being outside all day with the horses, learning new things and being able to pass the knowledge onto the students

Katie: What is difficult about your job?

KG: Communication is always a huge challenge. We also have a budget, so making every penny count is another ongoing task so that we provide the horses with excellent care while staying within our financial boundaries.

JS: Organizing the students to manage their time for lessons and work study. We depend on them to help us and when they don’t come to work as planned we have to pick up their slack.

AM: Scheduling and communication is a huge puzzle and it is easy to forget to tell someone something they really needed to know. We all have to work at improving communication on a daily basis.

MS: Communication and keeping an open line between the barn managers and other staff. If there is no open line, it is hard to be sure that the things we need done are done. Things change all of the time so even when you think you have shared something it may not be the most current information!

Katie:  What brought you to St. Andrews?

KG: I moved to NC from NJ to be nearer my parents. I actually applied to assist the Facility Manager. Peggy (Equestrian Program Director, Peggy McElveen) saw my resume and offered me a job taking care of the horses.

JS: I had lots of experience. I ran the barn at Coastal Carolina University before this as well as running my own barn with a boarding and lesson program so this was a natural progression for me.

KM: I loved working and learning from the barn managers when I was a student and I wanted to do the same for the current students.

AM: I started as a temporary employee when someone was out sick. I guess I did a good job as Peggy offered me a full time job.

MS: I was living in Laurinburg when an opening came available, Peggy called me and offered me the job.

Katie: In addition to horse care do you have any specific duties?

KG: I make the work schedule for staff and students and delegate specific duties to our barn team.

JS: The way the barn is set up makes it so we can all step up into each other’s job when needed. I run the Boarder Barn which includes the therapeutic horsemanship and dressage horses. Mariann helps me, but I work alone quite a lot.

KM: I order feed and am the go to person on Kellie G’s day off.

AM: I work on projects such as organizing the blankets and storage in the loft. I also fill in for Mariann as Vet Tech Liaison on her day off.

MS: I am the staff Vet Tech Liaison to the vet interns. I am in charge of doing the meds when the interns are not here.

Katie: Any funny or memorable stories you’d like to share?

KG: It was a few years ago, during the major snowstorm. None of the stall cleaners could get here so the staff did all the stalls. Anyone who could get to the barn pitched in to help clean stalls and take care of the horses. It was hard work but we made it fun.

JS: Early in my time here, I took the WhisperJet (a gas powered golf cart with a rather loud motor) out to watch one of the students ride Charlie Pops. Little did I know that it wouldn’t make it back to the barn after she was done riding. I had to push it back to the barn before Peggy saw me.

KM: I was working over the break with Liz Dulski, Heather Lee, and Mariann. I love the memory because we all got to know each other much better. It was also the break that Mosa, Heather’s dog, drug the deer leg out of the ANRC field!

AM: There used to be a therapeutic riding horse here named Chaco. I used to ride him up onto the shavings pile and it would be fun to have him sink into the pile before riding him out again. It was quite funny to watch.

MS: Not long after I started here one of the horses coliced. That day, I worked for fourteen hours, I learned a lot which really helped my confidence to grow. It was also the day I started becoming more involved in the veterinary part of the program.

Five different people from five different backgrounds all working towards a common cause. They work together as a team to make sure that the barns are safe for both horse and rider.

 

New Baby for Jeremy and Jennifer!

Congratulations to Jennifer and Jeremy Sansbury on the birth of their son Greer who arrived on Friday.

Matt Arrigon Hired as IHSA Hunter Seat Coach

Welcome Matt Arrigon from Lynchburg, Virginia is our new head coach for the IHSA Hunter SeatTeam. Matt graduated from Miami of Ohio University with a degree in Management and Business. Matt grew up in his parents’ horse business at Beckett Run Farm in Hamilton, Ohio. After graduation he worked professionally in the horse industry in Ohio until accepting the Head Coach position at Lynchburg College in 2008. During his four years at Lynchburg he coached many riders to Zone IV championships and IHSA nationals individual reserve champions. Additionally he operated his own Ashmont Stables, LLC. with his partner Ashley Lovegrove and coached clients to numerous championships at USEF shows. Matt brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to St. Andrews and is ready to help our riders advance and continue our winning way.

Kelsi Peterson Returns to SAU as Show Team Coach

Kelsi Peterson returns to SAU as Show Team Coach. She is a St. Andrews graduate who majored in Psychology with a minor in Equine Studies and competed on the IHSA Hunter Seat Team, the ANRC Team, and the Show Team and served as Riding Council President during her four years at St. Andrews. Since graduation, Kelsi has worked for Troy Hendricks at Kimber-View Farm in Pennsylvania as a manager, trainer, and instructor. In the fall of 2010 she had the opportunity to start her own business operating out of Black Gable Farm in Maryland. She has a broad and talented client base, training in both hunters and jumpers, and taking them to shows in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Additionally she starts and brings along young horses and has recently been active in the Breeding Divisions at such major shows as Upperville and Devon. We are excited to have Kelsi back home with us and know that she will be a great addition to our equestrian family.

Kelsi can be reached at: petersonk@sapc.edu

Meet the Sansburys!

Meet Jennifer and Jeremy Sansbury from Taylors, SC. They are joining the equestrian staff beginning in the fall of 2012. Jennifer will be serving as the Associate Barn Manager working at the lesson and western barns and Jeremy will be serving as the Assistant Facility Manager working closely with Dale and Bobby.

Jennifer graduated from Lander University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and taught first grade before working as a barn manager and coaching the Coastal Carolina University Equestrian Team. She recently served as the volunteer barn coordinator at IHSA Nationals in Raleigh this May.

Jeremy graduated from Francis Marion University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He served in the United States Marine Corps and has worked as a Production Manager for Pro-Fab Inc. and as the Technical Manager for Anderson Farms. Jeremy brings a tremendous amount of mechanical and technical training as well as leadership skills to the equestrian program. We are excited to have both Jennifer and Jeremy as part of the equestrian family.

Marsha Retires

Marsha Toyne Retires After 10 Years of Service to the Equestrian Program

 Marsha has been the organizer who has kept the Equestrian Center running smoothly as well as the first St. Andrews “voice” many equestrians and their families have heard. Her ability to coordinate all aspects of the program and to always know where each person is and what they are doing has been astounding. She did the travel arrangements for all the team travel as well as recruiting and conference travel arrangements. Her spreadsheets of who was going where, how they were getting there, where they were staying and when they were leaving and returning was mind boggling. Handling all the bills and invoices for the entire equestrian program was a daunting job which she handled beautifully. Additionally, Marsha served as the IHSA Regional Points secretary for all the years that St. Andrews has been the President College for IHSA Zone 4—that in itself is several file cabinets full of paperwork! Marsha consistently went above and beyond expectations for the good of the program and the students. For years she was here for every event hosted at the Equestrian Center and she travelled with the teams to countless away events. She has been a friend of the students, the staff, and many parents who have had questions or concerns about their children as well as Peggy’s right hand and advisor. She will be greatly missed! Marsha is at home and would love to hear from you.

Her mailing address is Marsha Toyne, 12421 Richardson Road, Laurinburg, NC 28352 and her email is:

toynemar@sapc.edu

 Audrey Hayden from Montclair, Virginia will be taking over the reins as the Equestrian Program Operations Manager. Audrey is a St. Andrews graduate with a degree in Business Management. Since graduation she has been working for the EMO Agency, Inc. in Warrenton, Virginia as a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Agent. Audrey’s organization skills, attention to detail, knowledge of the equestrian program and IHSA, and excellent communication skills are attributes which make her a great fit for this position.

Audrey can be reached at her office email address: haydenac@sapc.edu.

Happenings at the barn since school started.

Staff Changes
Kellie Garrabrant has been promoted to Barn Manager for the entire facility. Kellie’s office is now in the Boarder barn, but she will be supervising horse care on both sides of the property.

Rachel Buckler SAPC 2010 has joined us as assistant barn manager working at the lesson barn. Since graduation Rachel has worked in Wisconsin with SAPC Alum Alison Koenig and at a teaching barn in Maryland. Rachel’s responsibilities include supervising the work study program.

Liz Dulski SAPC 2011 joins the staff as Barn Fellow. Liz works with Rachel at the lesson barn and also covers the Boarder/TH barns on Kellie’s day off. Liz will also be responsible for the community lesson program.

New Trailer
Exciting news Peggy and Dale picked up our brand new trailer yesterday. It is made by Gore in Whiteville, NC, six horse slant load with dressing room and it still has that new trailer smell!

FALL 2010

Today the forecast is for temperatures of 100 plus depending on where you get your weather from. I have seen as high as 106 and that is without the heat index. Needless to say it is toasty in the Burg! With temps like that Carla and Dale left at 2:00 a.m. for Camp Seafarer to bring home the first load of camp horses. Tomorrow Dale and I go to Roaring Gap to pick up the lucky ones that spent the summer in the mountains, are they in for temperature shock! The horses from Camp Rockbrook start returning this weekend and then we have one more trip to Seafarer around the 15th and the Camp Keystone horses to return.

The barns have been pressure washed and cleaned and the staff is busy getting ready for the fall semester. We are looking forward to meeting the freshmen class as well as having the upperclassmen back.

Over the summer we had some staff changes. Stephanie relocated to Raleigh to work at the NCSU Veterinary School. She took Celtic with her and we wish her all the best with her new job. Torre has also moved on although she will be coming back to help Carla with the western team. We will miss both Stephanie and Torre.

Moving forward we have reorganized a little. Lindsay has accepted additional responsibilities (in addition to serving as the show team coach, boarder liaison and instructor) she now also serves as the Barn Coordinator. This role involves ordering feed, supplies etc, scheduling the assistant barn managers, and keeping records. I will be helping her in a mentoring role. Kellie will serve as Assistant Barn Manager for the lesson barn and also oversee work study for the entire facility. We are thrilled to have hired Natalie Norwood as Assistant Barn Manager for the Boarders/TH barn. Natalie will also serve as the medical liaison and assist Dr. Kellam with horse health care. Finally, Katherine Laughlin has accepted a Riding Fellow position. She will be working closely with the Assistant Barn Managers.

As previously mentioned Liz Harris Adams has moved to Old Lyme, CT to work at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Inc. and Megan Ellis has taken over the role of the Ride-Like-A-Knight Therapeutic Riding Director.

We are all looking forward to having the students back and getting started with the fall semester.

New Leadership for RLAK program

The end of May and all the horses are safely delivered to their summer homes. The ones that remain have been consolidated to the Boarder’s Barn side and the maintenance crew has begun the task of cleaning the lesson barn. The western barn will have to wait for a few more days as we have horses and riders staying in that barn for a four day clinic. Lindsay is doing the majority of the teaching, but I was excited to teach 2 flat lessons this morning. The group is from Tally Ho Equestrian Center in Timmonsville, SC led by SAPC alum Katrina Brown Hutto.

The end of May brings a change to the TH program. Liz Harris Adams, who has been at SAPC for 13 years, first as a student and then as the Director of the Ride-Like-A-Knight TH program has accepted a position with High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Inc. in Old Lyme CT. We are sad to see Liz move on but wish her every success in her new position.

Megan Ellis will be taking over the reins of the RLAK program. Megan has served as an assistant barn manager for the last two years as well as assisting Liz with the RLAK program.

Graduation

The weather was kind for graduation, although it was hot there was a good breeze which helped keep things cool. Many alums, current students as well as family and friends were on site to share the joy of graduation. Pebbles was recognized as distinguished faculty for this year during the ceremony. This is an honor that is reserved for faculty members that have made a difference not only in the lives of their students, but have served as mentors and leaders for their colleagues as well as serving the college in multiple capacities. Pebbles is in good company, the other professor recognized this year was Dick Prust for his 40+ years of service and leadership.

Kelsey Moody placed 3rd in NRHA Individual Open Reining at IHSA nationals today, waiting on IHSA updates for team placings from today.

Getting ready for School

All the new folks started on Saturday. Four new staff members with Peggy, the student workers and me to get them oriented. Stephanie Davis (stable manager)and Torrey Edgerly (assistant stable manager) are finding their way around the barn and beginning to learn the horses. Why do we have so many bays with white stars? At least there are only 40 to learn right now. The camp horses do not return for another couple of weeks. We are working out of the lesson barn while the TH and boarders barns are pressured washed and fixed up for the start of the school year.

Ashley Foster (Instructor/Coach) and Heather Wile (Instructor/ Event Manager) have taken over the reins from Elissa and Sam and are riding as many horses as possible a day. (Poor Lindsay is still grounded with her shoulder injury.) We start planning the lesson schedule this week which is always an entertaining exercise. I will no doubt be in the registrars office for a couple of hours pulling academic schedules then we all sit around and try to put the pieces together to fit everyone’s schedule and then comes add/drop… oh well!

This weekend the NCDCTA has leased the western barn and the covered arena for a three day dressage clinic. Harriet Peterson and a Dawn Jensen bio mechanics expert are two of the clinicians. After that it will be time to start picking up the horses from camp and getting ready for rider placement on the 20th. We are getting busy again!

Staff Changes

We are sad to say goodbye to Kira, Sarah, Elissa and Sam. Kira, Brad and Graham have moved to Baltimore, Sarah is currently working at Camp Seafarer and Elissa and Sam will be with us until the end of July.

They have all been wonderful colleagues and I wish them all the best with the next phase of their life’s journey.

I am happy to welcome two new employees to our team. You can read about them in this announcement sent by Peggy to Equestrian Students.

Ashley Foster will be joining us as a hunter seat instructor and the coach of the IHSA Hunter Seat Team. Ashley will be assisting with the "C" Show Team as well. Ashley has served as the Head Coach for the Kansas State NCAA Equestrian Team for the past 4 years. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech and competed in IHSA Nationals in Open Flat and Fences as an undergraduate student. Ashley and her husband and their two dogs and one cat will be living in Southern Pines.

Stephanie Davis will be joining us as our Barn Manager. Stephanie graduated from St. Andrews with a degree in Equine Business Management several years ago and has worked as a barn manager in Southern Pines and Lexington, KY and as a veterinary technician for the last few years with a large equine veterinary practice in Lexington, KY. Stephanie and her dog and two cats will be living in Laurinburg.

Ashley and Stephanie will start work with us August 1. I know that you will welcome both of them to our St. Andrews family.

Carla wins prestigious award!

Last weekend at the American Quarter Horse Association Convention in San Antonio, Texas, SAPC Western coach Carla Wennberg received the Professional Horsewoman of the Year award. This is a most prestigious award and the highest honor the AQHA can bestow upon someone in the equine industry. Carla serves the AQHA and the equine industry as one of its top rated judges and as a member of the AQHA Judges Committee. For someone as young as Carla to receive this award is most unusual and speaks highly of her reputation, her abilities, and her contributions to our sport.

Staff Changes

Jenni Bensen has moved to Marietta , Georgia to go to chiropractic school. Dr. Jenni Bensen will graduate in 3 ½ years.

Megan Ellis has joined the staff as assistant stable manager. She will be helping Elissa and Sam take care of all the horses.