Getting ahead in the horse world takes more than just talent in the saddle. It takes a lot of hard work, loads of dedication and a strong understanding of horses—both in the saddle and on the ground. This is something Wendy Brownlee of Brownleee Equestrain, LLC in Reno, NV understands and tries to instill in all her students.
To Wendy, horsemanship is learning all there is to know about horses physically and mentally. “I want my students to learn more then ‘heels down and thumbs up’ in my program. Not everyone wants to be a professional, but, if they want to do that or to go on to be someone’s working student, I want them to have the necessary skills to do it.”
Having worked with many top professionals – Gabor Francis-Kiss, Judy Richter, Andre Dignelli, Dick Widger and Dianne Grod – Wendy certainly has the necessary skills. Growing up on the East Coast, as a junior rider, Wendy won numerous equitation championships, competed for three consecutive years at the East Coast indoor finals and finished in the top 20 at the Maclay Finals. She gained valuable experience for 19 years riding hunters, jumpers and training in equitation. Once she relocated to Reno, Wendy worked for four years as an assistant trainer to Julie Winkel, a USEF ‘R’ judge and Grand Prix rider.



It’s not surprising that many of Wendy’s current students are hot to follow in her footsteps. She has qualified several riders for USEF and NorCal Medals, and her students have picked up countless Jr-Am jumper and hunter championships along the way. Just last year, Jenny Mix was the Sierra Nevada Horse Show Association (SNHSA) Mini Medal Champion aboard Karan Erikson’s Kryptonite.
In 2006, Callie Tomlinson on Love & Appiness won the Horse and Hound Pony Medal finals, and Emma Clark piloted Clare de Lune to the tri-color in the Almaden Medal finals.
Allie Leckie has been working with Wendy for over a year and she is continually impressed with Wendy’s horsemanship, professional ethics and positive attitude. “I think her commitment to the sport, and helping equestrians understand how to be safe and effective riders is just amazing,” says Allie. “Her level of commitment is unbelievable; I call her ‘the professional’s, professional.’ Not only is she an exquisite rider, but she has strong ethics, and an integrity you rarely see in riders at this level…She is very positive with everybody. She will tell you what you did wrong and need to work on, but at the end of a lesson you will also walk away with a sense of accomplishment, because she’ll point out what you did well during the lesson, too.”
Wendy and her all-star students and clientele are based out of R. North Star Ranch in Reno. R. North Star Ranch has two large arenas: a 140’ by 270’ outdoor ring with new footing, a completely enclosed 140’ by 140’ indoor with rubber footing and a hot walker. Set in the shadows of the beautiful Mountain Rose ski resort, North Star is a full care facility offering blanketing services, turnout and a grain program. The property has 16 grass paddocks, most being 100’ by 100’ in size and every horse in Wendy’s program is turned out for up to three hours a day.
“In this sport we compete as individuals, but I believe it important to have strong team support behind us,” says Wendy. She believes that horses and people learn best from positive teaching. After all, that was how she learned. “I believe that good riding and from there, winning (and not just blue ribbons) comes when we pour our hearts into something we are dedicated to and deal with every adversity with a humble attitude. We try to learn from the mistakes we have made and move forward. To me, this is what riding is all about.”
For more information on Wendy Brownlee and Brownlee Equestrian, LLC visit www.brownleeequestrian.com, call 775-997-9221 or e-mail Wendy at wendy.brownlee@gmail.com.