Amy Hunter is a horsemen of almost 30 years.
She has a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering from UW-Madison (transferred after 2 years at Colorado State) and spent several years as a professional writer.In 2007, Amy successfully initiated campaigning Irish Draught stallion Cradilo on the Midwest Grand Prix circuit (see 'The Stallion' page for recent videos and 'HF News' for results). The team won their first Grand Prix in June of 2009.
In the fall of 2007, Amy initiated training on the 3 year old Irish Draught stallion Rakkish Ladd (Aston) and the 4 year old Irish Draught stallion Celtic Moon, both owned by Susan Jenson and family. Both horses went on later in the year to successful A rated show competition. In the fall of 2008, Aston was presented by Amy for formal inspection and approval. This was a high achievement, as this is the first time a stud by Aston's sire (a rare bloodline) has been approved.
In the Spring of 2007, Amy initiated training on the 3 year old Hanovarian mare Genieva, owned by Rachel Miller and Nigel Walbank. Genieva went on with Amy as a 3 and 4 year old to win several ribbons at top AA shows and eventually won the Young Hunter and Reserve Champion at Mason City, Iowa in 2008.
Amy also worked sporadically in 2007 and 2008 with Mary Jo Welsh's Irish Sport Horse mare Roisin, achieving several wins in the A show hunter division; and Sue Kyllonen's warmblood gelding Rio; also resulting in high placings in the A show jumpers.
In 2006 Amy spent time as a hired trainer in Naples, FL. She won a championship each on privately owned thoroughbred mares Seattle and Honest Fighter (both started by Amy) in the Training and Low Schooling Jumper Division respectively at the Littlewood Presidents Day show in Wellington, FL. Several blues came at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL in the schooling jumper division (clean round blue ribbon) on Seattle and then Laddbrook Farm's D'artagnan. Amy continued Tynaugh's jumping career (a Irish Sport Horse by Cradilo) and saw her eventually sold by owner Sandy Ladd to go on to a successful competitive career in California.
While residing in California (from 1997-2002), she competed in several rated shows on the self discovered and trained American Thoroughbred Sweet Baby James. She was in the ribbons in the Preliminary Division at Indio, CA against over 100 riders and did well in the Pebble Beach Derby/Grand Prix several years in a row.
While in California Amy also put the initial jump training on and rode Cradilo to the 1998 National Irish Draught Horse of the Year in Virginia. She started and introduced the imported Russian Akhal-Teke stallion Gorhon, owned at the time by Dr. Tito Pontecorvo, to his first successful blue ribbon campaign at Indio. She put additional jump training on the Russian Akhal-Teke imported stallions Kogan, Grom and Gigar (owned at that time by Dr. Tito Pontecorvo) and saw Kogan go on to successful competition under Grand Prix rider Suzie Hutchison.
As a junior rider in Massachusetts, she successfully qualified for the New England Medals and won numerous jumper and hunter championships on the East Coast rated circuit. Amy as a junior also exercised and showed horses for Harwood Farms, of Littleton, MA; riding the now famous Holsteiner stallion Limelight, before he was sold back to Germany.
Amy has a versatile background of teaching, training, managing,
breeding and competing. Though she specializes in hunter/jumper she has formally studied dressage,
cross country jumping, racing and natural horsemanship.
She has taught riding at two Universities, through Pony Club, and at several private and commercial hunter/jumper facilities.
Amy's students have enjoyed a wide range of competitive successes under her supervision, including several high places
in the SAHJA medal finals, consistent success on the WWHSA circuit and a positive showing on the 2006 USET and Medal MaClay
Florida circuit.
She has successfully trained and worked with a wide range of breeds and has also managed several private and commercial farms ... up to 70 horses and 40 students at one facility. She has successfully stood (and is currently standing) several top sport horse stallions.
Amy is particularly proud of her farrier ability (the most difficult work she does in the horse world!) and the technical shoeing of her own horses, including Sweet Baby James and Cradilo (currently) while showing at the Grand Prix level. Though she has studied farrier science since the age of 13 and has practiced trimming inconsistently for about 15 years, she began shoeing her own horses over 10 years ago out of the desire to receive the farrier work she needed for the sake of soundness and movement (and her shoers were getting tired of her asking them to shoe in a very specific way!)