LIGHT & RESPONSIVE CLINIC
with Rhonda Bignell
May 4 & 5, 2024 10am to 3pm $250
with Rhonda Bignell
May 4 & 5, 2024 10am to 3pm $250
The perfect Spring Tune-up! Suitable for all levels of riders and horses, English and Western.
Learn step by step methods for getting horses softer in the bridle and responding easier to leg cues. This makes a rider's job easier, and a horse happier and more willing. Rhonda's methods set the foundation to prepare or improve your horse in any discipline. This clinic is excellent for:
50% deposit to hold your spot. Limited availability. Call Hawkstone Stables to book 780-243-6882 |
Western Clinician/Coach: Rhonda Bignell
Rhonda grew up riding through the bush and open meadows of cattle ranges near Williams Lake, BC. She spent her teens as a professional horse trainer, a guest ranch horseback guide, and an assistant instructor for a Level III English coach. Over 30+ years this horse enthusiast continued professionally training horses while competing in Open Shows, Dressage, Gymkhana, Endurance Racing, and Team Cattle Penning at a national level. She constantly strives to update her knowledge and skills, regularly taking clinics from many of the top competitors and clinicians in Canada and the U.S.
Rhonda became certified as a Equine Canada Western 1 Coach in 2000 and then designated as a Equine Canada Western Competition Coach in 2016. In 2006 she moved to Alberta to work in feedlots, spending long days in the saddle checking cattle and treating them for injuries and illness. Rhonda is also a Alberta Equestrian Federation Official General Performance Judge, judging English and Western classes at Open Shows Rhonda teaches horsemanship to create an excellent foundation for a wide range of disciplines, as well as for developing a soft, willing and responsive horse. She has a natural approach that helps riders gain confidence, safe handling practices, balanced riding, and all-around excellent horse handling skills. |
Jumping Coach: Kathleen Schirmaier
"Horses have been a family business since the 50's. My parents rode hunters and jumpers with my father at venues such as The Royal and Madison Square Gardens many years ago and my mother riding at many venues including Dublin Horse Show in Ireland as well as being long listed for the Pan American Games in Winnipeg for Dressage which she converted to later in life when done with the jumpers.
I also competed in jumpers in Ireland and here in Canada up to 1.20m. I turned to coaching many years ago when I stepped back from competition and riding as I thoroughly enjoy working with people who have developed a passion for horses and enjoy riding and later on wanted to try their hand at jumping.
While I have been teaching for a long time and some of my present clients rode with me when they were teenagers and I now also teach their children, the last 12 years I have transitioned more from a beginner rider instructor to developing the skills of riders who wish to compete. I love the thrill of taking riders on their "firsts" their first show, their first "A" show, their first show in Calgary, their first show at Spruce Meadows.
Pre-covid I had a large program of up to 20 clients at our family's barn Killerney Farm spending the 6 weeks of holidays from my full time job on the road attending horse shows with clients from venues at Amberlea Meadows, to Pacific Equine Sport in Ponoka, to RMSJ and Spruce Meadows in Calgary, and teaching four days a week. Covid allowed me to have a break from coaching a large program and give some thought on how I wanted to move forward.
My goal is to provide coaching and support to those who want to add skills to their riding. Typically at the beginning of the year I would sit down with each rider to set goals and plan for the upcoming year. This may have included what shows they wanted to attend, if any. Where they wanted to be by the end of the year and what they wanted to accomplish in their riding. If riders want to show – great. If riders want to learn to jump so they can tackle a log on a trail ride – great.
I do not insist that you give up your present four-legged partner and spend 1000’s on an import, that you go o out and buy a new saddle, have the designer riding clothes, etc. I only make recommendations when I feel it is necessary. I get joy in working with both horse and rider to take you as far as you want to go or as far as I can take you. At a certain level it may be time to move on if you goal is to compete at upper levels and I am happy to assist you in seeking out and transitioning to another coach to take you to the next step.
Riding is about lifelong learning. There is no-one in the world that knows everything that there is to know about horses – but I do believe that riders will continue to learn and continue to evolve and have several coaches, influencers, and trainers in their life.
I typically coach right from poles on the ground to 1.10m jumpers – then I will have a conversation with you and encourage you to move on as I have done with several riders over the past couple of years. Helping you develop your confidence and encouraging you. I will encourage you to move beyond your comfort level BUT NEVER beyond your or your horses ability. Teaching children is different from teaching teens and is different from teaching adults. A coach should be able to communicate the lesson of the day in a number of different ways as every one learns different ways. I estimate that I have coached about 200 riders over my time of all age ranges and am able to communicate direction and the goal of the lesson effectively. The ability to read a room: perhaps a child has had a bad day and just needs to work on a skill that doesn’t demand much from them…same with some adults. I have found over the years that many adults love to ride and have conversation. The barn is their special place and sometimes it is less about the lesson and more about having someone that is engaged and listening to them about their day.
Riding is also a community and I feel that having that support from others in the riding community is imperative.
I have recently rebranded myself, but not yet launched, from being the coach under the banner of Killerney Farm and being The EQ Factor: Connect Aspire Develop. It has taken several years for me to come to this new branding. You have heard of the X Factor, I felt the EQ FACTOR was perfect. EQ represents Equine, Equitation, and Emotional Quotient. Connect represents the connection to horses or invitation to connect with a horse. Aspire represents the rider to each for their goals whatever they may be. Develop is the development of the rider to help reach those goals.
I will mention that I am also a Certified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator – I was going to launch this side of my business several years ago but then the coaching aspect of my business grew beyond what I had anticipated and I had to side line it. I still have not launched it but do bring in the learnings to my coaching.
Personally, I am always learning, taking teaching and coaching clinics where I can. I see value in learning from all disciplines and feel if there is an opportunity, that one should experience all disciplines and not just rider in a 20m x 60m ring day after day.
Additionally, I have run a successful horse show series for over 14 years. Seeing many riders and horses from their crossrail horse show debut to watching them in a grand prix jumper ring.
I realize that this does not say a lot about my experience so I invite you to visit horseshowtime.com and do a SEARCH with my name under TRAINER from 2010 to 2021. The results I believe say a lot. These results are only for some of the shows that my crew had successes at and does not include Spruce Meadows or RMSJ in Calgary results as they do not use this program for entries and results.
I can provide reference letters for you if you like and happy to provide names and numbers for you to call."
I also competed in jumpers in Ireland and here in Canada up to 1.20m. I turned to coaching many years ago when I stepped back from competition and riding as I thoroughly enjoy working with people who have developed a passion for horses and enjoy riding and later on wanted to try their hand at jumping.
While I have been teaching for a long time and some of my present clients rode with me when they were teenagers and I now also teach their children, the last 12 years I have transitioned more from a beginner rider instructor to developing the skills of riders who wish to compete. I love the thrill of taking riders on their "firsts" their first show, their first "A" show, their first show in Calgary, their first show at Spruce Meadows.
Pre-covid I had a large program of up to 20 clients at our family's barn Killerney Farm spending the 6 weeks of holidays from my full time job on the road attending horse shows with clients from venues at Amberlea Meadows, to Pacific Equine Sport in Ponoka, to RMSJ and Spruce Meadows in Calgary, and teaching four days a week. Covid allowed me to have a break from coaching a large program and give some thought on how I wanted to move forward.
My goal is to provide coaching and support to those who want to add skills to their riding. Typically at the beginning of the year I would sit down with each rider to set goals and plan for the upcoming year. This may have included what shows they wanted to attend, if any. Where they wanted to be by the end of the year and what they wanted to accomplish in their riding. If riders want to show – great. If riders want to learn to jump so they can tackle a log on a trail ride – great.
I do not insist that you give up your present four-legged partner and spend 1000’s on an import, that you go o out and buy a new saddle, have the designer riding clothes, etc. I only make recommendations when I feel it is necessary. I get joy in working with both horse and rider to take you as far as you want to go or as far as I can take you. At a certain level it may be time to move on if you goal is to compete at upper levels and I am happy to assist you in seeking out and transitioning to another coach to take you to the next step.
Riding is about lifelong learning. There is no-one in the world that knows everything that there is to know about horses – but I do believe that riders will continue to learn and continue to evolve and have several coaches, influencers, and trainers in their life.
I typically coach right from poles on the ground to 1.10m jumpers – then I will have a conversation with you and encourage you to move on as I have done with several riders over the past couple of years. Helping you develop your confidence and encouraging you. I will encourage you to move beyond your comfort level BUT NEVER beyond your or your horses ability. Teaching children is different from teaching teens and is different from teaching adults. A coach should be able to communicate the lesson of the day in a number of different ways as every one learns different ways. I estimate that I have coached about 200 riders over my time of all age ranges and am able to communicate direction and the goal of the lesson effectively. The ability to read a room: perhaps a child has had a bad day and just needs to work on a skill that doesn’t demand much from them…same with some adults. I have found over the years that many adults love to ride and have conversation. The barn is their special place and sometimes it is less about the lesson and more about having someone that is engaged and listening to them about their day.
Riding is also a community and I feel that having that support from others in the riding community is imperative.
I have recently rebranded myself, but not yet launched, from being the coach under the banner of Killerney Farm and being The EQ Factor: Connect Aspire Develop. It has taken several years for me to come to this new branding. You have heard of the X Factor, I felt the EQ FACTOR was perfect. EQ represents Equine, Equitation, and Emotional Quotient. Connect represents the connection to horses or invitation to connect with a horse. Aspire represents the rider to each for their goals whatever they may be. Develop is the development of the rider to help reach those goals.
I will mention that I am also a Certified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator – I was going to launch this side of my business several years ago but then the coaching aspect of my business grew beyond what I had anticipated and I had to side line it. I still have not launched it but do bring in the learnings to my coaching.
Personally, I am always learning, taking teaching and coaching clinics where I can. I see value in learning from all disciplines and feel if there is an opportunity, that one should experience all disciplines and not just rider in a 20m x 60m ring day after day.
Additionally, I have run a successful horse show series for over 14 years. Seeing many riders and horses from their crossrail horse show debut to watching them in a grand prix jumper ring.
I realize that this does not say a lot about my experience so I invite you to visit horseshowtime.com and do a SEARCH with my name under TRAINER from 2010 to 2021. The results I believe say a lot. These results are only for some of the shows that my crew had successes at and does not include Spruce Meadows or RMSJ in Calgary results as they do not use this program for entries and results.
I can provide reference letters for you if you like and happy to provide names and numbers for you to call."
Western Coach: Adrian Clark
Adrian has been riding horses all his life. He grew up riding horses in parades, Gymkhana competitions, and in Open Horse Shows. He rode in Rhonda Bignell's Gymkhana Camps year after year until he grew old enough to become an Assistant Coach. Adrian has also been purchasing and training project horses since he was twelve years old. Adrian's favorite is to ride on trails, especially in the mountains.
Adrian received his Equine Canada Rider 1 Western certification in 2010. After many years as an Assistant Coach, he began coaching in 2017 and has been the Head Guide for Thunder Ridge Trails Ranch for three years. Adrian is currently in his 4th year at University of Alberta for a double major in Urban & Regional Planning, and Art. |
GYMKHANA CAMPS
FOR CHILDREN
FOR CHILDREN
After more than a decade of summer camps, we sold our lesson horses in 2022 and are no longer doing horse-supplied lessons and children's gymkhana camps at Hawkstone Stables. Thank you to all the wonderful parents who brought their children to our camps over the years! Thank you to all the fantastic kids who attended our camps, who listened and worked hard, who learned about riding and safety, who developed a passion for horses. Thank you to the many kids who returned year after year, and their parents and family who made it possible!
Much thanks to our amazing Camp Coaching Assistants over the years (most were lesson students and/or camp participants in the past): Ocean Fleming, Sheldon Bignell, Jess Rus, Katrina Doiron, Steeve Bradet, Adrian Clark, Natalie Wilson and Kamryn Dobson.
Much thanks to our amazing Camp Coaching Assistants over the years (most were lesson students and/or camp participants in the past): Ocean Fleming, Sheldon Bignell, Jess Rus, Katrina Doiron, Steeve Bradet, Adrian Clark, Natalie Wilson and Kamryn Dobson.
Hawkstone Stables
51210 Range Road 270, Spruce Grove, AB T7Y 1G7
hawkstonehorses@gmail.com
Call or Text 780-243-6882
51210 Range Road 270, Spruce Grove, AB T7Y 1G7
hawkstonehorses@gmail.com
Call or Text 780-243-6882