3/25/25 Wellington, FL - MHF consistently turned in standout performances right until the end of WEF, Week 11. Notable appearances were: Fearless leader Freddie Vazquez and NE-President Van Koekshof with a clear round in the $6,000 FEI 4* Dodd Technologies 1.45m and earned a 12th place ribbon finish in the $32,000 FEI 4* Dodd Technologies 1.50m Freddie Vazquez and NE-President Van Koekshof Sharon Watrous & Cassiko with a 2nd place finish in a very competitive Low Adult Amateur Hunter over fences. Katie Sonnenstein & Clinta 8 with a well-deserved 1st place finish in the 1.00m Junior Jumpers and Reserve Champion in the division. Hayden Hero & Midnight Ruby Tuesday with double 4ths in the Small/Medium Children’s Pony Hunters. Lindsey Streich & Highlighter with a 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the Adult Amateur Hunters 36-49

3/18/2025 - Wellington, FL As we enter the final weeks of WEF 2025, Messenger Hill Farm isn't showing signs of winding down. In fact, the jumpers shine this week with Freddie Vazquez & NE-President Van Koekshof putting in STANDOUT performances with a 5th place finish in the $6,000 FEI 4* Bainbridge Companies 1.40m and an 11th place finish in the $32,000 FEI 4* 1.50m Speed. Watch their rounds below! 1.50m speed CSI 4* 1.40m power & speed PLUS Lauren Della Valle & Farmer put in a clear to earn them a 4th place finish in the Low Child/Adult 39 & Under Training Jumper Lauren DellaValle & Farmer And Katie Sonnenstein & Clinta 8 were blazing in the 1.00m Junior Jumpers with a 4th place finish. Katie Sonnenstein & Clinta 8 One more week to go! Stay tuned!

2/11/2025—If success is in the details, then preparation is the key to unlocking potential. Don't let her warmness and charm fool you. Katie Wood is always three steps ahead with multiple contingency plans. And she is the heart behind the program at MHF South (which is now open 365 days/year!!). Always ready with a kind word, Katie has a particular talent for bringing out the brightest in her students. She says this is because she strives to be ahead of the game. Katie instructs a student at MHF South (Nature's Point) "I try to get ahead of a problem beforehand. It's much easier to do your homework before the lesson/horse show/whatever than to deal with the aftermath of unpreparedness." We've all seen the direct results of Katie's preparedness. Her students and horses always seem to be in such a tranquil place when they are at work, which is, again, by Katie's design. "This seems so obvious, but we forget that the horse's happiness is crucial. If he's unhappy, he won't want to work with us, and the rider won't get to learn. We've got to work with the horses if we want them to work with us." And work with us, they do! Katie's students are regularly in the ribbons and have a blast at ESP and WEF (which are just a short, 12-minute walk from the farm!). "When I ride with Katie, I always feel uplifted. She gives me great visual examples when I'm working on something new and constantly makes jokes, which helps me relax," says student Carolyn Lucky. And that's not all! Katie isn't just a great teacher; she's an intuitive rider. In fact, our fearless leader, Freddie Vazquez, even trusted his FEI horse, Kirschwasser SCF, AKA Kirby, with Katie all summer last year for a bit of R&R. Freddie Vazquez & Kirschwasser SCF in the CSI 5* at Traverse City. "There are few people on the planet that I trust to oversee care for my personal horses, but Katie is a top-of-the-line trainer. I didn't think twice about it. We consider her a true asset and an amazing addition to our staff," Freddie says. Lucky doesn't even cover it. We are so grateful for Katie! Our year-round program at MHF South wouldn't be possible without her! For more information on programs at Messenger Hill, shoot us an email at info@messengerhillfarm.com or call Lindsey at 859-457-9042. Katie Woods & Kirschwasser SCF "Kirby"

2/11/2025 - Our fearless leader Freddie Vazquez & NE-President Van Koekshof, owned by Joyride Eq, started off our week RIGHT in the $6,000 FEI 2* 1/ST Racing 1.45m this week, securing a 12th place ribbon finish! Freddie Vazquez & NE-President Van Koekshof PC: Sportfot Not to be outdone, newly minted 1.40m pair Elodie Watrous & Furious De Louravi made every second count with a 2nd place finish in the 1.40m Junior Jumper Speed! Elodie Watrous & Furious De Louravi PC: Sportfot Katie Sonnenstein & Clinta 8 put down a very quick and tidy round in the 1.05m Junior Jumper Classic for 2nd place! Katie Sonnenstein & Clinta 8 PC: Meg Gehron Other notables: Katie Sonnenstein & Prost place 2nd in the Children’s Hunter 15-17 U/S and multiple ribbons over fences. Meg Gehron & fan favorite Dazzle White make moves in the jumper ring. Consierge & Elodie Watrous secure a 5th place finish in the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunt Seat Medal.

2/6/25 Mettawa, IL - MHF announces 2025 Pony Camp Dates! This year, MHF is thrilled to introduce an enchanting new experience for young equestrians: the Beginner Pony Camp! Designed for children aged 7 and up, this camp offers a magical entry into the captivating world of horses. From June 24th to 28th, campers will dive into horse care essentials, mastering proper grooming techniques and basic riding skills. With a blend of hands-on experience and expert instruction, participants will learn from seasoned professionals, including veterinarians and farriers. Whether your child dreams of becoming a champion rider or simply wishes to bond with our beloved four-legged friends, this camp lays the perfect groundwork for their equestrian adventure. Don’t miss out! Learn more and apply for the Beginner Camp here . Following the incredible success of last year’s inaugural Horse Show Camp, we’re excited to bring it back, bigger and better than ever! This year’s camp will take place from June 17th - 20th, culminating in an exciting opportunity to participate in the Showplace Summertime "B" Show in Roscoe, IL, that weekend. Additionally, MHF students can take one of our amazing horses to the show, providing a unique chance to experience horse showing without the long-term commitment of leasing or owning a horse. It’s the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the thrilling world of horse showing this summer! Ready to saddle up? Learn more and apply for the Horse Show Camp here .

5/1/2024 - Our very own Lindsey Oaks, who holds down the fort at MHF North in Illinois, was featured in Chicago North Shore Moms' "Meet a Mom" Series! Read on to get to know a little more about her and what she does for us here at MHF! Hello friendly faces! It’s that time of the week! We’re back with a new Chicago North Shore Moms spotlight brought to you in part by Mary Gifford of  Gifford Law . This week, we’re shining the spotlight on the lovely brand new mom to six month old Greyson who embodies a unique entrepreneurial spirit specializing as an equine consultant, Lindsey Oaks! As a dynamic and resourceful entrepreneur, Lindsey has turned her love for horses into a thriving business, earning her accolades and respect in a competitive industry, and she holds a special place in her heart for the Mettawa-based Messenger Hill Farm , an equine center for horse lovers of all levels. With an unwavering dedication to both her clients and her beloved equines, she exemplifies innovation and excellence; her story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the rewards of following one’s passion. Learn more about Lindsey’s journey with entrepreneurship and the intricacies of the equine world along with a few personal and local favs mixed in. Welcome, Lindsey! Hi Lindsey! Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here? Hi! I’m Lindsey Oaks, an equestrian coach & consultant from South Georgia originally. Our son, Greyson, was born just this December and at five months old is keeping us on our toes! He’s a very relaxed baby but boy does he have opinions! I can’t wait to introduce him to horses when he’s a little older. I moved to the Libertyville area to work for Messenger Hill Farm back in 2018 and I LOVE it here! What are one or two fun facts to know about you? 1. My claim to fame is that I competed at the Olympic level of Three-Day Eventing (a triathlon for horses) on a shoestring budget and grit. Competing at that level was the highlight of my riding career, and yet, did not yield the business results I hoped. I was invited to write about the experience in the book “Overcoming Mediocrity: Empowered Women.” ( Read on Amazon ) 2. I once was featured in the pilot of a reality television series about women in the racehorse industry. The series didn’t move forward in that form, but it was a learning experience to be on that side of the camera!

1/30/2025 - Mettawa, IL While the MHF "A" Show team is earning ribbons down in Wellington, our "B" Show team popped over to Ledges Showplace Winter "B" Show in Roscoe, IL for a little indoor horse showing where MHF's Thumbelina ran away with the limit division and won the classic with Bennett Doran in the irons! Bennett Doran & Thumbelina Our assistant trainer, Lindsey Oaks, picked up the tri-colors in the Low Hunter and the Open Hunter Classic with MHF graduate Edward Z, owned by Jayme Hoffberg. Lindsey Oaks & Edward Z Plus, we got to see these MHF grads pick up of their own! Edward Z & Jayme Hoffberg Katie Makowiecki & Alto Detto Z Isabella Pereira & Testify

1/28/25 - Wellington, FL It's notable to collect ribbons at the Winter Equestrian Festival anytime, but quite extraordinary to continue the trend week to week. But that's just what happened last week (week 2). Lindsay Streich & Highlighter had a fairy tale weekend, taking home two 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd in the Adult Amateur 2’9” Hunters and claiming Champion of the division. An incredible showing for this new partnership. Lindsay Streich & Highlighter Our fearless leader, Freddie Vazquez, & NE-President Van Koekshof (owned by Joyride EQ) put in an impressive round in the $2,500 1.35m Open Jumper to finish 6th out of a big class of over 125 competitors. Freddie Vazquez, & NE-President Van Koekshof (owned by Joyride EQ) Other notable finishes: Lauren Della Valle & Farmer were 2nd in the Low Child/Adult 39 & Under Jumpers Elodie Watrous & I Mose VLS flew to a 4th place finish in the 1.20m Junior Jumpers Katie Sonnenstein & Prost closed out the week with a 1st in the Children 15-17 Hunter U/S and a 2nd over fences Elodie Watrous & Furious De Louravi were clear in the first round to bring home a 7th place finish in the $10,000 NAL 1.35m Junior Jumper Classic

Jodi & Freddie Vazquez | Art Bodega We have been DYING to tell this secret. Jodi and Freddie's amazing journey from love at first sight to building a legacy of excellence made the cover of Art Bodega Magazine! The photo shoot for this piece was held at our farm in Wellington, FL (Nature's Point), on a rainy day back in November, and it has been SO HARD not to spill the beans! We won't keep you! Dive into the article to learn all about the power couple behind Messenger Hill Farm, or download the article by itself below!

This article first appeared on M4E  .   September 13, 2023 - It’s our favorite time of year! Heading into Indoors, cooler weather, and pumpkin spice lattes inevitably means the winter season is just around the corner. Horse enthusiasts all over the country will pack up their stables and head south to participate in the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, some as early as October 1st!   If you’ve never been to WEF, you may be asking yourself, what is all the fuss about? It’s just another horse show after all. As WEF goers for more than a decade, Messenger Hill Farm is here to tell you exactly why you should have WEF at the top of your yearly horse show schedule.   Reason #1:   If you want to be the best, you’ve got to compete against the best. No matter what your level of competition, you’ll never know what you are really made of until you’ve tested yourself against the best in your division. When fractions of points are the difference between “Champion” and nothing, you’ll know where you really stand. WEF is the destination each year for the best national and international horses and riders. If your (or your child’s) goal is to compete at a high-performance level later in life, get in your practice under pressure in the big classes now. Don’t wait to learn to channel those types of nerves. It doesn’t get easier with time! You will get the opportunity to see firsthand what it takes to compete at the top levels and what you need to tweak in your program to be successful. Freddie Vazquez and Kirschwasser claimed the top spot in the FEI Open 1.40m CSI*** at Wellington International. Reason #2:   Don’t skimp on winter training. The best athletes in any field don’t train just half of the year. They Never Stop! In most of the country, it’s impossible to keep up a standard of training that keeps a horse and rider in top form due to the harsh weather conditions. Thinking you’ll just catch up on horse showing in the summer? Sure, you can do that. But everyone who was in Florida training over good footing and the types of jumps/courses you see in the competition arena, will just come back north and smoke you.  Create your own opportunity by keeping yourself and your horse training over the multiple surfaces needed to stay sharp. We have the perfect facilities to make it work for you.   Reason #3:   Get your money’s worth.  At first glance, six months in Wellington might seem like a big nugget. However, when you price out the amount of horse showing packed into half the year vs. what you spend traveling to other shows around the country the rest of the year, the value per dollar goes up significantly. Think about what you spend on transportation, stabling for your horse, and lodging for yourself at each show vs. the savings you get in one place for a longer time. Our horses stable at our farm where it’s a 7-minute hack or 12-minute walk to WEF showgrounds (no transport or extra stabling fees!) We can show you how to make it happen. One of the water jumps at Nature's Point (MHF South) Facilities at Messenger Hill South feature a premium sand arena, grass arena, built-in water jumps, salt-water spa, and grass turnouts. Not to mention the numerous opportunities to school at other facilities within hacking distance. If you want to be the best you can be, there is no doubt that Wellington is still the superior destination for the highest levels of training and competition. We’ve experienced first-hand how going each year levels up our riding. Our riders don’t just go to WEF to win, they go to Traverse City, Kentucky, and Tryon and bring home numerous championship ribbons for the rest of the year. We credit this to a system that is based around Florida training and competition.   Interested in learning more about heading to Florida for the winter? Email or call us directly. We love to talk about our time in Florida. (Seriously, check out our Instagram account , it’s all we talk about!) Don’t wait, we’re already making our plans and reservations!

At the time of writing, Messenger Hill Farm (MHF) is running through the most chaotic time of year: Indoor Season! With horses showing in SIX different states over the course of EIGHT weeks, we rely on plans A, B, C, & D to make it all go smoothly (and grab a few ribbons along the way 😉). Messenger Hill Farm at Tryon International. Photo by Meg Gehron One thing that most people don’t know about making this particular two-month stretch of horse shows happen is that we started planning for them years ago . You read that right. Years. We plan in 4-year, 1-year, and 6-month increments for our clients, our horses, and ourselves.   Four-Years Four-year out planning isn’t just for Olympians. Even the cross-rails competitors in the barn have goals! If your kid is jumping cross-rails now and has dreams of winning at Washington International Horse Show in the next four years, the steady-Eddie you need now may not be the stone-cold competitor you’ll need to claim Champion! Step one in laying down a road map to get where you want to go is to define where you want to go! From here, we loosely define some targets and general plans.   Example: By the end of year 1, we’d like to be laying down consistent trips in the short stirrup division. Consistent trips in the childrens by the end of year 2 and begin the search for a division winner to move up on. Spend time learning the Juniors and the new horse, earning points year 3 for a trip to Indoors year 4!   One-Year Every year, we ask, “Are we on track?” Are we smoothly checking off the list of benchmarks we set for ourselves? (It’s also noteworthy that we are continuing four-year out planning every year!)   In our example from above, we would ask, “Are our trips becoming consistent? If not, what do we need to work on to get to that place?” or, “What type of horse suits this child’s style of riding? Have we talent spotted any horses that would complement her at the bigger horse shows?”   One-year planning is key for another reason. To qualify for some of these bigger horse shows, we have to start earning points a year in advance. No time to waste! If you want to go to WIHS in October 2024, you’d better be on your game starting September 2023. It's showtime! At the gate with Freddie Vazquez at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Photo M4E   6-Months 6-month planning is for logistical work. Each month, we sit down to plan out where horses, riders, grooms, and trainers need to be six months ahead of where we are now. This is very important for catching the right flights and hotels, getting the paperwork needed for horses. We are often setting up three different plans, back-ups for when things go wrong (because inevitably… something will go wrong).   Most of the horse stuff will get planned by your trainer but if you wait until the last minute, small imperfections in the plan have large implications.   For example: After waiting until the last minute to book a flight to Washington DC, you had to fly into Baltimore instead. This made you arrive half a day later to the horse show. Your kid lost precious time to get acclimated at the show and to do a little bit of history homework. (Yes, yes, your kid won’t complain, but you will!) After feeling rushed into a quick school that afternoon, she isn’t really comfortable in the new environment the next morning jumping around the junior hunters. She misses out on third place by 1 point.   OUCH. This sounds like a stretch, but it’s not. Divisions are won and lost by less. And you spent years of planning to be here! Don’t miss out because of poor logistical planning.   It’s hard for some to wrap their head around planning so far into the future, but when you get into the habit of thinking that far ahead, magical things can happen! (One of our riders just WON at Capital Challenge! Magic!) Capital Challenge Goodies! Photo by Meg Gehron See you at Washington International Horse Show next!

Here's your chance! Whether you're in Wellington or Ocala,  Messenger Hill Farm's gorgeous new field is open for ship-in schooling and events. Come to enjoy the world-class facility located in beautiful Nature’s Point in Wellington. Messenger Hill can easily host events as well such as clinics, corporate luncheons, weddings, a morning yoga session, charity events, and more. Enjoy the facility featuring:  3 acre grass field with hill 2 in-ground water obstacles  8ft and 10ft water always properly set full course with open lines, wall, and combinations with  gorgeous SALT designed 3D printed jumps In addition to the grass arena, the property boasts a 200' X 300' jump arena, complete with top of the line  Wordley Martin footing and every type of jump available. Please call for an appointment to ship in and experience this amazing facility. In addition to the grass arena, the property boasts a 200' X 300' jump arena, complete with top of the line  Wordley Martin footing and every type of jump available. Please call for an appointment to ship in and experience this amazing facility. Need stalls? Messenger Hill usually has a few extra stalls for rent at this beautiful facility during the circuit - contact Freddie Vazquez (773) 320-3135 for details and to reserve your spot.