Pine Ridge Equestrian Center, LLC

10/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1JjEM7hUfR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

5 Things As a Horse Trainer I Will NOT Apologize For.

1. Putting the horse first.
Your goals, your timeline, and your ribbons will never be more important than the horse standing in front of me.

2. Telling you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.
You pay me for my knowledge, experience, and professional opinion. Sometimes that means having uncomfortable conversations.

3. Expecting accountability.
Progress requires effort outside of your weekly lesson. You cannot expect extraordinary results from ordinary commitment.

4. Protecting my time.
My time, just like yours, has value. Boundaries, schedules, and policies aren’t personal. They’re part of running a professional business.

5. Refusing to rush the process.
Good horses aren’t made overnight. Neither are good riders. There are no shortcuts around patience, consistency, correct training, and putting in the work.

10/23/2026

In 15 years of both covering this sport and riding with Emily Elek, I have never written an article about her, Piper Klemm writes. To know her is to know that the journalism needed to capture her would be almost impossible. I’ve never been up for the challenge. I’ve tried to pay others to capture her, to see her in a certain light, yet all of those drafts have either never arrived or fallen lifeless on the page.

This was finally the year we got a photoshoot, and as I sit here worrying about whether I will get her right, I am reminded, with some relief, that she doesn’t care. She doesn’t care what this article says, what the internet says, or much of anything else happening in the world. All she wants to do is train ponies.

When I decided that we needed to give away a pony in an essay contest of the May/June 2026 issue of The Plaid Horse, I picked up the phone to make the obvious call to Elek, the owner of Stonewall Ponies- Emily Elek, in Ixonia, Wisconsin.

As a trainer who has qualified more than a thousand ponies for Pony Finals and built one of the largest pony breeding, training, sales, and leasing operations in the country, I asked Elek, “Can we give away a pony in an essay contest?”

“Yes,” Elek said without hesitation, before asking the only question that could possibly matter to her.

“Can I pick out which pony?”

That answer sums up Elek: her signature nervous giggle and an instant “yes,” followed by the insistence on choosing the right animal for the job. She’s built an improbable career around doing the right thing and giving back, a philosophy that has made her one of the most influential pony trainers in America.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/10/19/the-pony-maven-emily-elek-and-the-long-game/
📸 Emily in Wellington, Florida, this winter with Sugarbrook Positron Blue (left) and Quicksilver High Note (right).

10/21/2026

Sneakers…he’s going places!!❤️🐴👟

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1WUaWd9u2v/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Cherrybrook Sneak Peak at World Equestrian Center 🌟

10/20/2026

Let them go on a good day……Rest in Peace Ernie.

Another special one crossed the rainbow bridge today. He’s taught more kids to ride than I can count. Anyone who rides remembers that special horse they learned on. The one who kept them on top for their first trot, their first time with no stirrups, their first canter and maybe even their first fall. Ernie helped with so many firsts. (Not the falls of course, because he was perfect). He’s next to Bernie now and will be missed. Love you Ernie🐴❤️

10/18/2026

Congratulations Carlie Pudlowski!! A freshman at UW LaCrosse, Carlie participated in her first IHSA horseshow this weekend at the Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. She earned a first and a second for her team! Way to start the season🐴🏆

Carlie has been a working student at PineRidge for two years now and is not only an amazing student but an excellent role model around our farm. We are all cheering for you Carlie. Good luck this year!

10/18/2026

We would like to introduce our third recipient of the Lainie Beth Litwin Scholarship Award. Congratulations Avery!

Hi! My name is Avery Osterlund. I am a senior at Wesy Iron County High School. In my free time, I enjoy weightlifting, riding horses, and rodeo pageantry. I am so excited to receive this scholarship as it will allow me to expand my horsemanship education. I will use it to attend rodeo queen and roping clinics! I plan to improve and train my new horse, Navy, to become my rope horse. I also plan to continue my Rodeo Queen journey. This scholarship will assist me in reaching said goals. Thank you to the Litwin family.

10/17/2026

Our second recipient of the Laine Beth Litwin Scholarship is Jessica Kadlec. Jessica is 16 years old and from Eagle River. Jessica rides western pleasure at Haven Pines and has started vaulting. She would like to compete on a team when she goes to college.

We have given six $500 scholarships this year, one more than last year! Our goal is to help support the interests of future equestrians in all disciplines and aspects of horsemanship.

PineRidge Equestrian Center and the Eagle River Hunter/Jumper Show would like to thank all of our sponsors who make these scholarships available. We would not be able to do this without the help of local businesses and friends. Thank you!

10/16/2026

Congratulations to one of our Laine Beth Scholarship Award winners, Abigail Raddatz. Abigail is from Three Lakes and is 16 years old. She has been riding for twelve years and currently participates in a drill team with Erin Sharp. She plans to attend Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, MO.

We have given six $500 scholarships this year, one more than last year! Our goal is to help support the interests of future equestrians in all disciplines and aspects of horsemanship.

PineRidge Equestrian Center and the Eagle River Hunter/Jumper Show would like to thank all of our sponsors who make these scholarships available. We would not be able to do this without the help of local businesses and friends. Thank you!

10/16/2026

A fun day of learning about curiosity, connection and a touch of liberty work at PineRidge yesterday! Huge thank you to Nick Rivera, with The Groundwork Guys, for coming to the Northwoods! We promise to make you proud when you come back in the spring!