Madison Stephens
Head Trainer
Madison’s horse journey started at the age of 11 when her mother discovered a picturesque stable down the street from their house in Marriottsville, Maryland. Both her and her mother took a lesson and were immediately hooked! They had the pleasure of learning from trainer Shelly Bulman who was a flatwork master and had worked for Olympic Dressage riders. Madison is a huge proponent of quality flatwork for horses of all disciplines. Madison’s first pony was plucked out of a backyard in the neighborhood, and she worked to train the pony up to be a pony finals contender multiple years in a row. She then took on a green 4-year-old pony and trained her to compete in the large greens at Pony Finals as well. The remainder of her junior career was spent with a focus on the equitation discipline where Madison trained with equitation expert Kim Williams and qualified for all major medal finals. Her equitation horse was however sold shortly before the finals so she did not have a chance to compete. After the sale of her equitation horse “Cooper” Madison took on every catch ride she could competing in both the jumper and hunter disciplines. She then discovered her love for the jumper ring and that is where her heart has been ever since.
Madison spent a lot of her college career picking up rides and work wherever she could outside of her studies. She gained a lot of knowledge from fantastic horsemen including Andrea King and catch riding horses for Sergio Rodriguez at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. She finished her studies graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Risk Management and Insurance and a minor in Actuarial Mathematics. After attaining her degree, she received the blessing from her parents to try riding professionally as her full-time career.
She shortly made the move down to Puebla, Mexico to work and train with Olympian Gustavo Ramos at the prestigious Quintas Ecuestres facility. Her international experience also included competing at venues in Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende. After returning to the United States, Madison wanted to continue to experience new places and ways of equestrian lifestyle. She ventured out West and worked for top West Coast professionals such as Allison Kroff in Scottsdale, Arizona and Heatherly Davis in Moorpark, California. Madison trained and competed both client and sales horses up to 1.40m jumpers and hunter derbies. Madison was extremely successful in both the hunter and jumper disciplines across the state of California at venues such as the Desert International Horse Park, Galway Downs in Temecula, Del Mar Horse Park, and the Colorado Horse Park. She also gained valuable experience coaching clients of all ages in both disciplines and top equitation competitors.
Towards the end of 2023, Madison had the opportunity to move back to the East Coast closer to her family and work for Georgy Maskrey-Segesman at Whitethorne’s new East Coast location in Aiken, South Carolina. At Whitethorne she got to hone her skills at managing, preparing, and coaching equitation clients and horses. She worked with a lot of newly imported horses from Germany and helped develop them to be top equitation horses while also gaining valuable experience in the upper-level jumper ring. She had a lot of success competing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala and revisited some familiar showgrounds such as Tryon International Equestrian Center and Bruce’s Field in Aiken.
Madison took a brief hiatus from the intensive traveling and showing career and spent some time reconnecting with family at their new home in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Madison kept in riding shape working as a freelance rider and continued to compete on the North Carolina show circuit at the Carolina Horse Park, Tryon, and Raleigh. Recently Madison has gotten back on track to her goals of competing at the Grand Prix level and establishing clientele of her own to take on the road with her to some of the East Coast’s most prestigious venues! She will be competing in the upper-level jumpers with HVF owned horses and sales horses as well as continuing the preparation and coaching of clients in all disciplines.
Shawdee Naimy
Assistant Trainer
Shawdee’s journey into the world of horses began during childhood when she discovered a deep connection with horses while attending camp in Tennessee. This experience opened her eyes to the beauty of the equestrian lifestyle, sparking a lifelong love for horses that has shaped her career ever since.During her teenage years, Shawdee dedicated herself to learning every aspect of horse care and riding. She spent countless hours working with different horses, from experienced fox hunters to green horses, gaining valuable hands-on experience and competing in local horse shows to build her skills.In 2012, after returning to San Francisco, Shawdee continued her equestrian journey as a dedicated working student for Cassandra Keith at Five Star Equestrian while pursuing her academic interests, obtaining her degree in Anthropology at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California.
Shawdee advanced her career by working as assistant trainer and barn manager for Kelley Lafond at Vintage Lane, LLC. Under Kelley, a winner of the prestigious NorCal Medal Finals, the equitation-focused program produced winners in equitation rings across California. During her time at Vintage Lane, Shawdee was instrumental in importing two successful sales horses, Snap Chat and Easygoing, both of which became highly competitive in the hunter rings.She then served as an assistant to John Charlebois at Charlebois Farm, home to one of the finest fleets of horses in Northern California and known for its junior/amateur-owner hunter/jumper program. Under John’s mentorship, Shawdee gained invaluable insights from him and his collaborations with Olympic-level riders such as Will Simpson, Matt Williams, and top US hunter rider Bert Mutch.
The technical precision and competitive edge that defined Charlebois Farm significantly influenced Shawdee’s training philosophy.Before relocating to Knoxville, Shawdee worked with Kim Chilcote at Pyramid Sport Horses, a program renowned for its balanced focus on both hunter and jumper disciplines. This experience rounded out her versatility as a trainer and deepened her understanding of both competitive arenas.Throughout her California career, Shawdee was based at the prestigious Portola Valley Training Center, a hub for top-tier equestrian professionals where she collaborated with some of the industry’s most respected trainers and riders. This environment fostered a community of excellence that shaped her professional standards and approach.Throughout her career development, Shawdee has had the privilege of working with and learning from numerous top professionals in the industry through clinics, specialized training sessions, and collaborative projects. These diverse influences have contributed significantly to her well-rounded approach to training and course design.
In 2018, Shawdee founded her own hunter/jumper training program, Ashva Equestrian, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Under her guidance, the program thrived, with students achieving success in the competition ring and horses being successfully trained for sale.A few years later, Shawdee relocated to Chattanooga, where she decided to focus on developing her personal horse, Honey, while scaling back her full-time training. However, her passion for the equestrian world remained strong, and she soon returned to the industry, continuing to build on her nearly 15 years of professional experience.Today, Shawdee is a USEF licensed Regional Hunter Course Designer and is working toward her USHJA Trainer Certification (to be completed by June 2025), with plans to expand her competitive ambitions to National and International Derbies. She is also pursuing further education for her small “r” license as a USEF Hunter Course Designer, reflecting her unwavering dedication to the equestrian field. Shawdee is ecstatic to be part of Happy Valley Farms, where she contributes to the thriving growth of the hunter jumper industry in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. She takes immense pride in witnessing and participating in this regional equestrian renaissance, helping to elevate the sport locally while fostering community among riders and trainers alike.Beyond her work with horses, Shawdee enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Michael, and their three dogs. Together, they enjoy outdoor adventures, exploring new culinary experiences, and traveling to scenic destinations.
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