Waters Edge Farm :: Sykesville Maryland

Liz and Natalie want to thank everyone that helps us make the Waters Edge Farm Event Team
such a success! Everything we do is a team effort that requires hours of dedication and hard
work - from running a boarding stable, caring for the event horses and competing them,
breeding horses and starting them under saddle, preparing horses for sale, and taking care
of the daily things at the farm to keep Waters Edge looking so nice and running smoothly!
These people are vital to our success in all aspects!

Lesley Long
Lesley has been a boarder who has helped us out at the barn since the very beginning! Besides helping to run things in the barn, Lesley is vital in helping with the young horses. A very patient person, she helps to break and start the horses under saddle as well as train the youngsters. Lesley is also a trainer here and teaches lower level riders and competes horses at the lower levels herself. She has passed the ICP test to obtain her Level 1 certification. Lesley is also an excellent groom at events and helps out everyone at the farm in many ways! Lesley is also excellent with her veterinary knowledge and helps to care for any illness or injury and always has time to pitch in with whatever is needed to be done around the farm! We couldn't do it without her! She is one of the people we rely on when we are away from the farm - we know all is in good hands!

Kerri Long
Kerri is Lesley's daughter and has been with us since the opening of the farm as well. Kerri had ridden some before, but had never competed prior to coming to WEF. Kerri has excelled with her riding abilities and now competes many of the horses for sale at the farm. She is currently preparing to move up to the Intermediate level on a WEF horse she has brought along over the past 2 years from the Novice level! Kerri also helps to break the youngsters and can ride anything we put her on while also teaching lessons to lower level riders. We are very lucky to have her here! Kerri also assists in the barn around her college schedule and is always willing to pitch in and help where needed! Kerri also lives at the "other farm" where we keep our youngsters and takes care of their feeding and handling until they are at an age where they are ready to come over to WEF and be started. Kerri is another vital person when we are away from home -- as well as she is always Natalie's babysitter for her 3 dogs (A VERY IMPORTANT JOB!!).

The Working Students
The working students are very important to the running of WEF. They care for the horses, ride the horses, groom the horses at events, and basically help to do everything around the farm! Without a great team of working students, we could not function! Learn more about this program on the working students' page and see pics of the current working students.

Dean Geis and Jim McKeown
Dean is Liz' farrier and Jim is Natalie's farrier. They are vital to the soundness of our event horses as well as the boarders' horses. We rely on them a lot, and they are always willing to come out when a shoe is off and help us fix problem feet! As the saying goes - no hoof, no horse!

Dr. Peter Radue
Dr. Radue of Damascus Equine is the barn vet. He assists the WEF horses, as well as the boarders' horses, with lameness, illness, and regular care. Many thanks for all the care he has given us and our horses!

Dr. Sean Bowman (see his website)
Sean is a vet for Piedmont Equine Practice and was Natalie's vet while she was at Phyllis'. Sean still helps Natalie (as well as Liz) with her upper level event horses and maintaining their soundness. His knowledge of event horses and the USEF/FEI is very valuable!

Spurlock Equine Associates
Drs. Gary and Shauna Spurlock are a vet clinic we use a lot for further diagnostics or surgery. They helped to repair a "fractured into a million pieces" splint bone on Leggs in 1998 and Natalie has trusted them 100% ever since!

The WEF Boarders and Clients
Huge thanks to all our boarders and clients! They make us the successful barn we are as well as being understanding when we are away from the barn. We are excited to have so many successful students out there competing too - see the lessons page for pictures of everyone!

Ryan Thomas
Ryan is Liz's boyfriend and is also a farm "handy man" on his time off from his day job! Ryan has helped to build the roundpen, cut down trees, and fix the things the horses break all the time. He is another reason that the farm looks so nice!

Virginia Benz
Virginia is a long time friend of Natalie's family and supporter of her and her riding. Virginia owns High-Tech, Ready to Rock, and Hot Chilly Tilly. Virginia breeds her own horses and has many she is preparing for the future for Natalie! She also keeps a broodmare for Liz at her farm, Rosewood Hill, that has produced two outstanding foals for WEF for the future from her own stallion. Natalie is very thankful for all the opportunities Virginia has given to her.

Phyllis Dawson (see her website)
Phyllis Dawson is a Level 4 ICP certified instructor and Olympian (1988 Eventing Team). Natalie orginally came out east to be a working student for Phyllis many, many years ago and has trained with her ever since. Phyllis' help has been vital to Natalie's success with so many horses! Natalie values Phyllis' friendship just as much and has a lot of fun traveling with her - the pair went to Bulgaria horse shopping a couple years ago! Natalie also relies on Phyllis to help her find horses to buy, as does Liz, and our WEF clients! It's great getting nice horses from someone you trust so much!

Amanda Draper (see her website)
Besides being our web designer and keeping the site up to date, Amanda owns Quintessential - the talented mare that Natalie is currently competing! Amanda also comes out to groom at almost every event. Amanda is an exceptional groom - having worked for Phyllis, the O'Connors, and Steven Bradley in the past! We are lucky to have her!

Shelly Millet
Shelly is one of our grooms - she started off here taking lessons and quickly wanted to do more! She learned to event on Natalie's retired advanced event horse, High-Tech, and now co-owns and competes Piano Man as well as helping around the barn and grooming almost every weekend! Shelly has been outstanding and we are lucky to have her as well!

The Barn Workers
Many people pitch in to help when the staff and working students are away showing. A big thanks goes out to all of the boarders and students that come out to muck stalls, ride, feed, and turnout/bring in horses when needed - as well as pitch on on holidays too! We couldn't do it without you!