Featured in Arabian Horse Times
Kirsten McKillop, her amateurs, and their horses have more than lived up to their farm name, Elite Equestrian, in their first year as a group. They found particular success at the recent U.S. Nationals, where they gathered six reserve national championships and eight national championships. McKillop was in the winner’s circle a vast majority of the classes Elite Equestrian had a horse participating in. If it wasn’t an open class where she was aboard one of the winning horses, she was proudly holding the bridle of one of the amateur horse and rider combinations she prepared. Like the two times both the national champion and reserve national champion were Elite Equestrian horses. It happened first for husband and wife Andrew and Lindsay Smith with their Half-Arabian hunters Naughty by Nature WA (Ch.) and Lady Marmalade WA (Res. Ch). Then, Bridget Smith and Lindsay Smith did it again in the ABS Arabian Hunter Pleasure Jackpot with their horses Spitfire Bey V (Ch.) and Fuzion Afire NNW (Res. Ch)
She and many of her clients admit the results of the 2024 U.S. Nationals were nearly unbelievable, not because they felt their horses and riders didn’t deserve their success, but because accomplishing so many victories in one week across the board of open and amateur classes is not something many people can do.
“The most rewarding part of nationals this year was watching so many combinations of horses and riders come together to achieve one goal,” McKillop shared about her barn’s standout performance.
McKillop added five sets of national roses to her resume, with a national championship ride in the AHPA Arabian Hunter Pleasure Futurity with Aria Vixxen along with reserve championships in the Arabian Hunter Open with Spitfire Bey V, Arabian Hunter Junior Horse with MSU Margaux, AHPA Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure Futurity with Lets Talk About Psax, and Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure Futurity with Magnolia OHS.
The owners of these horses all spoke out with immense admiration and gratitude for Kirsten’s work ethic as a professional and the culture she has curated at her barn.
“Kirsten and the barn are family to me, and that sense of community is what makes Elite so special” Bridget Smith, owner of Spitfire Bey V and a longtime student of McKillop said. She added, “my favorite moment from the show was going champion and reserve with Lindsay Smith in the Jackpot—it truly embodied the support and camaraderie we have here.”
Those statements should be affirmations for McKillop who said, “my clients make it so easy to want to give 110% back to them for trusting me with part of their family. I knew I wanted a barn that people felt would support one another and they could enjoy.”
McKillop’s hopes matching with Bridget’s experience shows that Elite Equestrian has successfully become a place where those who choose to call it “home” can thrive. She had a variety of goals when starting her own business. Although show ring success is a huge bonus, the goals she spoke most often of were creating a welcoming environment and being someone who her peers can look up to. McKillop expanded on her initial statement by saying that, “I’m sure my goals will forever be changing. I think you can always do better; and I think you can always be better.”
McKillop valuing being someone that others can look to for support, guidance, and encouragement is great for the future of the Arabian industry. As a young trainer in the business, it’s important to portray and exude that kind of behavior as these next generations of professionals come to be. She considers herself lucky to have learned some great tactics by many of the most accomplished trainers in the business.
In particular, she reflected on time spent working for Wendy Potts and Jon Ramsay, saying that both taught her aspects of the industry that she utilizes often. She added many other familiar names to her list of people she looked up to over the years including: Liz Bentley, Cynthia Burkman, Rich Doran, and Sally Randle, along with the late Vickey Bowman and LaRae Fletcher Powell.
McKillop’s mom Jill Mitchell is (of course) in a category of her own in her daughter’s eyes. Mitchell is also a horse trainer, so McKillop has spent her life having a front-row seat to the ins and out of running a training barn. It is no huge surprise that she found herself on a similar career path after completing her schooling.
“There aren’t enough words to describe the role that my mom has played for my career,” she shared. “My mom is the epitome of a true horsewoman. She has always taught me to read the horses and try to understand them to get to where you want to go. I have looked up to her my whole life. She is the most patient trainer I have ever met.”
After speaking with many of McKillop’s clients, it’s very clear she learned and exemplifies lots of things from her mom. Owner of Lets Talk About Psax, Debbie McCarthy’s favorite thing about her trainer was very reminiscent of the words Kirsten had to share of her mom, specifically mentioning her patience.
“One of the things I admire most about Kirsten’s training style is her ability to remain calm and patient, no matter the situation,” McCarthy complimented. “She is incredibly in tune to her horses and tailors each lesson to the individual needs of the horse and the rider.”
McKillop’s patience is not only a learned behavior from her mom, but a very intentional part of her program. This meaningful pause gives her a chance to get to know each horse as an individual. She also says although most of her training string is hunter pleasure horses, she uses training techniques from many different disciplines to prepare. She grew up riding a lot of working western horses – particularly reiners – and did a fair share of jumping during her time at Fresno State.
“I’m not always the fastest trainer, and I think every horse learns at different speeds the same way people do,” McKillop reflected. “I try to incorporate different disciplines in different breeds into my training program because Arabians are so smart. Giving your horses as many tools as possible makes them better.”
Nearly every client had the same answer to what drew them to the Elite Equestrian program – Kirsten’s dedication to each horse. Her aforementioned patience and hardworking attitude were also consistent across the board. Both Smith families, two of McKillop’s longest clients, were particularly in sync.
“Kirsten knows every horse in her barn like the back of her hand and treats them as if they were her own,” Lindsay and Andrew Smith shared. Bridget Smith answered, “Kirsten treats every horse on the farm as family. That love and care make this barn feel like home. And whether it’s a win or a loss, she feels it as her own.” Both Smith families have seen her through multiple years and programs, so their perspective is a testament to how successfully she has reached her goals.
The conclusion is clear, McKillop has made herself her business – utilizing not only her professional skills, but the personality traits that make her, her. People have lots of choices when it comes to qualified trainers, but there is only one Kirsten McKillop. And for the clients of Elite Equestrian she is more than they could ever ask for.
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