Forty one years is a lot of riding experience. Couple that with the level of success that Carleton Brooks of Uphill Farms, Inc. has had over the years and the result is a top hunter/jumper trainer. Carleton started his professional training career by apprenticing with Butch and Lu Thomas at their Willow Tree Farms in Portola Valley. A native of Fort Wayne, IN., he drove across the country in 1975 to pursue this opportunity.
Six years later Carleton created Uphill Farm, Inc. on the grounds of the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton. He spent 19 years there and his list of achievements reads like a “who’s who” list; Leading Hunter Rider of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and the National Horse Show, and the Indio Desert Circuit and Grand Hunter Champion of The National Horse Show. One year alone he ranked second nationally, led the AHSA Zone l0 in two divisions, and second in two divisions, won the $50,000 East Meets West Hunter Challenge and earned American Hunter/Jumper Federation World Champion Hunter Rider Awards for the Southwest region. Carleton is also a four-time recipient of the Don Tipton Award, a Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association honor that is presented to the professional or amateur winning the most champions and reserves in a rated division for the year.
Carleton’s goal throughout his career has been to produce and promote the finest show horses and riders to compete and win on a national level. He is one of a handful of California trainers to take horses and their riders to the most competitive series of indoor shows across the country. Carleton doesn’t just simply instruct his clients, he educates, motivates and inspires them. He credits his quest to communicate with the horse to a man he greatly admired, the late Jimmy Williams ,who was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1989.
Now based in the San Diego community of Rancho Santa Fe, Carleton is accepting new clients and horses for training. “I’ve worked with a lot of horses who need to be understood and that’s one of my natural talents,” says Carleton. “In addition to working with promising horses, what I’m looking for at this point in my career are clients who are interested in taking the time to do it right by building a foundation.”
A respected judge, Carleton has officiated at the prestigious Devon Horse Show, the Kentucky National Horse Show, the Washington International Horse Show and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. He also conducts clinics for fellow professionals as well as designs courses
An Impressive String of Horse Successes
Carleton has been instrumental in the selection, development and success of such wonderful hunters as Doubletake, Trinity, Vested, Play With Fire, Calvin, Inspired and Buccelatti. Just For Fun alone won AHSA Horse of the Year, champion at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and the Washington International Horse Show, and reserve champion at The National Horse Show. Vested was champion at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Trinity earned champion of the Washington International Horse Show. Corporate Profit was champion at The National Horse Show and Centerstage earned the AHSA Horse of the Year as well as champion honors at the Indio Desert Circuit three years running.

Clients Who Win Big at Big Shows
His students have competed on a national level for many years and include national champions in both the junior and amateur divisions. Kelly Robinson won AHSA Horse of the Year, in addition to the $10,000 Senators Cup and champion at the Washington International Horse Show, riding Count on Me. Margaret O’Meara won reserve champion at the National Horse Show on Step Aside and the Indio Desert Circuit Champion on Trinity. Leslie Bulechek was the Indio Desert Circuit Reserve Champion on Inspired. Matthew Sereni was the Reserve Circuit Champion of the Indio Desert Circuit. Nicole Schiller was the Circuit Champion of the Indio Desert Circuit. All of these horses were trained by Carleton.
For more information, contact Carleton Brooks at 760-774-1211.