by Cheryl Erpelding
Kelly Maddox is one of Northern California’s favorite leading hunter/jumper trainers. She wanted to share her inspiring story, which she hopes will help others facing similar fears regain their strength in mind, body, and soul.
She writes, “As a young rider my two biggest attributes were strength and mental discipline. I crashed and fell and always got back on with grit and determination. However, when I turned 50, which was just before COVID-19 in 2020, I started menopause, broke my knee in half, gained 20lbs, had foot and ankle surgery and my back hurt so bad I could barely lift my dog’s food bowls. My brain and body were a mess.”
“This was very hard to admit as a trainer. I felt I must always appear brave, strong, and confident. I didn’t feel this way inside and it was heart-wrenching. I tried showing and fell off a couple more times, broke some fingers, but most importantly, I broke my heart. I had lost my joy.”
“At the end of last year, I saw a picture of myself at a show: slouchy, heavy, and sad. This was my wake-up call and the beginning of my motivation to make a change. I started walking my dogs, Tom and Jerry, four to five days per week, which they loved. I went to a pilates class two times a week, worked out with an awesome trainer weekly, lifted weights in my gym, and I started a morning ritual of declaring positive affirmations to the universe.”
“Soon after, I jumped a course at home with Anne Mooney, a part-time trainer at my farm, who whooped and cheered me on. It felt good. At the Woodside spring show this past spring, I did the 3’3 performance hunter classes, and I am proud of myself and currently reminding myself to stay positive. Thank you Alex Wehrman for keeping it positive and fun. Thank you, to my sister Kieran Dulik for cheering me on from home. Thank you Emmy Shao for letting me ride your perfect Ciabatta. On that day I told myself, ‘Today was a good day. I am proud of myself. I am strong. My heart is full. Today was joyful.’”
“I share this story as a reminder to be kind to yourself. Tell yourself that, ‘You are capable, you are strong, and you are confident…if you want it badly enough keep working towards your goal!’”
The past three years have convinced Kelly to convey to her riders the importance of maintaining a high level of fitness to be successful and to build confidence as a rider. Rider skill is important, but without athleticism and mental confidence, success in the show ring will be harder to obtain. After sharing her comeback story on Facebook, others would often come up to Kelly to share their own personal stories of struggle. Kelly had no idea this post would be so relatable by so many. Setting goals with her team is also an important component of Kelly’s program. Riders are invited to text Kelly at 8 in the morning to see if any horses need hacking to help them achieve their workout goals. With a busy riding school program, frequently her riders can hop on another mount to keep themselves fit and help keep the school horses exercised. She also encourages them to add in other workouts to cross-train to help them improve their rider fitness levels.
Kelly Maddox Training KMT has been at their 27-acre farm in Pleasanton, CA, the former Denville Kanani facility for three years now. Already a stunning equestrian facility, they have recently added a viewing stand. Watching others is of course another great way to improve one’s riding skills. Owning her farm has been a time of growth, learning, and a dream come true. The peacefulness of the farm and sharing it with her family has been as Kelly states, “Awesome!” Working with her sister has been a positive experience as they get along great and can talk through ideas to keep making KMT better every month that goes by.
Besides their training program for horses and riders, they run a busy riding school program and usually have 7-8 trainers helping coach the riders. One of their upcoming clinics Nov. 2, is a CPR Certification, which Kelly requires all her trainers to have. December 14th, KMT will be hosting a judge’s clinic with Melissa Kalember. Continued education on and off the horse has always been a priority in Kelly’s program.
This month Kelly is taking six of her junior riders who qualified to ride in the USHJA National Horse Show in Las Vegas with riders aged 11-15. They are all up-and-coming riders and will be showing in the .70 up through the 1.10m levels.
Headed to the Las Vegas show this month are:
• 1.10m: Anthony Pizzi & Noorderlicht
• .90m: Grace Hayes & Dexter C
• .90m: Kendall Herring & Gadget Girl
• .80m: Shree Bala & Portofino
• .70m: Kinsley Pak & Frozen
• Low Children’s Hunters & Equitation: Iris Wang & Assomount de Reville
To learn more about Kelly Maddox Training visit www.kellymaddoxtraining.com or call 925-575-4818.
