Sarah Russell took horse-riding lessons when she was 4.
At age 7, she got her first American Saddlebred.
By the time she was 15, she was a world champion equestrian.
“It’s just my passion,” Russell said.
Now, it’s her business as well.
(Courtesy of Sarah Russell)
Russell opened Sarah Russell Stables Oct. 1, with a 24-stall barn, covered arena and a half-dozen training horses. She lives on the property, located at 29319 Hadlock Drive in Wesley Chapel, with her husband, Ross, and son, Kellan.
They’ll host a free Fall Festival event on Nov. 29 to serve as an open house of sorts, and introduce the business to the community.
Russell has worked in stables locally, and in places like Kentucky.
The 29-year-old has spent her life competing and caring for horses, and has noticed the good and bad characteristics of various stables.
She has taken the best of her experiences and put them into one Wesley Chapel business.
“I think the Wesley Chapel area is really an untapped market for our business. It’s such a growing and booming town, it was a great opportunity to start something like (a new stable) there.”
Russell has taken advantage of the opportunity by offering riding lessons for all levels of riders. She specializes in saddleseat training, a challenging discipline which requires riders to handle a double bridle when guiding their horse. As a competitive rider, Russell claimed multiple national and world championships, and memorabilia of her titles are displayed at her business.
But, you don’t have to be an aspiring world champion to get something out of horse riding, she said. She’s taught adults who had never been on a horse, and they came away with a new passion and pastime. One adult student went from never riding before to owning three horses.
While grownups can enjoy valuable experiences by riding, children and young adults learn lessons that stay with them when they’re out of the saddle.
“It’s such a commitment. It teaches you dedication, and determination and hard work,” Russell said. “You learn to develop a connection between you and your horse which is so good for so many other aspects of life.”
The stalls are already filling up with students who board their horses there, and Russell keeps the training up even when the owners aren’t around. The students still come by frequently to bond with their horse, she said.
Russell and her husband are originally from Michigan. When they moved to the area, they lived in a more traditional subdivision.
But, that wasn’t the life she wanted, and having her own business on 18 acres suits her much better.
Her husband is a veterinarian whose office also is on the property, and Kellan, while only 2, already enjoys being around and sitting on horses.
In a couple of years, he’ll be his mother’s age when she started taking lessons, and Russell believes he’ll take to it like she did.
Owning a stable isn’t easy, Russell admits.
While she already has clients whose horses get trained on a daily basis, there’s still a lot of work to do less than two months into her new career.
“It’s a lot of work. It’s a big undertaking and a huge commitment, but it’s what I’ve always wanted to do, so it’s a great thing,” she said. “It’s totally worth it. Every minute of it.”
The Fall Festival will run from noon until 4 p.m. It will include local vendors, face painting, a bounce house and pony rides. For information about the festival or the stables, contact Russell at (810) 955-5023 or .
Published November 18, 2015
