Liz Salas at Magnolia and All Eight Farm
Wilmington, North Carolina
By Helen Peppe
Photo: ©Flashpoint Photography Liz aboard Cupid in the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club July 2008 Grand Prix.It may be difficult to find an instructor for children who possesses both the ability to show in Grand Prixs competitively and teach youth knowledgeably, but Suzanne and Les Edwards, owners of Magnolia Farm, and Nina McLean, co-owner of All Eight Farm, have found just that individual in Elizabeth Salas. “Liz has taken my kids to a new level of riding. She has high standards, and she gets the best out of each student and each horse,” says Les whose daughters Elle and Lawson compete in the three-foot Children’s Hunter and Low Junior Jumper Divisions. “When Liz teaches a lesson, she gets everything she can out of the kids and everything she can out of the horses. The kids love her. They know it’s time to play outside the ring, and it is time to work inside the ring.”
“Liz has an incredible ability to understand my children,” says Nina. “She expects excellence and only wants their best effort. It’s not about the ribbons.” Nina’s children, Nancy Lee and Rebecca have been riding with Liz for three years. Now, they are young teenagers, both with established goals that they determined themselves and work to meet with Liz’s guidance and instruction. Nancy Lee is pursuing excellence in the 3’6” Equitation Division and Rebecca, the Children’s Jumpers. “I teach all of my students to have goals, to be very goal oriented. There are several that I truly believe will be doing this as a career,” Liz says.
Liz and students at the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club 2008 Grand Prix, left to right: Elle Edwards, Lawon Edwards, Brooke Hall, Betsy Williams, Taylor Bell, Sydney Lawrence, Caroline Caviness, Trainer Liz Salas, Mary Hannah Hardison, Nancy Lee McLean, GraceLiz began a lifelong pattern of establishing her own horse centered goals at age six with the assistance of riding instructor, Ann Thall, a teacher who instilled in Liz a dedication to excellence in the industry on and off the horse. With the support of her parents, her childhood was filled with horse shows on the weekends and lessons and practice on the weekdays, her father helping her with the horses, her mother watching from the stands. She began showing competitively at age eight in hunters and jumpers, developing standards of excellence in horse turnout, tack, sportsmanship, and interaction with other riders that she now teaches to her own students. “I see the value in what Ann instilled in me, and I want to carry that over into my program. Ann was concerned about my grades, emphasizing how important it was to be well rounded. It’s not just about the horse; it’s the people, too. It’s important to me that my kids are sportsmanlike and respect other competitors.”
Cupid’s owners, from left to right: co-owners Les and Suzanne Edwards, trainer Liz Salas, and co-owners Nina and Dickson McLean (absent: co-owner Kent Farrington).Lessons that go beyond riding technique and show etiquette are rare in an industry that is fraught with time and finance management concerns. Liz, unique from other instructors, believes that good grades, a strong work ethic, and good manners are an integral part of being a successful rider. “Liz expects excellence in everything my children do,” Nina explains, “from their attitude and behavior, to how they treat animals and each other. My girls went from ‘let’s go out to play on horses’ six days a week to setting goals and working to achieve those goals. They ride now with great pride, always seeking to improve. Liz has taught them that they represent the horse industry each time they show, and she expects them to do their best.”
Liz’s past work in the industry includes instructing riders in hunter jumper, starting babies, and managing show horses at Rolling Acres in Gainesville, Florida. In her early twenties she trained out of Winchester Farm in Vermont as an eventing and combined training student of Eric Horgan and Bevin O’Reilly before relocating to Wilmington, North Carolina, and establishing her lesson program at Magnolia Farm, a family-centered lesson and training facility. Currently, Liz competes in Grand Prix on Cupid, an Oldenburg cross, co-owned by Kent Farrington (one of the top Grand Prix riders in the country), the McLeans and the Edwards family, and is a model to her students of hard work, honesty and integrity.
These types of ideals appeal to many parents, which is indicated by the growing student base at Magnolia Farm where Liz is the sole instructor and trainer. The McLean family has established their own barn, All Eight Farm, to accommodate Liz’s expanding lesson program. Located just four short miles from Magnolia, All Eight Farm is named for the eight grandchildren that own it. Liz works out of both barns, accepting only students’ horses into the sister lesson facility. Liz feels, herself, a strong family connection to all her students and their parents. “These girls are like my sisters. I can’t even put into words how special this group is or describe how well we work together. I could work anywhere else in this country, and I would never find clients like these again.”
For more information contact Liz Salas at 910-470-2177, Esalas911@gmail.com or Nina McLean at 910-279-0967, dmclean2@ec.rr.com.
