A History With Horses
As a child, I demonstrated an encompassing love for horses
and a desire to make them a part of my life. My parents needed to find me a suitable
place to ride, after many rental stables proved to be unsafe. Lessons ensued and the
need for a first horse, which turned out to be a pony named Colonel. The show ring
followed with me competing by age groups, then division and with that process the need for
better mounts. I continued showing through high school and won many divisions in
saddle seat equitation including four AHSA Saddle Seat Equitation medals, which qualified
me for the finals at Madison Square Gardens.
These goals had to be put on hold as college became a
priority. I studied animal science at the University of Florida. During that
time in college, I lived in Ocala, Florida. It's an area of thoroughbred horse
breeding. I worked for farms breaking yearlings for the race track. It took a
lot of nerve and sometimes I wonder how I survived. This experience kindled a great
interest in training horses for the track, when I realized I could have a career in the
horse industry.
I continued working my way up the ropes of the race track
and, when I graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelors degree in animal
science, I decided to pursue my trainer license. Through contacts that I had made,
while working for the various farms, I was able to get a start at the New Jersey race
track, Monmouth Park. I obtained my state trainers license and worked for some
wonderful people that gave me my first break into racing.
However, I still wanted to return to Florida and race on the
Florida circuit. Alone, it was difficult to break into the highly competitive,
tight-knit world that was run by large powerful stables. It took everything in me
not to give up as it seemed every step was a test of endurance and conviction to succeed.
I was fortunate, however, to have horses possessing ability
and talent, which helped to open doors and promote my own talents as a trainer.
Believe me, you don't learn the art of training horses from a person or people. You
learn from your daily experiences. Your success depends on how you deal with the
decisions you make and the consequences.
I continued at the tracks in Florida and built a public
racing stable of 20 horses. During that time, I trained for Keith Wold, to whom, I
will always be thankful. The horses he gave me to train were fine. Our
successes were many, as Dr. Wold's horses won many high caliber stake races - including, a
Kentucky Derby prospect and a Breeder's cup prospect. Through Keith Wold, I met his
daughter Diana.
It was an interesting partnership that began with the two of
us. Diana's father asked us to set up a stable of pleasure horses on his ranch in
Okeechobee, Florida. Triple Diamond Ranch had once been the broodmare farm for his
race horses. The same horses that I trained for him. When Diana and I got to
work on the ranch, we had existing horses there, which happened to be Morgans that her
father had bought. The Morgans really struck a great love in Diana and for me it was
a return to a breed of horse that I once showed and loved.
I eventually moved to the ranch, because I wanted a slower
paced life style and one that I could pursue riding dressage with Morgan horses.
Diana has a mission to breed sport Morgans with a sensitivity to special qualities that I
find make a great horse. And I decided to follow - and aid in that quest of Diana's,
by moving to California and assist with the creation of Merriewold Morgans.
My main motivation for my work is built into my soul...the
desire to be associated with horses.
Jackie Brittain
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Honors &
Qualifications:
Multiple Championships with many breeds of
show horses and riding disciplines.
Qualified four times for Madison Square
Gardens Saddle Seat Equitation Finals.
Side Saddle Champion.
Bachelors Degree in Animal Science.
Thoroughbred Trainer's Licenses in New Jersey,
New York, Kentucky, Louisiana and Florida. |
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