Raewyn Robbins and Sandi Ballard: The Perfect Fit

Along with her mother, Rosemary Phelan, Raewyn owns Braeburn Farms, a breeding and training business in Collingwood, ON. There they breed their stable of select Holsteiner, KWPN and Hanoverian mares to some of the most sought-after stallions from Europe and across the continent. A graduate of the University of Colorado with a degree in humanities, Raewyn also works in Toronto for a non-profit organization called The Bhutan Canada Foundation, which recruits teachers for the Himalayan nation.

With the support of Sandi Ballard of Tottenham, ON, her trainer since 2004, Raewyn is making her mark in the show ring and producing performance-bred youngsters, while keeping in mind that with horses, teamwork and fun go a long way. Ballard has been a driving force in Raewyn’s development as a rider, horsewoman, trainer, and now businesswoman. Their relationship developed when Raewyn, who was already juggling the demands of a full university course load in addition to her riding and training responsibilities, needed to find a program that would enable her to launch the Braeburn horses’ competition careers. Looking Back Farm’s extensive training experience, and the success of professional Erynn Ballard, felt like the right fit for Raewyn. “The combination of Sandi and her daughter Erynn just felt right for Braeburn’s horses and I,” says Raewyn. “They were willing to take on the challenge of the young, undeveloped horses that were beginning to come out of our breeding program.”

At home the Braeburn horses begin training for their competition careers. Sandi has helped Raewyn implement a system of horse care that syncs the feeding and training programs, farrier care, and horsemanship practices at Looking Back Farm. “The most important thing that Sandi has taught me is that riding is truly about teamwork,” explains Raewyn. “I’ve learned that it takes an army to bring along a young horse and prepare a horse and rider for the show ring. The staff at Braeburn do an amazing job and our horses are ready for life as competitors once they turn four. Sandi and the staff at Looking Back do an incredible job, and truly give our horses every opportunity for success”

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One of Braeburn’s biggest success stories is Sera, a talented mare by Escudo I. Raewyn experienced difficulty with her early in the training process, but with the guidance and perseverance of Sandi, found a way to unlock the mare’s talent. “Sera was the first horse to come out of our breeding program and was incredibly difficult to begin with,” explains Raewyn. “She would find any opportunity to do something naughty, and we just realized that it was not a job that I could manage.” Sera has since gone on to great success in the show ring with Erynn, winning the Jump Canada Central Zone Development Series in 2010 and bringing home a win in a seven-year-old class at Devon, PA. Sandi is pleased with the mare’s development. “It’s been a lot of fun working with Sera, though she was just so difficult from the beginning,” says Sandi. “I don’t think at first that we knew what a horse we had.”

“Raewyn’s dedication to her riding and breeding program is incredible,” says Sandi. “She’s very keen on doing it and she does a great job. She really has fun with the horses. It’s important not to lose perspective of why we’re doing this; there has to be a certain element of enjoyment. I know Raewyn’s strengths and weaknesses, and when to address them, but for the most part it’s very important to make sure we’re having fun.”

“Sandi has been so supportive of our breeding operation and our young horses,” explains Raewyn. “She is interested in what we do at Braeburn, and takes every opportunity that she can to help guide the development of our horses. She is incredibly supportive when it comes to every aspect of my life, and I really don’t think I could do it without her.”