THE PHILOSOPHY, THE FUNDAMENTALS & THE HORSEMANSHIP More than a century ago, Joel Kiesner’s great-grandfather, who owned a livery stable in downtown Minneapolis, called the family together to discuss a rising threat to their livelihood. It was called the automobile; with more than 250 horses in their two-story barn, they had a vested interest in its future (or, as they hoped, its non-future). They all agreed: the car was a passing fad, and for better or for worse, they remained committed to horses. “I’m still honoring that,” remarks Kiesner with wry humor. But past the chuckle, he’s serious. The difference, of course, is that the horses he and his wife, Ashton, show don’t transport commodities; their specialty is delivering ribbons and trophies for their owners and exhibitors. A lot of ribbons and trophies. A quick fact check illustrates how successful Kiesner Training Center, which specializes in the English division, has been. Last year, they took 30 horses to the U.S. Nationals and collected 11 championships and six reserves.
“At its best, when you and your horse—another sentient being, with much more athletic ability than we have—are working together, what you think and what you gesture, the tilt of your torso or your leg, can get tremendous power and drive and enthusiasm from a big, strong animal. And when they do that exuberantly, with a thrill and a lust for the same thing that you’re thinking, it’s incredible.” ~ Joel Kiesner
In the past 13 years, the barn has won the U.S. National Championship in English Pleasure open seven times. Add to that, two horses they developed and showed to previous national titles went on to score the open English tri-color for other trainers and owners. continued ...
Written by Mary Kirkman
Their record in Junior English has been equally impressive, with five wins and two reserves in 13 years. And as trainers in the AEPA class, they are on the list of top money winners for their clients. As it turns out, however, that five-star record is only a part of the story at Kiesner Training Center, and probably not even its most significant aspect. At its essence, the operation’s importance to the industry lies at home, in the relationship the Kiesners have with the horses, and how, for their customers, they can take Arabians far beyond the show ring.
THE KIESNER PHILOSOPHY With the record the Kiesners have built in competition, it might come as a surprise that when you sit down to speak with Joel about horses, you hear more about the process and the experience than winning and awards. It’s not esoteric feel good stuff—those are heartfelt beliefs that he and Ashton share. “You know what the real value of horses is?” he asks rhetorically, “what this real journey is about? At the end, there is not a silver trophy. There may be silver trophies along the way, but that is by no means the end or what it’s about. It’s important that we try to keep it in perspective. This is a lot about what horses have to teach us: the things that they can do for your insides, the lessons they have, the therapy they offer us in various different ways. That becomes more and more important to us every year.” Ar abian Horse Times | 20 | Volume 47, No. 4A A
The system they use is not unlike that of any other operation: select good horses, train them skillfully, and work with owners and exhibitors to develop good partnerships. The difference is the why. “I love working towards competition because competition is when you call on yourself to be your very best,” Joel says, “but it doesn’t depend on winning. It’s like watching the Olympics. A lot of those athletes know they’re not going win; otherwise, they wouldn’t line up next to Usain Bolt. But they do line up against Usain Bolt, because if they give it their best and they have the best time of their life—personally, not necessarily on the clock—that’s awesome. That’s all super worthwhile, and that’s what keeps me going back, that and the love of horses.” That intense show ring persona may seem a bit intimidating to those who don’t know him, but the man behind it is not (a dry wit and gentle humor, often self-deprecating, soften an inbred drive to be better today than he was yesterday). Neither is Ashton, his wife and training partner; the old saying goes that behind every successful man is a strong woman, and that’s true here, except that she’s not behind him. She’s beside him, and, he will say, sometimes ahead of him. In national competition, they’ve been champion and reserve twice, each winning once.
She ticks off some of the mile markers that, to her, signal success. In the show ring, it’s seeing clients score their first top ten (“some people think national championships are all that matters—not at all! I’ve seen tears of joy over making a cut for the first time”), as well as winning roses (“how special it is when those people are the ones who said, ‘I never thought I could do this’”). And at home, it’s coaching them to break-through moments with their horses, improving their skills, and seeing them beam with delight when they get on a new purchase for the first time.
King photo
As a team, they are well-suited. It’s in his DNA to analyze and plot courses, while she is straightforward, organized and deft about executing their plans. “We want to meet our goals, which are high,” she nods. “But it’s about the relationship with people and their horses, the love of the ownership, the pride that we have in our horses and what we do.”
Mix that all up together, and you come to the conclusion that Kiesner Training Center is one of the most outwardly-successful organizations you’ll find in the Arabian industry—that succeeds by focusing inwardly, individually, on universal goals.
King photo
continued ...
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Photos by Photos Kelle King by Kelle King
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KIESNER TRAINING: THE FUNDAMENTALS Joel is the first to say that the operation as it is today is due in large part to Ashton. A fourth generation horseman, he opened his own barn in 1991 and she arrived five years later. Originally, she rode horses for him to defray the cost of boarding her horse, but her skills quickly increased the work load. From a family of small breeders, she had grown up in Miami, riding with Liz Langford and Doree Lamm during the school year and showing with Rohara’s John Rannenberg in the summers. She and Joel were married in 1997, and moved Kiesner Training a couple of times before settling in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Running the numbers, the farm offers 70 stalls, about 50 to 60 of them occupied by training horses, with the rest allotted to retirees and those in the breeding program. Currently, there are about 30 client families on the roster, with around 25 exhibitors competing. These days, if anyone could have a Ph.D. in multi-tasking, it would be Ashton Kiesner. The breakdown of labor is that after dropping their two daughters off at school, Joel gets on horses and doesn’t stop all day. She rides a lot as well, with a string of about 20, but also runs the office and the breeding division, as well as makes sure that their daughters, Alexis, 16, and Ellawynn, 11, are where they need to be. Neither one of them bothers to take a lunch break. There are visitors on the farm nearly every day, either customers in to see their horses or prospective buyers or breeders. A few key members of the staff anchor the operation. Chance McDaniel, who like Joel grew up in a training family (his parents are western specialists Mike and Gretchen McDaniel), breaks horses, rides and shows, and when the show string is away for extended periods, ensures that business continues as usual at home. Chilo Isedro Nunez also breaks and rides, and travels with the team when it is on the road. One longstanding hallmark of Kiesner Training is that customers who want new horses are encouraged to buy young stock. Early in his career, looking for better horses to make his name, but without well-funded backing, Joel worked to refine his eye for a prospect. “You have to find young horses who look like they can do it,” he says, “and I had to learn how the different bloodlines train, because the horses not only have to look like they’re going to do it, but their brain has to tell them to do it, too.” That education paid off so well that the habit stuck, even as his clientele gave him more latitude. Now, partly in response to the growing shortage of good show horses, he and Ashton offer guidance to clients who want to breed their own. Over the past 15 or more years, several have taken them up on it (current star Heirs Noble Love is a product of such a program, as Joel has worked with owner Karlton Jackson through several generations of horses). Many customers, when buying a new show horse, now factor in his or her use in a breeding program later. continued ...
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Gallún photo
As a part of all that, the farm stands and promotes three stallions. Its headliner is William and Shirley Reilich’s fourtime U.S. National Champion Afires Heir (Afire Bey V x Brassmis, by Brass). The stallion’s record in the show ring is hard to match: he never lost a class—he never even logged a second place vote. Every class he trotted into, he won unanimously, including in the total, three open U.S. National Championships in English Pleasure and one U.S. National Championship in English Pleasure Junior horse.
Afires Heir
As of September 15, 2016, he has sired 364 registered foals (296 purebreds and 68 Half-Arabians). Of that number, 67 are not yet old enough for competition—but among the others, more than 50 already have earned national championships or reserves. In 2010, Afires Heir was named a U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year, and in 2013, was inducted into the Equus Foundation Horse Stars Hall of Fame. Generating a lot of buzz also is VJ Royal Heir, U.S. National Champion in both English Pleasure open (2014) and Junior horse (2013). By Afires Heir and out of MA Ghazta Trot, he offers a predominantly Polish dam that is a granddaughter of *Bask and U.S. National Champion Park mare *Prowizja, for an intriguing and different element in an Afire Bey V pedigree. He is owned by Kelli Aguirre, of Southern Oaks Farm. And Candace Avery’s young Saxton DGL (Afires Heir x Sweet Summer Fire) is a fresh face on the roster. A U.S. National Champion in the English Pleasure Futurity and reserve in the AEPA Futurity, he reflects a particularly intense Afire Bey V heritage, with two close-up crosses to the landmark sire. The operation’s stallion division, which services approximately 140 breedings annually, is designed for customer service. Collection is handled on the farm by a veterinarian, and clients give them high marks not just for professionalism, but also for their willingness to spin on a dime if that is what it takes.
VJ Royal Heir
“We’ve purchased breedings to more than one stallion that stands at Kiesner Training, and I would say without any hesitation or equivocation that their service is fantastic,” says Peter Conway, of Conway Arabians. “They are easy to deal with, they ship on time, they accommodate late requests to the best of their ability—they do everything they can possibly do to help us get our mares pregnant. I am very, very happy with the service we get from them.”
Pictured top to bottom: Afires Heir (Afire Bey V x Brassmis) 3x U.S. Unanimous National Champion Engish Pleasure Open Unanimous National Champion English Pleasure Jr. Horse VJ Royal Heir (Afires Heir x Ghazta Trot) U.S. National Champion Engish Pleasure Open U.S. National Champion Engish Pleasure Jr. Horse Saxton DGL (Afires Heir x Sweet Summer Fire) U.S. National Reserve Champion AEPA $100,000 Saddle Seat Futurity U.S. National Champion Engish Pleasure Futurity
Saxton DGL
AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER: HORSEMANSHIP Not surprisingly, horsemanship may begin at home with hands-on experience, but it doesn’t end there. For both Joel and Ashton, contributing to the Arabian breed and the profession of training horses is important—it can be viewed as life support in a world of competition for the leisure dollar. More than 10 years ago, Joel wrote the manifesto for the Arabian English Performance Association, now an important component of the English division, and last year the couple hosted a trainers’ symposium at the farm in the early spring. Twenty-five horsemen from all over North America, some new to the game and some veteran, flew in for a weekend of clinics, discussions and camaraderie with their peers. Speakers included Gene LaCroix, Tim Shea, Joel and his father, Dick Kiesner, and friends and clients sponsored catered meals for everyone. They routinely work with talented young assistants, and four or five times a year, welcome visiting trainers for a week of collaboration.
On balance, anyone will tell you that Kiesner Training Center is a success—all those accolades say so. But for Joel and Ashton Kiesner, other benefits are the real value, and once again, it all relates to horses and people. “Horses are a great family activity,” Joel says. “They take you so many places, you do things together, go through the challenges and defeats together—lessons we can all appreciate. Not long ago, I came back from a show, and I’d gotten my butt kicked. I spent a fair amount of time talking to my girls about that. It’s a teachable moment. We don’t just get beat; if that’s all you think of it as, that’s terrible. We use it as an examination of where you are and where you want to go. If it’s not where you want to be, and if you can figure out where that is and how to get there, then you can solve most of the problems in your life. Life is full of ups and downs, just like horse shows are, and you need to learn from it.” He’s asked to sum up what he and Ashton are doing at Kiesner Training Center—what would they like people to know? “That this is who we are,” he says. “This is how we want to do it—as far as being good to animals and being a friend to the breed. And we want to do it in the most wholesome way, in the spirit of competition. We know that the greatest gift a horse can give us is not a trophy; it is what happens inside, in your heart and your mind, and we try not to lose sight of that.”. v
Multi-National Champion Nabasken Afire
ENGLISH PLEASURE 2003 JKF MacGregor 2006 Nabasken Afire 2007 Nabasken Afire 2008 Afires Heir 2009 Afires Heir 2010 Afires Heir 2014 VJ Royal Heir
ENGLISH PLEASURE FUTURITY 2005 Chaparral DGL 2009 H Mobility H* 2010 Heirielle* 2012 Heirs Noble Love 2014 Saxton DGL 2015 Debonheir DGL
AEPA SADDLE SEAT FUTURITY 2008 Brave And Noble 2011 Afires Heir Apparent* 2012 Bel Heir LR 2013 Heirs Noble Love 2014 Noble Ffyre 2015 Saxton DGL*
ENGLISH PLEASURE JUNIOR HORSE 2003 Afire N Spice 2005 Nabasken Afire 2006 Chaparral DGL 2007 Afires Heir 2008 Expressly Bella* 2009 Expressly Bella* 2013 VJ Royal Heir 2014 Heirs Noble Love
* Reserve Champion
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Then … in 2005, we first advertised Afires Heir as “the next big thing.” He was an unproven three year old colt, but some things you just KNOW …
Now … 11 years later, four unanimous national championships of his own and nearly 50 national championships to his offspring’s credit; I think we can safely say, we weren’t far off the mark! In hindsight, I was wrong initially about his impact. I thought he was going to be a great show horse and sire, but I could never have imagined to what extent. He has exceeded our wildest imagination as a show horse and a sire. Whatever shattering of the standards he did as an individual, his offspring are now doing the same thing!
Proudly owned by Bill & Shirley Reilich Standing at Kiesner Training • 865.984.5245 Multi-Program Nominated Sire WWW.AFIRESHEIR.COM
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Afires Heir x MA Ghazta Trot
Pictured top to bottom: Royal Heiress SOF VJ Royal Heir x BL Miss Chips A Royal Love VJ Royal Heir x The Empress NA Princess Buttercup Royal Heir x Ames Tierra, by Matoi
Proudly owned by Southern Oaks Farm, Kelli Aguirre WWW.VJROYALHEIR.COM Standing at Kiesner Training • 865.984.5245 Multi-Program Nominated Sire WWW.KIESNERTRAINING.COM
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VJ Royal Heir ‌ The beautiful black bay stallion that burst on the scene a few years ago, winning first the Junior English National Championship, and then the following year being crowned National Champion English Open. Much anticipation accompanies the arrival of his first foals to hit the ring. We are just starting to see his babies in tack, and the future looks promising! Good luck to all his kids that make their debut this year and in the near future.
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31 National Championships & National Reserve Championships combined …
Adam, Eve and Emperor, what more can you say? Some amazing performances that stretch a decade now. The Lawrence Family first bought Adams Fire, and it was so much fun that it only made sense to bring Eve, and later, Emperor into the family. All three are by Afire Bey V and out of the Shea’s Dutch mare, Ritida—all unique and with their own style, and yet, all really special.
Full siblings by Afire Bey V out of Ritida.
Proudly owned by Starline Arabians, LLC WWW.STARLINEARABIANS.COM
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Multi-National Champion
Afire Bey V x Ritida
Multi-National Champion
IXL Noble Express x Rumina Afire
Proudly owned by Starline Arabians, LLC WWW.STARLINEARABIANS.COM
Lori Lawrence …
Lori’s Noble Express daughters, Noblemis and Gisele, are indeed multi-national champion performers and at the core of a serious breeding program. It is with design that these two were picked for a show producing career. Noblemis is out of Brassmis, a broodmare Hall Of Fame inductee, and Gisele is out of Rumina Afire, also a broodmare Hall Of Fame inductee. Both have foals on the ground that will keep the Lawrences and others in the winner’s circle.
Multi-National Champion
IXL Noble Express x Brassmis
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Introducing Undulata’s Nutcracker x Rumina Afire
Nicole Lawrence Chapparone ‌ will have two up and comers hitting the ring in Tulsa. Notorious a beautiful black bay gelding out of Rumina Afire and by Undulates Nutcracker will be shown in the 3-Yr-Old Half-Arabian Country Pleasure Futurity. It will be especially exciting because they bred and raised him at home in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Debonheir was spotted last year by Nicole prior to nationals and took a chance. It paid off as he was named National Champion English Pleasure Futurity. He will take a run at the AEPA $100,000.00 Futurity this year.
National Champion
Afires Heir x Felicia Afire
Proudly owned by Starline Arabians, LLC WWW.STARLINEARABIANS.COM
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Nicole Lawrence Chapparone ‌
Recently married, Nicole Lawrence Chapparone, has a few other guys in her life: SA Night Flight, Nutorius and Debonheir will accompany her to Tulsa. Night Flight has had his best year, and the pair has some seasoning now; already reserve national champions in 2015, they are looking to put their best foot forward this year.
Multi-National Reserve Champion
Afire Bey V x Helen Hayes X
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Multi-National Champion
ferrara
Afires Heir x JKF Wistful Proudly owned by Amy Williams and Bill & Nancy Blankenship
Bill & Nancy Blankenship, along with daughter Amy Williams ... bought Bel Heir LR when he was just two. A year later, he won the AEPA $100,000 Futurity. The year after that, Amy was Reserve National Champion English Pleasure AOTR Maturity. Last year, Amy’s long time dream finally came true, a well-earned national championship in amateur English! Amy’s daughter, Emma, a well decorated junior rider, shares the passion and Avery will be right on her heels. Good Luck to Amy this year on Bel Heir and Fire And Brass in Country Pleasure 36-54. Ar abian Horse Times | 36 | Volume 47, No. 4A A
Candace Avery ... took one look at Saxton, fell in love, and had to have him. Two weeks later, he was National Champion English Futurity. He then followed that with the Reserve Championship in the AEPA $100,000.00 Saddle Seat Futurity one year later! Many others have become smitten with Saxton along the way. Understandably so. His tall neck and pluming tail make him a stand-out when he makes a pass down the rail. He is quintessentially Arabian English and is reminiscent of his aunt, Phoebe Afire. Candace always has an eye for beauty and has a jaw-dropping yearling, Majestic Heir (Afires Heir x Ritida), in the wings.
Multi-National Champion Afires Heir x Sweet Summer Fire
Proudly owned by Candace Avery Standing at Kiesner Training • 865.984.5245 Multi-Program Nominated Sire WWW.KIESNERTRAINING.COM
Keith, Kristin, Kiira, and KinkĂŠla Harkins ...
have bred, owned and shown many beautiful Arabians and Half-Arabians at Windabrae Farm. With a talented eye for a winner, they always come to the in-gate with a contender. This year they will be represented by Kiira riding Voulez Vu in Half-Arabian Country AAOTR 19-39 and Maarching Orders in the purebred division.
Ronde Vu x I Hear Voices Proudly owned by Kiira Harkins
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National Champion
Afire Bey V x LBC Nobelinda Proudly owned by I Ask, LLC Alexa Cohn
I Ask Arabians ... The Cohn family, Andrew, Amy, Alexa and Matthew, have been a part of the Kiesner team for nearly a decade. Alexa won many national championships on the very special Spirit Afire, and many competitors were happy to see him retire. This year Alexa has just come off an exhilerating win in Central Park, and she will be showing national champion Afires Style in Country 18-39 in Tulsa. She will also make her debut on her new English horse, Dheir, in the Maturity. Dheir is an exciting new, black bay and full brother to National Champion VJ Royal Heir.
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Kelli Aguirre ... National Champion
Phi Slama Jama x OFW Elyzabeth
Lady Marmalade has had an illustrious career, winning some of the toughest classes against the best of the best. Kelli Aguirre and daughter, Gabrielle, showed “Spice� to national championships in Half-Arabian English JOTR and wins in the adult division for Kelli. Spice is now married to VJ Royal Heir and already has one beautiful baby on the ground and another on the way. These two champions are sure to carry on their winning traditions through this amazing cross.
Proudly owned by Southern Oaks Farm, Kelli Aguirre WWW.VJROYALHEIR.COM Ar abian Horse Times | 40 | Volume 47, No. 4A A
Kelli Aguirre ...
Kelli and Flash have had a breakout year, winning Regions 12 and 14. They both are finding their groove at the right time. Everybody here is excited for this team to show what they have accomplished in this show season.
Thank you ... Justafire DGL x Lorece
Gabi and I would like to thank Joel and Ashton for everything they do for us and our horses. Joel, thanks for taking the time to make things right for me, even when you do not feel they are wrong (example: my stirrups). Ashton, thank you for the beautiful way you not only train our horses, but the difficult task of keeping us organized. We really appreciate you both!
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National Champion
SF Specs Shocwave x Amberr Fyre Leslie Goryeb
Leslie Goryeb ...
and MD Tsunami made their first appearance at Nationals in 2014 where they were named reserve national champion. The following year, in 2015, they were named National Champion Country Pleasure Select! While they are a relatively new pair, Leslie has paid her dues; twenty years of working hard and the fruit is starting to ripen. Good job, Leslie!
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NIGHT FLIGHT SA (Afire Bey V x Helen Hayes X) 2009 Bay Gelding. Beautiful, quality, tons of style. Exceptional motion and manners. 2015 Reserve Nat’l Champion Country Maturity. Multi-Nat’l Top Ten, Regional and Scottsdale Champion.
Night Flight SA SA Mistafire
SA MISTAFIRE (Afire Bey V x Noblemis) 2013 Bay English Gelding. Talented, great minded young horse. He is a future superstar. He is all the horse for open and has the motion and go forward for the AOTR or JOTR rider. TOO HAUTE TOO TROT (Baske Afire x Haute Chocolate) 2011 H/A Bay Country Gelding. Refined, with beautiful carriage and manners. Ready for the AOTR, JOTR and Equitation rider. 2015 Region 12 Reserve Champion H/A Country Jr. Horse.
No Regrets LA
NO REGRETS LA (Afires Heir x Harghazi CMF) 2007 Bay Country Gelding. Tall, long legged, beautiful country gelding. With a limited show career, he is fresh and ready to be a great AOTR or JOTR horse. MAARCHING ORDERS (Baske Afire x Marry Me) 2009 PB Bay Country Gelding. 2016 Res-Champion Buckeye Country AAOTR 19-39. Region 14 Top Five. In his limited show career, this bay with four white socks turns heads. He always gets noticed and just keeps on getting better. PHANTOM HEIR BF (Afires Heir x Rahelle) 2013 PB Bay Gelding. This is a great minded, talented, young horse. Long neck and strong moving. Will be a great AOTR/ Equitation horse. Stretchy and cadenced.
Maarching Orders
BMA Black Majik Woman
BMA BLACK MAJIK WOMAN (IXL Noble Express x Hidee Afire) 2007 PB Black English Mare. 2016 Region 15 Champion English ATR, 2016 Region 14 Res-Champion Select. Tons of fun. She is great minded and moves big! Incredible breeding mare with perfect bloodlines to cross with Afire Bey V and others.
Ashton Kiesner (C) 865.556.0412 Joel Kiesner (C) 865.556.0413 Videos Online at www.KiesnerTraining.com
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