Training:
Lindsay Vander Woude
918-520-8824
Melissa Buffington
918-607-8916
Beginning Riders:
Linda Keely
918-850-1627
A lifetime equestrian, Melissa rode competitively as a junior in both the hunter and jumper divisions. Her show experience has included everything from the childrens’ and junior hunters to all levels of jumpers including Grand Prix. Throughout the years, she has been awarded numerous Oklahoma Hunter Jumper Association and Hunter Jumper Exhibitors of Oklahoma championships in equitation, hunter, and jumpers.
Melissa has been training horses and riders for over ten years. Her previous experience as a professional in the equestrian industry has included managing a private hunter/jumper/eventing barn in Atlanta, GA, and starting young horses for the prestigious Woodridge Farm (where she also showed the Elite Hanoverian stallion “Arrian”). In 2002, she was selected to tour the country with the Lipizzaner Stallions, where she was a rider in their traveling dressage exhibition.
Her background in elementary education from the University of Tulsa has made Melissa a favorite with her young students. She takes great pride in watching her students develop into thinking horsemen, and she places an emphasis on sportsmanship and horsemanship. Earning many championships and awards, her students compete in all areas of hunters and jumpers. They are consistently successful at the local and regional level, including Zone VII Finals.
In addition to instructing, Melissa specializes in taking the green horse from day one to the show ring. Her young horses are consistently in the top ribbons in their respective divisions, and she has trained the HJEO and OHJA Baby Green Year-End Champions and/or Reserve Champions on multiple occasions. A patient teacher, Melissa employs a classical hunt seat method that builds confidence and creates successful attitudes in both horse and rider.
As a graduate of Oklahoma State University, Lindsay became a top competitor for OSU Varsity Equestrian Team on a national level. While at OSU she received a Varsity Athletic Scholarship, and placed on the Commissioner's Honor Roll for Big VII Athletics. Her accomplishments included, High Point Rider, qualifying for regional and zone championships, ranking top 3 in flat and over fences. And possibly most notable, she was voted MPV by her teammates for her hard work and dedication.
In her 16 plus years of riding she placed competitively in children's and junior hunters. She received numerous equitation and medal championships under the training of Carol Fulton. In 1999 winning the Greater Oklahoma Equitation Medal. Best Child Rider both at the AHSA Zone 7 Finals, and Estes Park Hunter Jumper Festival. In 2000 she was named as the Oklahoma Hunter Jumper Association Equitation Champion.
