Steph Butts Kohr, Head Trainer, Equine/Activities Operations Manager

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Growing up at Waredaca, Steph has been around horses her whole life. She got her first pony for her 7th birthday and did her first event at age 8. It was around that time that she decided she wanted to compete at the upper levels of Eventing.

SKE trailride

Steph had the perfect kids horse, Sir Maxwell, who taught her the ropes at Training level and gave her the skills she needed to bring along young horses.

When she was 14 Steph bought Bungee, a 4 year old Canadian horse. Steph and Bungee started out Novice and progressed all the way up to being on the North American Young Riders CCI** Gold Medal winning team in 2002 and finishing the Foxhall CCI*** in 2003.

After graduating from University of Delaware, where she was a working student for Phillip Dutton, Steph moved to England. She spent 2005 in England and Holland working and riding with top Eventers, Show Jumpers and Dressage Riders.  Returning home in 2006, she was given the opportunity to ride her mom Gretchen’s Rolex horse Zydeco. This was a great experience and she was able to finish 2nd at the Ocala CCI**, win the Pine Top Advanced HT and finish a CIC*** before Zydeco unexpectedly was forced to retire.

Since then Steph has been based out of Waredaca. She has students of all levels in Dressage and Eventing as well as horses in training and sales. Over the past few years she has brought multiple horses up through the Preliminary and Intermediate levels, and helped many students further their riding careers.

Read more at Stephkequestrian.com

Robert Butts, President

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Owner Robert is ‘the’ man in charge at Waredaca, having managed the farm for over forty years. Assisted by his wife, Gretchen, they oversee the entire operation of the farm.  Robert has grown up here, moving to this current site in the early fifties when he was just a child, with the family from their farm in what was then ‘rural’ Bethesda.  He has been an active and instrumental part in the business virtually all his life. Upon graduating from UMD with a degree in International Ag Economics, he was envisioning a job elsewhere but the timing proved otherwise. R. B Butts, ‘Mr. B’ as he was affectionately known by many, was ready to turn the management of the business over to his youngest son and the transition began. Now, many years later, some aspects of the business have remained while many show a different focus and direction. Robert began riding Western, was very active in the AQHA competitions, and had his own herd of Quarter Horse broodmares and two approved AQHA stallions.  He has fox hunted and actually did some eventing in the late 70s with Gretchen. As Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors for the Montgomery branch of the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Robert stays active in the current trends in Ag management and Ag tourism. Based on his stewardship and business practices, he received the 2008 Cooperator of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding commitment to conservation in Montgomery County. Thru his leadership, Waredaca is now a Maryland Farm Stewardship Certified Farm. When not at the farm, Robert’s passion is the water, specifically the Bay.  Summer weekends find him racing on the Jay Dee, one of the few remaining historic Chesapeake Bay Log Canoes. Or he might be out sailing his own 343 Beneteau ‘Gaviota’ as often as time and schedule allow.  Crew anyone?

Gretchen Butts, Administrator

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With a BS and MS in Nursing, as well as a MA in Management/Human Resources, Gretchen spent 25 years as a Nurse Practitioner while gaining her vast experience in Eventing. Her Equestrian Experience is broad: Eventing competitor at the International Four Star Level, Event Organizer-Waredaca since 1979, FEI International Event Technical Delegate, USA Equestrian Eventing R Technical Delegate, FEI International Eventing Judge, USA Equestrian Eventing R Judge, FEI Steward, past member of the Board of Governors and Vice President of Education–United States Eventing Association, Chief Jump Judge for the 1996 Olympic Three Day Event in Atlanta, International Technical Official at the 2008 Olympic Games, Assistant Technical Delegate for the 2010 World Equestrian Games, contributing author to the USEA Eventing magazine and past educational consultant to the Association.  Gretchen is also a Level 3 ICP instructor and sits on several key United States Equestrian Federation and Eventing Association committees. She currently competes thru the preliminary level. Gretchen will tell you that managing the business with Robert at Waredaca has always been a welcomed opportunity for her.  And marrying into a family business and being an instrumental part of its future is a unique challenge!  Rarely are two days ever alike! And life on the farm is far from boring, as everyone works diligently to uphold the high standards of the business and enjoy the many faces who share Waredaca! In her spare time, she is a long distance runner and avid sailor with husband Robert on the Chesapeake. They have 2 daughters, Steph, a Biology grad, ICP Level 2 instructor and graduate A pony clubber with experience thru the 3 Star Level.  She is part of the Waredaca staff and business team. Her younger sister, Devon, is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy, currently practicing in Asheville NC.

Trailriding

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Regretfully, with the current Covid restrictions, all trailrides have been SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. We hope to resume at some point and suggest checking back to register via EVENTBRITE.COM

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST!

Tru Brew Trailrides….all you need to know

Want to go on a Trailride?

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Want to go on a Trailride?

Here is your chance THIS FALL! COVID 19 SUSPENSION until after Labor Day.

Once we resume, in combination with the Waredaca Brewing Company, we will offer weekly SATURDAY TrailRides at 3:30.  Advance registration is required.  TAB THIS LINK  to get started!!

Pony Club Center

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The WAREDACA Pony Club Riding Center was founded in 2007, in association with Waredaca Farm. WPCRC is a proud member of United States Pony Club‘s Maryland Region, which includes about 20 clubs and centers. WPCRC does maintain a limited membership due to the other horse related programs at the farm. We average 30 members!

An excerpt from the USPC website further explains exactly what a “Center” is….

“The USPC Riding Center Program is modeled after the British Pony Club Center Program, which has had phenomenal success. They currently have over 400 Centers and have over 10,000 Center members.

The purpose of the Riding Center Program is to make available Pony Club membership to youth who would not traditionally been able to participate in Pony Club due to not owing or having consistent access to a mount. Many of our Clubs have addressed this issue on a local basis. The Riding Center Program will address it on a national basis.

The Riding Center Program is designed to work with facilities that currently have a riding lesson program in place. The facility must be able to offer the core disciplines of Pony Club and be able to handle the administrative work involved in running a Pony Club Riding Center. The full Pony Club program and all Pony Club opportunities will be offered to those members participating through a Riding Center.”

Waredaca is the perfect place for a Center! We are an established riding and recreational facility since 1932, offering horseback riding lessons, summer camp and Eventing competitions. We have also been involved with the local Pony Clubs for many years, being the host site for regional competitions and the preferred training site for the cross-country practices. As a Pony Club Center, Waredaca offers the right blend of experienced instructors and administrators, a beautiful working farm and suitable comprehensive and competitive riding program! Riding students with skills level of Intermediate 3 and above, should definitely consider joining!!

Waredaca PC Center Administrator
Katherine Rizzo: 301-904-4048 ([email protected])

Waredaca PC Instructors & Coaches
Katherine Rizzo: 301-904-4048 ([email protected])
Helen Casteel: 202-256-1594 ([email protected])
Liz Schroeder: 301-775-1862 ([email protected])
Marty Miller (shooting coach for tetrathlon): [email protected]

Waredaca PC Parent Coordinator
Jessica Jones: 703-901-5280 ([email protected])

Waredaca PC Treasure
Karen Hench: 240-687-1900 ([email protected])

Waredaca PC Newsletter
Amy Kasley: 301-774-3597 ([email protected])

Waredaca PC Social Activities
Katrina Van Dopp: 301-758-6539 ([email protected])

Instruction and Competition

WPCRC strives to fulfill the mission of USPC, in providing opportunities for equestrian instruction and competition for pony clubbers up to 25 years of age. At the Waredaca Pony Club Riding Center, we teach English riding using the balanced seat. This kind of riding is based on a modified dressage seat and includes riding on the flat (ring riding) jumping, and riding in the open (trail riding and cross-country jumping). This differs from the forward seat (used in Hunter equitation) and the saddle seat (used with gaited horses). While riding on the flat, the balanced seat rider’s position is upright, with shoulder, hip and heel forming a straight vertical line.

Emphasis on the balanced seat combined with the activities and competitions that develop skills in a broad range of riding disciplines—dressage, jumping and combined training (eventing). Not coincidentally, these three equestrian sports compete at the Olympic level.

At WPCRC, programs are offered in: dressage, cross-country, show jumping, “Quiz” and horse management. Weekly mounted lessons are offered at the farm with the opportunity for additional lessons and leasing. Instruction and safety are emphasized, as well as fun for all. The USPC also offers programs in Mounted Games, Polocrosse, Tetrathlon and Foxhunting. WPCRC members are often invited to foxhunt with Goshen Hounds at special junior meets.

Occasional clinics with visiting or guest instructors are also offered in addition to the regular lessons. Unmounted meetings are offered weekly on an advance sign up basis. During unmounted meetings members learn about topics such as: feeding, veterinary care, shoeing and various areas of horse management.

WPCRC members are encouraged to work their way through the stages of the progressive Standards of Proficiency, which test knowledge and riding ability. Pony Clubbers who attain the B, H-A and A rating levels meet standards of competence that are recognized throughout the horse world.