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Kristen Bumpus, Head Trainer

Kristen Bumpus has been a champion athlete all of her life, in competitive swimming, track and field and riding. She grew up in Milbury, MA and was able to ride competitively thanks to the never ending energy, encouragement and enthusiasm from her mother, Sue Brainard. As a student of Paul Valliere, Kristen took 4th place at the Northeast ASPCA Maclay Regionals and qualified for the second round in the ASPCA Maclay Finals at Madison Square Garden in 1986. In 1989, she won the MHC, New England and Zone 1 Junior Medal Finals on Nicholas, all on the same weekend! Later that year, she was 2nd at the AHSA (now USEF) Medal Finals in Harrisburg and 10th at the ASPCA Maclay Finals held at the Meadowlands.

In her professional riding career, Kristen has trained hunters, jumpers and equitation horses as all levels. She has held numerous Trainer positions at top level show barns in the Northeast, and has been fortunate enough to ride with many top trainers and riders, including Margie Engle, Elizabeth Solter, Rodney Bross and Leslie Howard, to name a few. She has more than a “knack” for starting young horses, and has found great success. The horses she has trained and/or shown as young or green horses have realized local as well as national championships such as Brighton Absolutely, who was a Large Green Pony National Champion, Cashmere, All That, Galatea who was a Large Junior Hunter National Champion, Faith and Chocolatier. She has also shown many top hunters and jumpers including Logan, Knee Deep, Blue, Mr. Slew and Saxon Hill.

In 2006, Kristen came to Arrowhead Farms to join forces with Martha Mattison Curran (owner of Arrowhead Farms) to offer one of the top Hunter/Jumper/Equitation programs in the Northeast. Her students’ accomplishments, among many, include leading Hannah Curran on Inspired to the Childrens Hunter Grand Champion at the Skidmore Saratoga Classic in 2007. With Kristen at her side, Amanda Powers and EQ won the MHC Junior Medal Finals in 2006, then the duo won the MHC Adult 18-30 Medal Finals and the New England Adult 18-22 Medal Finals in 2007. In 2008, Kristen paired up Kim Bullock and Triumph (owned by Hannah Curran) to take home the Championship ribbon in the 2008 MHC Adult 30 and Over division and led JoJo Gutfarb and her horse, Star, to win the 2008 New England Adult 18-22 Medal Finals.

	When she is not taking clients to the ring, Kristen has many additional tri-colors and top placements to her credit in the Hunter and Jumper rings as a pro rider. Kristen rode Inspired (owned by Hannah Curran) to the 2005 Ocala Adequan Open Hunter Circuit Champion. One of her proudest accomplishments has been her progress with Cupid (affectionately and appropriately known as Sparky) purchased as a 6-year old in 2006. Kristen and Sparky were Champions in the Level 5 Jumpers at Skidmore Saratoga, 3rd in the Myopia Mini-Prix, and 3rd in the Level 5 Classic at the Fidelity Jumper Classic in 2007. In 2008, Sparky was Champion in the Level 6 Jumpers at several competitions and was pinned 8th in the $15,000 Speed Stake at the Fidelity Jumper Classic. In 2009 they had several Level 6 Championships and are successfully competing in the Level 7 or 1.40 meter classes. They are a truly exciting pair to watch! Kristen’s dedication to her horses, her clients and her miniature long haired dachsunds, Ellie and Buck, is exceptional. We are extremely fortunate to have her as Head Trainer at Arrowhead Farms.