M4E
- Jan 5
- 5 min read

Burnett Farm Wraps Up Successful 2023

Ready for WEF 2024!

Burnett Farm's Florida location offers fabulous turnout, a large riding arena, and a great barn area with roomy stalls.

Wellington, FL – January 5, 2023 - Rider and trainer Michael Burnett of Lebanon, Indiana, is celebrating a successful 2023 with his string of clients at Burnett Farm. Burnett’s boutique philosophy has proved its worth as his one-on-one teaching earned championships across the board from short stirrup to the grand prix ring. The Burnett Farm team has set new goals as they head into the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), hoping to top last year’s laurels. Their amazing Florida location offers fabulous turnout, a large riding arena, and a great barn area with roomy stalls.

Kait Meggenhofen and Kenner VDL won the Modified Children's Jumper Circuit Championship.

Windara Farms horses Kenner VDL, VDL Mr. Cornet, and Casal I earned a total of 12 division championships or reserve championships last year during WEF. Rider Kait Meggenhofen earned a Circuit Championship in the Modified Children’s Jumpers with Kenner VDL. The pair won six champion/reserve championships during the circuit. In 2024, the horse and rider combination will try competition in the International Ring for the first time. Burnett has been easing this rider up the ranks since her first shows in the Children’s Hunters.

Michael Burnett and VDL Mr. Cornet earned the 2023 Circuit Reserve Championship in the

Six-Year-Old Young Jumpers.

Burnett took home the Circuit Reserve Championship in the Six-Year-Old Young Jumpers aboard VDL Mr. Cornet. His grand prix horse, Chagrand, won a 1.40m class and was 2nd in a well-attended 1.45 class in the International Ring.

Client Kamryn Ousley and Jackson Bay made their WEF debut and got ribbons in multiple hunter and jumper classes during the circuit.

Burnett Farm hosted the annual Chris Kappler Clinic in May, polishing their skills with the Olympic medalist before heading to Chicago for more competition. (2024 clinic dates to be announced soon. Auditing and limited rider spots will be available.)

Hits Chicago at Lamplight brought more victories for the team including top honors in the Grand Prix Ring for Burnett and Chagrand as they won the Open Welcome and the $5,000 Jumper Stake Class and took home fourth place in the $25,000 Grand Prix. Other winners included:

Meggenhofen and VDL Ivar - Medium Junior Jumper Champions
Meggenhofen and Kenner VDL - third in the Low Junior/Amateur Classic
Wanda Dodd and Casal I - second in the $1,500 Modified Child/Adult Classic
Bailea Abbott – Novice Equitation Reserve Champion and second place in the IHJA Mini Medal
Ava Ehret and Illegally Blonde - won a .80m class

June brought the Brownland Summer Show:

Chagrand and Burnett - won the $10,000 Welcome and third in the $30,000 Grand Prix
Meggenhofen - was champion and reserve in the Low/Medium Junior/Amateur Jumpers with VDL Ivar and Kenner VDL
Meggenhofen and Luxus Liner S - Champion Modified Child/Adult Jumper
Kenzie Ellery and Lex Toccino - Champion Low Adult Jumper

July/August WEC Summer 1 and World Equestrian Center Ohio Summer 3:

Burnett and Chagrand - third in the $25,000 Grand Prix
Meggenhofen and VDL Ivar - 9th place $7,500 Welcome and 11th in $30,000 Grand Prix (Their first regional Prix!)
Fiji Moon and Kendyl Rudolf - second place in the $1,500 High Children’s Jumper Classic and Reserve Champion
Dodd and Casal I - champion in the Intermediate Child/Adult Jumpers
Meggenhofen and Kenner VDL – second in the $1,500 Modified Children’s Adult Jumper Classic
Kamryn Ousley and Jackson Bay- 9th in the 0.95m Novice Children’s Adult Jumper Classic.

A feature from a local circuit show, H&H Stables, in Indiana, was rider Harper Yerkes and Maggenhofen’s mount Dreamboat, starting their horse show career in the Beginner Crossrails with a bang and a championship!

October was the Minnesota Fall Harvest Horse Show where Burnett Farm riders took on the jumper divisions by the numbers! The group started with the $10,000 Welcome, where Meggenhofen bested Burnett with VDL Ivar taking second place, while Burnett settled for third with Chagrand and 7th with VDL Mr. Comet. Meggenhofen rode Kenner VDL to eighth place and VDL Karusa Blue with Burnett finished in tenth.

In the Minnesota Fall Harvest $25,000 Grand Prix, Burnett and Chagrand galloped to second place while his second mount, Kenner VDL, took fifth. Meggenhofen earned the sixth place spot with VDL Ivar, a big ribbon for the newbie to the grand prixs!

Also earning accolades:

Bailea Abbott and Iron - Champion Puddle Jumper
Ava Ehret and Illegally Blonde - third in a Puddle Jumper Class

November and December World Equestrian Center Ohio brought more victories for Burnett and Changrand with a win in the $10,000 Welcome and second in the $30,000 Grand Prix. Photo by Winslow Photography.

More winners include:

VDL Mr. Cornet and Burnett - 1.25m Jumper Champion
Wanda Dodd and Casal I – Intermediate Adult Jumper Champion and Classic Winner
Bailea Abbott and Iron – Intermediate Children’s Jumper Champion and Reserve (different weeks)
Kamryn Ousley and Jackson Bay - top 4 ribbons in the Novice Children’s Adult Jumpers and Intermediate Children’s Jumpers
Kenzie Ellery and Lex Toccino - Low Adult Jumper class winner and 6th place $1,500 High Adult Jumper Classic
Ava Ehret – Second place in a Non-pro and a Low Children’s Hunter class (new horse/rider combo, great job!)
Evalynn Jas and General VD Lindenhoeve Z - Reserve Champion Intermediate Children’s Equitation, fourth in the Intermediate Children’s Jumper Classic. (Also a new rider, nice job!)
Professional Kelli Hughes of H&H Stables jumped clear rounds on High Five in the 1.10m

Congratulations goes out to new client Gemma Epperson on the lease of “Parker”. Best wishes to the pair for their show season!

Cornet's Capitano - for sale. - Photos Kasia Pakula Photography

Cornet’s Capitano, is a very exciting new horse for sale, an absolute Grand Prix prospect, six-year-old by Cornet Obolensky, owned by Kelli Hughes and H&H Stables. He did his first show in the US and jumped a clear 1.10m round. Contact Michael Burnett for more information.

Catch up with Michael Burnett during WEF at their Florida location. Spots available for horses in training, sale horses, or new riders needing lease/sale horses for the circuit.

Stay tuned for Chris Kappler Clinic dates and reserve your spot soon!

Happy New Year to all!

Here’s to a great 2024 show season for everyone!

About Burnett Farm

Burnett’s program is dedicated to the details and concentrates on one-on-one training for both riders and horses. Flatwork is essential and the fitness of the horses is key. Burnett hosts a Chris Kappler Clinic annually and gets a great school on his horses early in the summer from the Olympian. Burnett is very disciplined when it comes to riding and is passionate about his goals. His riders love his focused attention and the success that follows.

Michael Burnett has an impressive resume in the jumper ring and a talent for bringing along young jumper prospects. Burnett is growing his farm in Lebanon, Indiana, and is accepting serious show clients, sale horses, and horses in training. Burnett’s teaching philosophy is based on the classical style of American riding and he is extremely passionate about his sport and dedicated to his clients.

Contact Michael Burnett for more information on Burnett Farm’s services and schedule at michaelbhorses@yahoo.com. Follow them on Facebook at Burnett Farm.