A peak into the equestrian world – right in our own back yard.
Wasatch Sport Horses (WSH), owned and operated by Stephanie Goodman and Joshua Sylce, is an equine enterprise specializing in hunter/jumper, three-day eventing, and dressage in Eagle, Idaho. We provide a safe and supportive environment for horses and riders to thrive and reach their goals together. Our services encompass all of the needs of a serious equestrian including training and coaching, both at home and on the road, as well as the acquisition and sale of horses. We are committed to find the best match between horse and rider. Our practices are based in on good horsemanship, stewardship and love for the sport and the people dedicated to it.
Author: Jessica Schatz
After getting a closer look at the beautiful Wasatch farm in northwest Eagle, we were able to speak closely with owner, Stephanie Goodman about her equestrian training center, Wasatch Sport Horses.
Stephanie is an international jump, dressage and eventing competitor, graduate “A” Pony Clubber and USEA Certified Instructor through CCI** (ICP level III), USHJA Certified Trainer Hunter, Jumper and Equitation.
Wasatch History
The company name, Wasatch, comes from the Wasatch Front located in Northern Utah which is where I grew up. But, I started the business while living on the East Coast of Europe as Wasatch Sport Horses, never thinking I’d live in the West again. When I did decide to move to Idaho, it felt right to keep the name as it was.
Our land was originally a dairy and western facility for many years, but when we first bought the farm, it become a place for my friends to keep their horses. So, the growth I’ve seen from then to now is outstanding. Believe it or not, we’ve pretty much had a waiting list ever since while more than doubling in size. When we first started putting on shows, we would have 25 people in competition that couldn’t jump more than 2 feet on their horse. However, over the years, we’ve seen athletes improve to now where we have 60 horses and they’re jumping at 3 1/2 feet.
With riders and trainers coming in and out of the farm throughout the day, it takes great care and responsibility from one and other to keep matters in order.
The lights go on at 5am every morning here and don’t go off until 10-11pm.
It’s a fast-paced environment, but I wouldn’t have it any other way because the people are awesome. Everyone is eager to learn and shares a similar passion which is amazing to see. You truly can’t get away from it.
The Lifestyle
Wasatch Sport Horses begins training people as young as 5 years old and some riders into their late 70’s are still jumping at our farm. So, our mean age is about 48 years old which makes us very unique from other sports.
In terms of Olympics sports, equestrian is the only sport where men and women compete completely equally with no age defined as well.
Equestrian as a Sport
With so many people hungry to ride, I’m sure there’ll be a big spike in popularity of riding. One of the biggest challenges is space because so many farms are at capacity. However, the bar will just keep getting higher for riders and barns.
The sport requires a lot of endurance, balance and core strength rather than heavy strength, but with a lot of practice and time to get to that higher level.
The horse is your athlete, so proper nutrition, sleep cycle and care are essential to both the rider and horses’ performance.
Coming growth
We want Wasatch to be here for a long time and hope that the community can stay as involved as possible.
My advice for people that want to get into riding is that it’s always going to help with anything in life to be really comfortable with animals and it’s one of the best ways to learn responsibility. Remember to be persistent because skill and experience produce bravery.
To learn more about the community and happenings of Wasatch Sport Horses, click here!