Located in Ocala, FL, is a 10-acre farm with a 12-stall barn, beautiful pastures, and a pristine arena where riders can practice dressage movements under a gorgeous sunset. This is Sunflower Hill Farm, the home of LCH Equestrian, run by dressage trainers and sisters Lisa and Catrina Hellmer.

Growing a Business

LCH Equestrian was started by Lisa and Catrina in 2019 when they purchased the property that would soon be known as Sunflower Hill Farm. The farm is dedicated to their father, Roland Hellmer, who passed away in 2013. “He has always been an inspiration to me and someone who lived life to the fullest. His passion, hard work, and love live on with our farm. I know he would be so proud if he saw what we built from the ground up. It is called Sunflower Hill Farm, and we plant sunflowers all year long to remember him by,” shared Lisa.

In addition to growing their dressage training and riding business, they have also been slowly revamping the facility to provide amenities expected in the horse capital of the world. LCH Equestrian focuses on developing horses correctly and carefully through the levels of dressage and works with a wide variety of breeds. Lisa explained, “We focus on a cross-training approach to developing our dressage horses and keeping them happy.”

The Women Behind LCH Equestrian

Catrina is a USPC C3 grad with a BS in Environmental Science and Ecology from the University of New Hampshire. She is also a Florida Board Certified Veterinary Technician, in addition to her work starting young horses and developing her OTTB Moonshine Cate. She has experience exercising racehorses in Ocala, as well as preparing horses for breeder sales. 

Lisa is a USPC B grad, has a BS in Equine Business Management and Riding from Johnson & Wales University, has earned her USDF Bronze and Silver medal, and also is a USEF Silver Para Dressage coach. She grew up eventing and was willing to ride every horse she could get her hands on. She competed on the intercollegiate dressage team in college and gained extensive experience in Germany at the Hanoverian Verband. Lisa has received many accolades on borrowed horses and is developing Aniko, a 15-year-old Oldenburg, to the Grand Prix. 

When asked to provide her proudest achievement under saddle, Lisa joked, “Staying on!” She went on to say, “I am a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist, developing my horse (who is a little too small and not the ideal dressage horse) to the Grand Prix for my gold medal.” She also feels that her work as a trainer provides her with plenty of opportunities for achievement outside of the saddle. She is a USEF Certified Para Dressage coach and thoroughly enjoys helping develop para riders and their horses from beginning through top-level FEI. 

Moving forward, Lisa is excited about her two yearling dressage prospects named after the main characters in the Step Brothers movie, Dale and Brennan. “They are exciting dressage prospects, and I love being able to develop my young horses from the bottom up,” said Lisa. 

Streamlined with StableSecretary

The two women who make up LCH Equestrian are a formidable team. “We are honest, hard-working women, who do everything ourselves,” Lisa commented. Finding the right barn management tool was imperative to help organize the record-keeping in their facility to focus more on their riding and training. 

Lisa first found StableSecretary on social media, and after hearing that a fellow trainer also used the app, she decided to try it out. Lisa remarked, “I have tried so many different applications and various barn management software, but none of them truly fit the bill before StableSecretary.” LCH Equestrian has now been using the app for a little over six months. 

Starting her riding career in Pony Club, maintaining a good record book was ingrained in Lisa early. “I love having my horses and client horses’ records electronically and portable. This way, I can see everything I need to, no matter where I am. I can download and email important documents at a horse show, see what treatments horses have received, and I can allow access to my team members so that they can also add updates,” explained Lisa. “It is the best way for us to keep records on horses, whether veterinary visits, farrier appointments, or medications. We can get a quick and easy overview of everything the horses have received.”

For more information about how StableSecretary can help streamline your barn management, visit www.stablesecretary.com.