Who are we?
Our membership encompasses both amateurs and professionals. We are owners, breeders, exhibitors, grooms, trainers, often, all in one.
Our love for the American Saddlebred horse binds us together. We love pleasure horses, performance horses, dressage, driving competitions, equitation, jumping, side-saddle riding, western, and just plain trail riding.
Meet Our Officers
Kelly Stewart
PRESIDENT — Kelly Stewart grew up, as many little girls, loving horses. She had several back yard horses, but never showed or had even heard of a saddlebred until the infamous day her husband presented her with her first saddlebred on their 6 Year Anniversary. Shortly thereafter, Kelly opened Abby Road Farm in 2003 in Peculiar, MO. What started as a 9 stall barn has now grown to a 29 stall facility which offers training of the American Saddlebred, a lesson program and pasture/stall boarding to all breeds. Kelly, a long time member of the Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club had an opportunity to serve as President in 2011. She has developed strong ties in the local horse community through participation in local organizations such as Longview Horse Park, Pony Express Horse Show Circuit and the Kansas City Horse Stable Owners Association. In 2017, Kelly Stewart has accepted the opportunity to again serve as President of the Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club.
Beverly "Lee" Allard
2nd VICE PRESIDENT — Lee has always had a love for the Horse. She watched as her two daughters took lessons and competed growing up and lived vicariously through their equine activities for years. After her daughters graduated college and started their own lives, she missed the “barn”. About ten years ago, she started to take riding lessons. Shortly after that, she decided it was her turn and bought her first horse, an American Saddlebred. Since then, she joined Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club and has actively served in the club as Secretary and is currently 2nd Vice President. Lee is also the representative for Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club on the Long View Horse Park Association Board. Lee is a member of ASHA, UPHA, USEF, MHSA and VERSA. Lee works at Suburban Lawn and Garden and is the Administrative Assistant to the owner.
Don Schilling
1st VICE PRESIDENT — Don has been an American Saddlebred Breeder, Owner, and Exhibitor for over 35 years as a partner of Burden-Schilling Saddlebreds. He is a long-time member of the Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club, serving as President and/or Vice President since 2003. He has also served on the American Saddlebred Registry Board of Directors and currently serves on the ASHA State Futurities Committee, the Breeders Committee, as a member of the Charter Club Council, and as a VERSA Board Member. Don has also served as the President of the American Saddle Horse Breeders Futurity of Missouri since 1998. As a long-time exhibitor at the Missouri State Fair, he was inducted into the Missouri State Fair Hall of Fame in 2006. As a member of the Longview Horse Park Board and UPHA/American Royal Horse Show Committee, he supports all local Saddlebred horse shows and events.
Courtney Morrill
SECRETARY/TREASURER & SHOW MANAGER — Courtney was first introduced to the beautiful American Saddlebred in 2007 when her daughter began taking riding lessons at Abby Road Farm at the age of 4. After a few years of letting her daughter have all the fun, Courtney decided to take a few riding lessons herself and the rest is history! Courtney and her daughter now each own their own show horse and compete in the Show Pleasure division. Courtney became a member of Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club in 2013 and in 2016 was elected Secretary. In 2017, Courtney was also elected to take on the role of Treasurer. Courtney is also a member of ASHA, UPHA and USEF. In “real life”, Courtney is an Audit Manager and CPA with the firm Mize Houser & Company located in Overland Park, Kansas. She is married to Ronnie Thompson and they have one daughter, Taylor. Courtney and her family reside in Peculiar, Missouri.
Chris Willis, Director
2023 & 2024
Jan Harvey, Director
2023 & 2024
Carol Carlson, Director
2023 & 2024
Meeting Minutes are available upon request to current members only.
Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club History
In September 1973, Saddlebred pleasure horse owners and trainers met to form the Greater Kansas City Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Association with Donna Young as the first president. Within six months, the club was participating in a clinic and putting on its first show. The Grassroots Horse Show held at Whispering Downs Arena on March 30, 1974 was an all Saddlebred pleasure horse show.
The club’s policy was to promote the American Saddlebred as versatile, to support pleasure horse owners, and to remain flexible in growth as the needs of the local Saddlebred owners changed. By 1977, Saddlebred performance horse owners were asking to be admitted. The club then made a major change to meet these new demands and became the Mid-America Saddlebred Horse Club, open to all Saddlebred owners.
In 1978, Mid America held an all breed horse show at Sunset Arena. Subsequent shows were held at the Saddle and Sirloin grounds before moving to the Longview Horse Park.
In 1984, Mid-America put on the 10th annual American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse International Championship at the old American Royal building when the show was displaced from its home in Springfield, Illinois by reconstruction.
In 1986, Mid-America was approached by the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) to become a charter club which it became.
In 2002, Mid-America was chosen “Charter Club of the Year” by ASHA from its many clubs worldwide, an honor it also received in 2013.
In 2017, the club received the ASHA Breed Ambassador Region 3 Charter Club Award. The ASHA Breed Ambassador Program recognizes and celebrates those ASHA members who help promote the American Saddlebred by reaching out and sharing the breed with those outside our saddlebred community.
Mid-America promotes the American Saddlebred through clinics, seminars, barn tours, mall presentations, and an annual charity horse show. Our members have promoted the Saddlebred at Metro North Mall, Independence Center, Saks on the Plaza, and Pine Tree Shopping Center in Raymore, often with live horses. They have held educational sessions covering such topics as broodmares and foaling, veterinarian presentations on horse health, winterizing your horse, and training the horse and rider as one.