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MEET OUR STAFF
Trish Franks
Riding School Director and Lead Instructor
 Ms. Franks is a certified instructor and has been teaching
for 22 years. Extensive English and Western Discipline training
has been the focus of her horsemanship for 43 years. Dedicated
to horse and rider development, Franks has coached students
to Olympic Young Rider levels. She has spent 7 years of horseback
training in the discipline of Western Reining.
To her credit, through a carefully planned breeding program,
Franks is now producing NHRA futurity prospects.
Affiliations include: AQHA, NRHA, FRHA, ISHA, USEF, OVRHA,
USHJA, QPOA, APHA, POA, MTHJA, and PHBA. Franks currently
owns NRHA champions Shining Marshall and Pepantari.
English riding and training students from age 5 through adults
is a passion for Franks. In addition to equine related activities,
Franks owns and operates a catering business serving lunch
to local pre-schools. Franks has two children, Martin and
Brittany, and is married to architect Paul Wright.
 Brittany
Franks
Program Manager and Instructor
Brittany Franks is a Magna Cum
Laude graduate of MTSU in criminal justice with future plans
of law school. She is a professional horsewoman affiliated
with the NRHA, AQHA, USEF, and the MTHJA. Brittany has 18
years of horse experience with accomplishments in the following:
- Multiple championships in the hunter/jumper arena
- Pony Club member for 8 years
- Mulitple AQHA and NRHA championships nationally and internationally
- Tied for 1st place in the Young Rider Division of the
USEF in 2002 for Young Rider World medal standings
- Finished Top Ten NRHA standings 2000 and 2002
- Top Ten All American Quarter Horse Congress 2000
- Fourth Place at the Festival of Champions in the Young
Rider Medal Finals at Gladstone, New Jersey
- Brittany has had the opportunity to ride and train with
the world's best reining instructors. She has also trained
with Debbie Atkinson in 3-day eventing
- Camp counselor for Natchez Bend Farm's Critter Keepers,
a popular farm animal camp for 6 years
She is also responsible for the nutritional and veterinary
guidelines for the horses at Natchez Bend.
 Brittany
Halstead
Instructor
Brittany has been around horses her whole life. She got her first pony when she was just 5 years old. Her family showed Tennessee Walking Horses and often rode in field trails as well. Brittany started riding hunter/jumpers 10 years ago. She has ridden for the MTSU equestrian team in both hunt seat and western disciplines. Brittany spent her last year working as a stable hand at a race horse barn in New Zealand. She currently shows her horse, Homer, in jumper classes.
Brittany has been an NARHA certified instructor (North American Riding for the Handicapped Assoc.) for 3 years. This certification os for those specially trained to teach children with disabilities how to ride horses. Brittany is also affiliated with the USEF, USHJA and NARHA.
 Lisa Nilson
Barn Assistant
Lisa Nilson is currently living in Nashville from Tucson,
Arizona. She has been an animal care technician, caring for
animals used in biomedical research, while attending the University
of Arizona. She has executed cognitive studies using rats and monkeys
as a research specialist for the Department of Neurology.
Her primary tasks in her position were to train monkeys to
play a series of computer games and to ensure their psychological
and physical well-being throughout research projects. After
several years in biomedical research, Nilson stopped working
with animals and went to work in the information technology
industry. She is currently employed by Vanderbilt University
Medical Center.
She has two horses, Harley and Maverick, and spends after
hours and weekends assisting other staff in caring for the
boarding and training facility at Natchez Bend.
Tommy
Barrett
Polo Instructor
Specialty in polo training for youth and adults.
Morgan
Plunkett
Youth Instructor and Lesson Program Assistant
FRANKLIN EQUINE SERVICES. Arrington, TN
Dr. Tony Kimmons & Dr. Libby Maddux
Barn Veterinarians
John
Tomlin
Barn Farrier
Matt
Barnhill
Barn Farrier
Stephanie
King
Barn Management Apprentice Program and Teaching
Assistant
Maggie Page
Barn Management Apprentice Program and Teaching
Assistant
Courtney
Seitz
Barn Management Apprentice Program and Teaching
Assistant
 Martin
Franks
Martin Franks is a 2006 graduate of the University of Kentucky
where he earned a degree in animal science. He is currently
attending graduate school at the University of Kentucky where
he is studying architecture. Franks is co-owner of the breeding
program for Natchez Bend and trains the family’s reining
prospects. To Martin’s credit, he has NRHA earnings
of over $5,000 in showing 3 and 4 year old western reining
horses. Horses that have been finished by Franks have successfully
gone into other disciplines such as dressage. They have won
at training and 1st levels. Martin currently resides in Georgetown,
KY.
Affiliations are AQHA, NRHA, OVRHA, PBHA, PHA & USEF
and ASDF.
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