Autumn Chase Farm Southeast of Collierville, Tennessee By Nancy Brannon September is definitely an Autumn Chase month, following the August preview of cool temperatures that lent relief from the sultry Mid-South heat. Autumn Chase Farm is the new boarding and training facility of owner and trainer Jason Schnelle. He has moved his operation from a stable he leased on Shelby Drive to the new location at 217 North Lenderman Rd. southeast of Collierville, Tennessee, off Highway 72. He bought the property 3 1/2 years ago and lives in the house on the property. Jason trains hunters and jumpers primarily for show. His rider education program emphasizes safety, understanding, and fun, whether you’re on a school horse or riding your own horse. His program offers full board, lessons, transportation, and schooling at shows. Jason developed his training skills by learning from some of the best and from his riding experiences both in the U.S. and Europe. Jason has been involved with horses all his life. He grew up in Germantown, riding with Phoebe Sheets. When he was 16 years old, he moved away from the area and got a job at a large stable in Buffalo, NY. There he rode and took care of the horses, with an opportunity to focus on his riding for two years. He graduated high school in Buffalo. In 1992 Jason went to work for Laura Kraut, prior to her trip to the Olympics. Laura was named first alternate for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain on Simba Run, then owned and trained by Geoff Sutton, formerly of Cordova, TN. While working for Laura, he had the opportunity to compete in horse shows in Europe in conjunction with riding and caring for her horses. It was the first time he got to see Europe and, for a while, he lived in a barn in Germany. He showed in Rotterdam, Netherlands; in Fontenbleau, France; and in San Marino, Italy. The venue in San Marino was especially memorable for Jason. “It was Luciano Pavarotti’s private place. At the end of the show, Sting and Pavarotti did a concert together!” Jason recounted. In 1993 Jason came home and started college at University of Tennessee Knoxville. He continued to ride and teach riding as a part of his “extracurricular” activities while in college. He taught at Becky Thornton’s Hunter Valley Farm for a couple of years. After college Jason moved to Atlanta, where he went to work for an accounting firm, while still teaching riding on the side. In 2001 Jason left his job as an accountant to work full time with horses. He put together a team of investors to buy a horse farm and start a business south of Atlanta. Five years ago he sold the Atlanta farm and moved back home, to the Collierville area. New Years Eve of this year he moved into his own new facility on Lenderman Road. Jason said the only thing he misses about his former career is the air-conditioned office on really hot days. Jason had an active role in designing his barn, emphasizing ventilation “as the big thing,” Jason explained. He worked with architect David Zammit of Olive Branch, Mississippi to achieve a barn design with good overall ventilation for the horses. “The barn is very functional, with focus on the care of the horses,” Jason said. There are wash racks, grooming areas, two riding rings out back and a Derby field in the planning stages. On two acres on the hill behind the barn, Jason will construct a variety of natural obstacles “to get the horses working outside the ring,” he said. The Derby field will provide a good test of a horse’s willingness to jump a mix of stadium type jumps and cross country type obstacles over varied terrain. Derby field jumps can include stadium jumps such as panels, brush box, oxer, in and out, narrow jumps, and Liverpool; and cross country jumps such as logs, banks, coops and sheds, roll tops and palisades, and possibly water jumps. Jason’s training approach “is based on doing what makes the horse happy and go with that,” he explained. His prime example of figuring out how to do this and be successful with it is Laura Kraut’s horse. “She had a horse that no one else wanted to ride. He was a very unorthodox horse, but she was able to make the horse like her. The horse would do things for her that he wouldn’t do for anyone else. The key is to make the job fun for the horse and have the horse happy in his work.” “Being successful with difficult horses, or any horse, takes a lot of patience. Focus on your rapport with the horse, rather than just being a drill instructor. Pay attention to the horses and ascertain whether or not they are happy. Some horses take a softer approach than others,” Jason continued. Jason takes his students to the “A” shows, locally and out of town, and to about five or six local schooling shows. His immediate goal is to “grow the lesson program and get new riders into the sport.” He does have space for a few more boarders. For more information about Autumn Chase Farm, visit the website www.autumnchasefarm.com or call (901) 378-6557 (Jason’s cell phone) or (901) 751-3408.