LISA O'NEILL BIOGRAPHY

Lisa O’Neill of Top Call Farm has been a trainer and rider of nationally-ranked show hunters, jumpers, and equitation finals riders for over forty years. She holds two licenses as a USEF judge for thirty years and has judged some major A-rated shows throughout the East Coast from Vermont, NY, Virginia, to Florida.

Lisa’s students have shown throughout the A circuit on the East Coast since the early 80’s. She qualified her first student for the National Maclay finals in 1987 and continued qualifying riders for big equitation finals for more than thirty years after. She has also had students and horses at national pony finals, junior hunter finals, Derby finals, 3’-3’6” performance hunter finals at Harrisburg to name a few.

Lisa’s students took home zone finals awards in Children’s Junior Jumpers as well as National and zone awards for hunters, ponies and equitation including champion at Devon, Pennsylvania zone (two jumper finals.)

For many years, Lisa’s Top Call Show Stables and students were also a known entity on the Florida winter circuit at WEF and Ocala with students winning several circuit awards.

Lisa herself had a successful junior career riding a 6-year old off the track that Lisa started and trained as a green horse. She qualified for and competed at the AHSA Maclay finals at Madison Square Garden and the AHSA medal finals at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. making the call back for testing and placing eleventh out of over 380 riders.

After her final junior year, Lisa started her first training facility, Springbrook Stables in New Jersey. Lisa ran six rated shows every year as well as a schooling show circuit and large lesson program with four understudy riding instructors and hosted several clinics yearly.

Lisa has trained with many top professionals including Kip Rosenthal, George Morris, Ronnie Mutch, and more. She also received coaching in Europe and Ireland starting in the mid 80’s.

“Training in Europe allowed me the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the system used in starting and training young horses using the European training system. Their system is very consistent across the board, and it makes for correct basics and confident forward horses. Learning their system gave me a greater understanding of how to continue the process once the horses are imported to my farm.”

TEACHING STUDENTS FROM NOVICE TO ADVANCED

Teaching riders to be successful is Lisa’s passion. Now she teaches riding clinics to share her vast knowledge of horsemanship. She has spent many years developing a positive reinforcement training system for jumping accurately based on correct flat work, lateral suppleness, correct rhythm, and connection applied to jumping.

All of Lisa’s experiences and her passion to learn and share with others has shaped her ability to have a highly trained eye and a vast amount of training experience for young horses and riders to upper-level competition.

She trains riders from novice to advanced as well as professionals with an emphasis on correct form, style, form to function, and development of the riders feel. It’s important to also identify the use of proper aids and how to apply them.

“Correct flat work is the foundation for successful jumping; this foundation seems to have been lost or skipped over in recent years.

“I feel I have a gift for teaching coupled with years of experience, I teach riders the steppingstones, strong fundamentals, and the confidence needed for an enjoyable and successful jumping experience.”

Rounding out her understanding of a horse’s comfort to perform, Lisa has learned the Masterson method of hands-on tension release. She also had the unique opportunity to have worked with Ashley Davis. Ashley was a magic man at muscle testing and chiropractic; he could locate and relieve soundness issues that had been elusive to others.

“I have modified the method with yoga stretches that directly impact the horse’s flexibility and suppleness prior to riding.’

Coupled with Lisa’s knowledge of acupressure meridian points, she often shows riders how to do basic stretches on their own horses prior to riding.

Once mounted, riders can feel the difference in the horse’s suppleness, flexibility, and willingness to go forward.

“Giving back to the horses is very important to me. The horse’s willingness to do so much for us is one of my driving forces to always strive to do the best we can for their well-being.”

Now semi-retired, Lisa is available to teach a limited amount of clinics and has a passion for consulting on horse-related projects.

LISA O'NEILL SERVICES

IMPORTED INVESTMENT HORSE

Lisa has had a thriving business importing show horses and prospects from Europe and has also taken clients to Europe to find their own dream horse.

“Developing young show prospects is my passion. Finding these gems in Europe or in the US is never easy, making it extremely exciting when I do find a special horse.”

After importing, training, and starting a show record, many of Lisa’s special finds have been sold to other professionals. They have gone on to be largely successful show hunters, derby finals winners, and finals equitation mounts.

Top Call Farm only imported a limited number of horses that are specially curated to become A-show hunters, jumpers, and finals material equitation horses. Integrity and transparency have earned Lisa many repeat buyers over many years.