Laura Blevins
Laura Lesky Blevins, owner, has been riding since the age of six and cared for her own horse since the age of nine. She is an award winning rider and trainer, qualified in hunt seat equitation, basic dressage, and equine management. She has earned many riding awards including the 1992 Adult Equitation Championship for the Chester County, PA Horse Show Association Series. Prior to opening the Deer Antler Stables, she taught in West Grove, PA and at the University of Delaware in the Equine Studies Department while earning a BS in Animal Science. She opened the Deer Antler Equestrian Center in Clayton in 1999 and expanded to a Middletown facility from 2002 to 2008. In August of 2008 she consolidated all services back to the Clayton stable.
Sarah Ashley
Sarah started riding at the age of 8 in Northern Virginia. After moving to Wilmington with her family, Sarah graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in psychology and several years’ experience teaching preschool. She then re-immersed herself in riding at Carousel Park. In 2002, Sarah moved to Clayton and began riding and working at Deer Antler Equestrian Center. She has competed in a number of horse shows with Deer Antler, winning many championships in Adult Equitation, Hunter, and Pleasure divisions. Having started teaching lessons at Deer Antler in 2003, she continues to enjoy the opportunity to share her love of horses with the students there; she is especially proud to have passed on and thoroughly nurtured that love in her daughter, Kaia. Now a University of Delaware employee, she keeps herself extra busy with her family, their love of baseball, her various crafts, working in her church’s children’s ministry, and, of course, regular barn time.
The staff keeps current by attending seminars and clinics, including some given by US Olympic Equestrian Team coach, George H. Morris, and Olympic riders, Ann Kurzinski and Michael Matz. Staff members are trained in First Aid and CPR. Junior counselors assist with camps.
Other Members of the Deer Antler Family
Kayla Smith and Ashley Yeager are our experienced employees that help Laura with providing daily care and nutrition for the horses.
Rich Guelette and Wyatt Blevins will be seen around the farm with their amazing maintenance and repair skills.
We'd also like to thank our wonderful farm and camp volunteers!