Nestled in the trees, 30 minutes from Seattle, lies a farm where kids have fun, horses thrive, and life skills are learned. Only two miles off of Snoqualmie Parkway, Sharkey Farm is home to the Sharkey family, their three goofy dogs, and a barn full of lovely horses. Kate and Chris strive to create a farm where everyone feels welcome and kids get the chance to be kids. Sharkey Farm is a throwback to how riding programs used to operate: students all pitch in to keep costs down and love volunteering to help other kids learn. Horse crazy riders get the chance to learn real horsemanship while helping care for their horses and horses live as they were intended to. With the ability to trail ride one weekend and go horse showing the next, the horses that reside at Sharkey Farm are happy, healthy, and good at their jobs.
Head trainer, Kate, has spent her life honing the skill of teaching riding. In college she was captain of her IHSA team and earned a minor in Equine Studies before spending a year in Ireland riding and breaking point-to-point racehorses. She returned, earned a Master in Teaching degree, and began teaching 5th grade full time in public schools while also establishing her own farm and training business. In 2020, Kate turned to training full time, expanding the farm programs to include an active IEA team. Kate has always loved Thoroughbreds and enjoys working with kids and their OTTBS as well as helping young horses transition off the track and into new disciplines. Kate's young horse, Lucky Tiger, thrived in his post-track career, earning 2018 National Champion Thoroughbred Incentive Program Green OTTB and 2019 TIP Very Green Hunter Champion as well as numerous local awards and championships. Her latest OTTB project, Duxbury, competes in the Thoroughbred Hunters and National Derbies during show season and hunts First Flight with the Woodbrook Hunt on the off seasons.
The Sharkey Farm IEA team is also achieved widespread national success:
Head trainer, Kate, has spent her life honing the skill of teaching riding. In college she was captain of her IHSA team and earned a minor in Equine Studies before spending a year in Ireland riding and breaking point-to-point racehorses. She returned, earned a Master in Teaching degree, and began teaching 5th grade full time in public schools while also establishing her own farm and training business. In 2020, Kate turned to training full time, expanding the farm programs to include an active IEA team. Kate has always loved Thoroughbreds and enjoys working with kids and their OTTBS as well as helping young horses transition off the track and into new disciplines. Kate's young horse, Lucky Tiger, thrived in his post-track career, earning 2018 National Champion Thoroughbred Incentive Program Green OTTB and 2019 TIP Very Green Hunter Champion as well as numerous local awards and championships. Her latest OTTB project, Duxbury, competes in the Thoroughbred Hunters and National Derbies during show season and hunts First Flight with the Woodbrook Hunt on the off seasons.
The Sharkey Farm IEA team is also achieved widespread national success:
- 2021 Future School Reserve National Champion
- 2022 Upper School National Champions, Varsity Intermediate Flat Individual National Champion
- 2023 Upper School 6th Place at National Finals, 3 Individual National Champions, Reserve Champion Varsity Open Championship
- 2024 Varsity Intermediate Flat Individual National Champion
- 2025 Upper School 4th Place at National Finals, 4 Individual National Champions