Ethel Walker School
Riding has been part of life at Walker’s since its founding in 1911. Our exceptional equestrian program sets Walker’s apart from its private school peers.
Walker’s is one of only a small number of boarding high schools that offers an equestrian sport on campus. Many of Walker’s most supportive alumnae have been riders at the School and a number continue to compete at the highest levels regionally and nationally. Our Equestrian Center is located on campus, so you are just steps away from the Frank O.H. Williams Barn and your equestrian activities. Our Riding program is staffed by accomplished horsewomen who have decades of competition and training experience. We’ll support and challenge you so you can succeed competitively and academically.
Walker’s Equestrian Center is among the best of any school in the country and provides a strong foundation to maintain a best-in-class riding program. The Equestrian Center is on Walker’s 175-acre campus, providing ready access to the barn and horses, as well as winding trails and extensive turnouts.
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Our nationally-recognized trainers, Linda Langmeier, Ken Whelihan, Randi Booth, and Courtney O’Connor, have the expertise to coach riders at all levels and they work with students to attain any set of goals our students strive to achieve. They are lifelong horsewomen who share a passion for the sport and a love of teaching. Each has earned national titles for themselves or by working with students in hunter, jumper, and equitation, bringing starting riders up through the levels or advancing seasoned riders to regional and national levels. The trainers also teach our weekly Ground School where students learn how to become fully-versed in horsemanship.
The barn is staffed seven days a week and our barn manager lives on campus, ensuring the utmost care for all horses.
Renowned trainer Linda Langmeier brings her world-class training to prepare team members for the national stage.
Ken Whelihan has worked with numerous Olympians and his students have been successful at countless national and regional finals.
Randi Booth has been showing since she was a small child, and for the past 25 years has been a trainer of children and adults at all levels.
Kristen Blatt is a graduate of Centenary University, where she competed on the IHSA team. She has worked as a barn manager for over 8 years.
The equestrian team is super close, and the program is amazing. I have improved so much as a rider!
Riding at Walker’s has taught me about perseverance and commitment.
My favorite part of my day is my riding lesson or going over to the barn! I look forward to seeing all of my friends and trainers.
For more than a century, riding has been part of daily life at Walker’s. We offer a best-in-class equestrian program led by nationally-recognized trainers, with on-campus facilities that are among the best of any high school in the country. The program provides an extraordinary preparation, for both riding and life, with an emphasis on horsewomanship, teamwork, and personal growth. Riders of all levels are supported and students develop their riding skills at an exceptional rate, competing successfully at local, national, and international levels.
Dallas is a 16.2 hand warmblood gelding. His huge stride and brave nature make him a student favorite. Dallas has an impressive record from the hunter ring, but is useful…
The Ethel Walker School’s Summer Riding Experience is an extension of the School’s renowned equestrian program. Since the early 90s, Summer Riding Experience has helped girls develop into complete horsewomen while having fun! The camp consists of daily riding sessions complemented with activities that include horse care, working with farriers and veterinarians, equine science, and general equestrian knowledge.
Linda Langmeier
Director of Show Riding and Head Trainer
Linda Langmeier is an accomplished horsewoman who has been riding since she was five years old. As a Junior rider, she won the 1983 ASPCA Maclay Equitation Finals. Linda’s daughter, McKayla, also won the Maclay — the first mother-daughter team to earn this distinction. Linda was the winner of the 1988 Sugarbush Grand Prix, competed in the 1989 World Cup Finals (Tampa, Florida), and the 2013 Fidelity Grand Prix. Linda trained Emma Fletcher, who won the 2019 Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final Champion.
Linda earned numerous championships in the hunter and jumper divisions at competitions such as The Winter Equestrian Festival, The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, Lake Placid Horse Shows, Vermont Summer Festival, The American Gold Cup, Pennsylvania National Horse Show, Washington International Horse Show, and The National Horse Show.
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Randi Booth
Director of Community/External Riding and Co-Head IEA Coach
Randi grew up on a large horse farm and was raised by horse professionals. She has been showing since she was a small child, and for the past 25 years she has been a manager and trainer of children and adults at all levels in the hunter, jumper, equitation, and eventing disciplines. She has worked and ridden for nationally known judge and trainer Carol Malony, for hunter rider/trainer Maryann Steiert Charles, and for Olympic 3-Day Event Gold Medalist J. Michael Plumb.
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Kristen Blatt
Barn Manager
Kristen is a 2011 graduate of Centenary University where she earned a B.S. in Equine Studies with a concentration in Equine Business Management. While at Centenary, she competed on the IHSA team. During her tenure at Centenary, the team won two National championships. Upon graduating from Centenary, Kristen worked as barn manager at Coole Park Farm in Millbrook, NY, where she had been for eight years.
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Elizabeth Hall
Groom Staff
Lexie Hart
Groom Staff
Tanya Szuluk
Administrative Manager
Ken Whelihan
Assistant Director of Riding and Senior Trainer
Ken took his first formal horseback riding lesson in 1967. Much of his youth was spent trotting along behind his mom, dad, sister, and brother. During college, he worked at an international jumper sales barn run by two-time puissance record holder Barney Ward. Over the years, Ken has worked with numerous Olympians and his students have been successful at national and regional finals. He qualified for and competed in the U.S. selection trials for the Barcelona Games in 1992 and has been an “R” judge for over three decades. A popular clinician and winning competitor, Ken will help serve as an ambassador for Walker’s in the equestrian community.
Ken lives with his wife, Dr. Vicki June, DVM, and his two dogs in Otis, MA. When not riding horses, or teaching, giving clinics, judging horse shows, or competing, you would probably find him napping at home with a dog or two on his lap.
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