She's at home on a horse

Sher Gillespie sells houses for a living, but she's most at home on a horse.

It's evident as she takes Ginger, her favorite horse, for a trot around the practice ring. The two go faster and faster until the graceful animal clears one jump and then another.

Gillespie, 31, trains four or five horses a day at Twin Springs Farm in Mooresville, where she cares for clients' horses and gives lessons. She also has about two dozen riding students.

"We have a real nice mix of ages, which is nice," says John Ault, the farm owner.

Gillespie draws students from about a 30-minute radius, many of whom live in Davidson, Lake Norman or Huntersville. Gillespie drives from Cornelius, and works as a Realtor in Huntersville.

"If you do horses all the time, you're gonna go crazy or broke," she says.

Besides riding horses, Gillespie competes on a number of riding circuits.

Twin Springs Farm competes in City League International, a show jumping series throughout the Southeast. Some of the horses at the farm are hunters, which is a judged competition. Others are jumpers. Form doesn't matter in this division. You are simply racing against the clock.

Gillespie rides with the Wilmington Wave Jumpers, and has shown horses professionally since she was 15.

Although she clearly loves to ride the horses, she takes the task seriously. "We expect them to be athletic and we are too," says the petite Gillespie.

It's a lot of mental work, too.

"Riding is 80 percent mental," Gillespie says, scratching a horse's belly. "When your brain is trained, you work better."

Gillespie gives about 20 lessons a week out at the Mooresville farm.

Twin Springs is a show barn, she explains. "God tells you what to do, and I think I'm supposed to be teaching riding lessons."

Gillespie came to the farm last December. "I needed a place to train," she says. "It's been successful. We have healthy, sound horses, and we keep them in a good program."

Gillespie's training business is called SGA South, Inc. and she gets results.

Gillespie took eight horses to the City League International Semi-finals and the Progressive Show jumping series at Tryon the weekend of Oct. 9. Every horse and rider under her tutelage won a ribbon.

Gillespie says there are differences among horses which are trained to jump.

"A horse can have a lot of ability, but not very much heart," she says. "Then another horse can have the biggest heart but limited ability. You really have to work with a horse for a long time to figure out what it's gonna give you."

Twin Springs offers lessons to students ages 6 and up.

For beginners, Bugz the pony is the perfect companion.

Ault says that the horses are part of a hobby that went awry.

He bought Bugz for his daughter, Ally, who recently turned 11, then bought himself a horse and trailer, and realized he needed more land.

That was a few years and a few horses ago.

He and wife Debi now have about 30 acres to work with.

Ault says the board is competitive, and Gillespie, who didn't grow up with privilege, tries to help students who want to ride. Some work around the farm in exchange for lessons.

Watching Gillespie's every move are her two Corgis, Bandit and Tucker. They are her constant companions at shows and competition, and are absolutely delirious when they find a discarded hoof to chew on, left behind by the farrier.

A native of Pennsylvania, Gillespie came to the Southeast in 1998 with the show jumping circuit. She began working with a trainer in Atlanta.

"I didn't have a lot of money, but I had a work ethic," she says. "I had to work my butt off."
Eventually, she moved to the Charlotte area.

Besides showing horses and competing, Gillespie also sells them.

She also has horses at a farm in Pennsylvania.

"In this area, we needed a barn with a good atmosphere," Gillespie says. "I wanted to turn out smart riders."

One of those riders is Hayley Fornelli, 14. She rides with three other friends at Twin Springs.

She and her mom, Debbie, met Gillespie through mutual acquaintances. The Fornellis live in Huntersville.

"They absolutely love her," Fornelli says of the girls. "She's meticulous but she likes to have fun."
Gillespie corrects riders without scolding, Fornelli adds, and is easy to work with.

"She knows the business," Fornelli adds. "She really does. She's a great girl. She works hard. She wants everybody to do well."