Sara McGowan Dressage & Eventing

08/04/2026

Come join the team! ✨💙

✨Winterhaven Stables will have a main stall available coming September 1st! ✨

If you're looking for a wonderful place to board & train with Sara McGowan Dressage & Eventing look no further! Message me or the farm page for more information 😊

www.winterhavenstables.com

Pic of our Winterhaven mascot, Tilly, out on our beautiful cross country course!

08/03/2026

✨ Otter Creek Farm Dressage Fest Recap ✨

What a successful weekend for our team!

Dash continued to impress this weekend, gaining more confidence with every trip down centerline, and each test just keeps getting better. I’m incredibly proud of how he handled the atmosphere like a seasoned professional. He’s truly growing into this level with every outing, and feeling his confidence and consistency develop has been so rewarding.

Megan & Tiger put together beautiful tests all weekend, highlighted by a personal best 72.5% in First Level! This was such a well-deserved result and a wonderful opportunity for them to showcase all the hard work they’ve been putting in at home.

Taylor & Ziggy were absolute rockstars, earning a personal best 65.4% at Training Level! Taylor has been working her tail off, and this weekend she truly got to shine. I’m so proud of the partnership these two have built. Watching Taylor blossom into such a lovely dressage rider and Ziggy into a confident dressage horse has been incredibly rewarding.

A huge thank you to Janet Olsen for your unwavering support. Although you couldn’t be with us this weekend, you were only a text away the entire time. None of this would be possible without you. And a thank you to Bailey for making Dash sparkle!

And a special shoutout to Susanne at Ride or Die Equestrian Shop for my gorgeous new helmet! I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever ridden in a helmet this comfortable. It fits perfectly, looks beautiful, and I’m absolutely in love with it. Thank you for helping me find the perfect one!

We’re leaving Otter Creek with so much to celebrate and plenty of motivation as we set our sights on Festival of Champions at the end of August.

Morgan Chapman Media

Onward! 💙

07/25/2026

Meet the Team Behind the Scenes:

Sara is a professional dressage rider and trainer based out of Willow Run Stables and Winterhaven Stables in southeastern Wisconsin. She works with both dressage and eventing students across both facilities, as well as riders from neighboring barns, coaching and developing horse and rider partnerships every day.

She is currently campaigning Daily Hit (“Dash”) at the Prix St. Georges level. Dash is owned by Janet Olsen, a longtime student, owner, and dedicated supporter of Sara’s program. Thanks to Janet’s unwavering support and belief in the team, Sara and Dash have the opportunity to pursue their goals together.

Behind the scenes, Bailey Albertson serves as Sara’s groom, assistant, and social media manager helping keep the horses, clients, and day to day operations running smoothly while sharing the journey every step of the way.

Together, our goal is to create a positive, educational, and supportive environment where both horses and riders can thrive. Whether we’re at home, at a clinic, or in the show ring, we’re excited to bring you along for the ride.

We’re so glad you’re here and can’t wait to share our team, training, successes, and everyday adventures with you. Thank you for following along! 🐴✨

07/24/2026

Day one @ Otter Creek Farm Dressage Fest! 💙

07/14/2026

So excited to show off the new merch!!

Very thankful for Riders Boutique at Lamplight and Silk Screening Specialists in Grafton, for making the vision come to life! 💓

06/25/2026

✨ Congratulations to my student, Sue Strait, on the purchase of Beholden (“Martha”)!

Martha is a truly special young horse, and I couldn’t be more excited to see this partnership come together. I look forward to watching Sue and Martha grow together and all they will accomplish in the future. Wishing them the very best as they embark on this exciting journey. ✨

06/10/2026

✨ A little delayed Windy City recap ✨

So proud of this team and these horses! Everyone put in great rides and, most importantly, enjoyed the experience along the way. The results were exciting, but watching all the hard work and dedication show up in the ring made the weekend especially rewarding.

We came, we learned, and we had a lot of fun doing it. Feeling very grateful for this group and excited for what’s ahead!

Next stop Otter Creek Dressage Fest in July!

05/12/2026

My Darby Derby girls cleaned up as well! Go team!

05/11/2026

First show of the 2026 season ✅
All of the horses and riders had a great weekend knocking the dust off their show coats and showing off all the hard work they’ve put in this winter.

Daily Hit “Dash” made his PSG debut this weekend, along with putting in some great 4-3 tests. He is now qualified for Regionals at PSG and Fourth Level, so now we can focus on improving our scores more heading into the rest of the season. I’m very proud of how he continues to develop and settle into being a show horse.

Megan and Tiger had great rides and really showed how much progress they’ve made over the winter, especially as a Second Level pair. They also got qualifying scores!

Taylor and Ziggy showed great growth as a partnership throughout their tests. All of her hard work showed, and she definitely earned a gold star for her riding from me.⭐️

Very proud of everyone and excited for what’s ahead this season. Feeling very thankful of my village. Next stop: Windy City at Lamplight at the end of the month! ✨