The St. Andrews Equestrian Staff |
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Peggy McElveen Peggy is a Sweet Briar College Alumna, graduating in 1971. Peggy is now the Riding Director of the Equestrian Program. She oversees everything in the program from being IHSA hunter seat head coach to recruiting riders and looking at prospect donation horses. |
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Dr. Lara Kellam Dr Laura Kellam attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia with a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Biology. Then Dr. Laura continued her education at Virginia Polytechnic University in Blacksburg, Virginia obtaining her DVM degree. She took an Equine Surgery and Medicine Internship at the University of Guelph, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. She completed her residency of Equine Internal Medicine at the University of Missouri, in Columbia, Missouri. Dr. Laura has been a member of the St. Andrews equestrian staff since August 2004. She is the Veterinarian-in-Residence and Assistant Professor in Sports Studies. Dr. Laura is responsible for the veterinary care and maintenance of the 140+ herd at the St. Andrews Equestrian Center. She is also the professor of the equine science related classes and pre-veterinary studies program. Dr Laura’s riding interests resides in three day eventing with some hunter/jumper experience as well. Dr. Laura is also a musician playing the mezzo-soprano and is a pianist. She loves cold weather and enjoys skiing and snowboarding and dog sledding. However in the southern climate Dr. Laura has picked up sea-kayaking to keep her happy in the warmer weather. |
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Kira Gainey Kira is a St. Andrews Presbyterian College Alumna, graduating in May 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Equine Business Management. Kira has been a part of the equestrian Staff since July of 2002. Kira is the Riding Instructor and Coach of the hunt seat equestrian program. She teaches various levels of hunt seat riding, takes the C-Show team to shows around the southeast. She oversees numerous equestrian classes, makes daily horse assignments, and organizes in-house horseshows and events. Kira’s accomplishments consist of her horse Chessie being the Year End Champion for the Baltimore, Maryland Circuit’s Junior Hunter Division in 1997. She competed in numerous fox hunts and hunter trials. She continued to show her horse Chessie in the Amateur Owners and Adult Hunters on the A show and C show teams while in college. She also competed in IHSA in Novice and Intermediate flat and fences and made it to IHSA Zones in 2002. Kira also represented her college competing in ANRC Nationals in 2000, 2001, and 2002. She placed in the top ten individually at ANRC nationals twice on her own Chessie. In Kira’s spare time she is spending time with her husband and newborn son Graham. She enjoys traveling, hiking with her dogs, whitewater rafting, and is learning to snowboard. |
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Jacqueline Dwelle Jackie is an Indiana Wesleyan University Alumna, graduating with a bachelor’s in the Science of Management in December of 2003. She also continued her education with a MBA from East Carolina University in July of 2006. Jackie has been a member of St. Andrews since 1998 as Sports Studies Faculty, Instructor and Coach. Jackie oversees lesson scheduling, teaching classes, coaching the IDA team, Parelli, and teaching dressage lessons. Before Jackie came to St. Andrews she was a barn manager for several barns in Southern Pines at Pine Meadow Farm, Mark Weissbecker’s, and Nokomis Farm. She also was a head groom and road manager for Michael J. Plumb and Karen Stives of Stonehenge Farm. She was also a riding instructor for the Harroway House Riding School and Flanders Farm Riding Centre both located in England. Jackie was inducted into the hall of fame of the IDA IN 2007. She is the author of several published books and a Parelli level two graduates. You can often find Jackie at St. Andrews riding her horse Max. |
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Carla Wennberg Carla is a University of Georgia Alumna, graduating in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. Carla joined the equestrian staff in 2006 as the head Western Coach and teaches dressage instruction as well. Carla is responsible for coaching the IHSA Western Team, and teaching horse judging classes. Carla has won three World Championships at AQHA Youth Worlds, and was All Around Youth at American Quarter Horse Congress. Carla has also won a bronze medal in dressage. She has been a AQHA for 22 years, and 18 years as a NRHA and NSBA judge. She has has had the opportunity to judge in 8 foreign countries. Carla has also worked at other universities previously before coming to St. Andrews. She spent six years at Colorado State University, five years at the University of Georgia, and 4 and a half years at Martin Community College. |
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Sarah Rhymer Sarah is a St. Andrews Presbyterian College Alumna, graduating in May 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Equine Business Management. She has been on the equestrian staff since August 2005. Sarah is an instructor in the hunter seat program and is a coach for the IHSA Hunter Seat team. Sarah assists with the P.E. and Equitation classes and oversees the community riding program. During the summer months, St. Andrews sends 22-24 horses to Camp Seafarer, a YMCA based girl’s camp located on the North Carolina coast. Sarah oversees and directs the summer riding program with a team of equestrian students from St. Andrews. During Sarah’s college years she was an IHSA team member riding in Novice flat and fences. Sarah also enjoys riding her gray AQHA Ritchie out on the school fields. |
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Kimberly Butterbaugh Kim is an Alumna of Virginia Intermont College of Bristol, Virginia graduating in 2004. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Equine Studies and a second bachelors of science in General Biology. Kim has been a member of the St. Andrews equestrian staff for the past four years, starting directly from college. She is the Head Barn Manager and Work Study Supervisor. She is in charge of all the horses well being, as well as keeping their records up to date. Kim also hires and oversees the entire work study staff to take care of 140+ horses during the school year. Most days you can find Kim at the equestrian center riding her own horse Boo Boo out in the fields. |
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Samantha Poverud Sam Poverud is a St. Andrews Presbyterian College Alumna, graduating in May 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Equine Business Management. Sam has been a member of the equestrian staff since March of 2007 as Assistant Barn Manager. Sam’s primary responsibility is taking care of school horses in the lesson program and working with the work-study students. Before coming to St. Andrews Sam managed her family’s 20 head Arabian breeding facility in Central Florida. She also served as a working student for Charlotte Brent at Mon-Reve Farm in Vass, NC, and was a groom for the Lipizzaner tour troupe “White Stallion Productions!”. Sam is a native pony clubber in the Sunshine Region (Florida) and attained her C-2 rating, and represented the United States Pony Club at the International Quiz Rally in Toronto, Canada. Sam also enjoys traveling, swimming; spending time with her horses an appaloosa quarter horse and Anglo Arab. |
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Jenni Benson Jenni is a Virginia Polytechnic University Alumna, graduating in May 2007. She obtained a bachelors degree in Animal and Poultry Science. She joined the equestrian staff in August of 2007 as a Riding Fellow. Jenni oversees horse care, working closely with the on-site veterinarian, overseeing the work study students, and teaching lessons. During Jenni’s college years she participated in Virginia Tech’s IHSA and IDA teams. Jenni was the IDA team captain, IDA regional winner, and competed at nationals in Intro level dressage. Prior to college Jenni owned and showed American Saddlebreds for many years. Her greatest accomplishment was placing in the top ten at the Saddlebred Hunt Seat Nationals twice with her horse Midnight Run. |
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Pebbles Turbeville Pebbles is an alumna of Columbia obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education. She went for her master’s degree in Recreation Resource at NCSU. Pebbles has been a part of the St. Andrews equestrian program for eight years and is the Therapeutic Horsemanship director and oversees the entire therapeutic program. She is also an Assistant Professor and Chair of Sport Studies, in which she teaches classes, and guides students during academic advising. Before Pebbles became a member of St. Andrews she worked for ten years in non-profit work, ran an outdoor recreational facility with equestrian programs, and was a barn manager for training and breeding facility. Pebbles grew up riding hunt seat often fox hunting, eventing, and showing Andulisians at halter.You can often find Pebbles out at the barn with her faithful golden retriever Salty or out riding Dutch, her freisian Arabian gelding. Pebbles also enjoys equine photography as her side hobby. |
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Elizabeth Harris Liz is a St. Andrews Presbyterian College alumna, graduating in May 2001 with her bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Horsemanship. She continued her education with a Masters in Education with a concentration in Special Education from MSU in 2006. Liz has been a part of St. Andrews for eleven years, four as a student, one as an academic aid, and six as the Therapeutic Horsemanship Assistant Director. In her position at the Equestrian Center, Liz organizes and implements the practical portion of the Therapeutic Horsemanship degree program by running the Ride-Like-A-Knight Program. This is a Premier Accredited Therapeutic Riding Center through the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. While a student at St. Andrews, Liz competed on the IHSA and IDA teams while the programs were still growing. |
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