TRAIN HARD
LEARN EVERYDAY
BUILD CONFIDENCE
INSPIRE OTHERS
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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Whitney Widick is an equine professional and educator with more than 25 years of experience in the horse industry. She began riding at the age of five and grew up immersed in barn life alongside her cousin, Tanna Fruhling Suits, who introduced her to horse judging and helped shape her foundation in conformation, movement, and form-to-function. Her early development was further guided by her first trainer, Jamie Gerdes Stierwalt, whose mentorship reinforced the importance of correct mechanics and thoughtful horsemanship.
Whitney’s riding background spans multiple disciplines, including jumping, western pleasure, horsemanship, halter, showmanship, equitation, ranch riding, and speed events. Her show experience ranges from grassroots local shows through higher-level regional, state, and open competition. She holds an Associate Degree in Agribusiness with a specialization in Equine Management from Parkland College and completed coursework in animal sciences, physiology, and animal nutrition at the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University.
Whitney founded her program to address a gap she saw in traditional instruction, riders progressing without fully understanding the mechanics, reasoning, and responsibility behind their work. She teaches to create educated horsemen and women who understand the why and how of quality horsemanship, prioritize safety and soundness, and are prepared to pursue their own equine goals and careers with confidence. Her approach emphasizes lifelong learning, clear communication, and respect for the horse as a partner in the process.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat”