Skip Thornbury

Skip Thornbury is a 3rd generation horseman with more than 40 years experience riding and teaching.

He was born into an equestrian family in Buffalo, NY. His mother Florence is still an active professional horsewoman and CHA certified clinician. Skip’s father was a professional huntsman for the London Hunt in Ontario, Canada and the Greater Miami Valley Hunt in Dayton, Ohio. His grandfather was a long time farrier. Skip began his showing career in Canada in the Pony Hunter Division. When his family moved to Ohio, he moved into the Junior Jumper division, winning numerous awards through out the Midwest.

In 1977 Skip returned to Buffalo and began working for such notable trainers as Charles P. “Chuckie “ Graham and John Shaffner. Later he went to work for Geoff Teall & Deeridge Farms as assistant trainer and farm manager for their Buffalo and Palm Beach farms. During his tenure at Deeridge, Skip mentored Louis Jacobs who was 2nd in the 1981 AHSA Medal Finals. At 19 years of age Louis became the youngest rider to win a major grand prix by taking 1st in the Motor City Grand Prix in Detroit.

In 1983 Skip moved on to Brian and Maggie Flynn in Des Moines, Iowa where he assisted Maggie and “Romparound” in securing their 2nd consecutive A/O hunter championship at the National Horse Show. 1984 found Skip returning to Dayton, Ohio and the farm where he grew up. There he started his own business, Millbrook Farms, with the help of the Whalen and Mendelssohn families. Over the next few years Millbrook Farms’ horses and students won many local & regional awards.

In 1992 Anne Thornbury became Skip’s partner in business and in life. After marrying Anne, Skip merged his business with the public side of Uphill Farms and formed “Equisports, Inc”. Together they have continued to build their business and to improve their farm, located outside Cincinnati.

Over the last 15 years the partnership between Anne and Skip has produced many national and regional award winners. Among their clients’ successes are Reserve Champion USEF Large Pony Hunter of the Year Award, Junior Hunter, Pony Hunter, and Children’s Hunter division championships at the Winter Equestrian Festival, and Children's Hunter Champion, Best Child rider, Adult Equitation Champion and Monarch International Amateur Equitation Champion at the Capital Challenge.

Skip and Brian Lenehan give judges' clinic 2007 Dallas Harvest Horse Show.

In addition to being a successful trainer Skip has been an USEF “R”licensed judge since 1984. He has officiated in the Hunter, Jumper, and Equitation divisions at shows including the “Oaks” in San Juan Capistrano, CA., the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, the Washington International Horse Show, Caledon Equestrian Park in Canada, and numerous other shows around the country.

For the past 18 years Skip has been the president of the Ohio Hunter Jumper Association. He has been seated on the board of directors of the USHJA and serves as co-chairman of the Central Affiliates Region Committee, and the Hunter/Equitation Course Designers Task Force committee. He is also a past USEF Zone V Vice Chairman and a past board member of the Kentucky Hunter Jumper Association.

In 2007 Skip received the President's Distinguished Service Award from the USHJA. These awards were developed to recognize and honor the dedication and service by members of the USHJA and their sport.