Stacy
Westfall

South China, Maine — A Rider Shaped by Her Mother and the University of Findlay

Stacy Westfall was born on September 26, 1974, and grew up in South China, Maine. Although her parents were not professional horse trainers, horses were an important part of her upbringing and her mother served as her first riding instructor. Westfall developed a strong interest in horsemanship at a young age and spent much of her childhood riding and training horses. She attended the University of Findlay in Ohio, a school well known for its equestrian programs, where her instructors Steve Brown, Dan Huss, and Clark Bradley were significant influences. She also worked with NRHA Futurity champion Mike Flarida.

Westfall married fellow trainer Jesse Westfall in 1997, and they settled in Mount Gilead, Ohio, where they raised three sons and operated a training facility together. Jesse Westfall is also a reining trainer and an NRHA judge.

Westfall built her career in the reining industry, specializing in the precise patterns, sliding stops, spins, and flying lead changes that define the discipline. She became especially known for freestyle reining, where competitors choreograph routines to music. During one competition she accidentally dropped a rein — an event that inspired her to explore riding with reduced reliance on the bridle — and eventually developed her signature bridleless performances.

2006 — The Ride That Went Around the World

In 2003, Westfall won the National Reining Horse Association Freestyle Reining Championship while riding without a bridle, an accomplishment that attracted widespread attention in the horse industry. She continued to build on that success over the following years.

Her most recognized performance came at the 2006 All American Quarter Horse Congress Freestyle Reining competition. Riding the black Quarter Horse mare Whizards Baby Doll — known as "Roxy" — Westfall performed bareback and bridleless to the song "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw. She dedicated the ride to her father, who had died unexpectedly weeks before the competition. The performance earned widespread recognition and became one of the most viewed equestrian videos on the internet after footage spread online. After the video was posted to her website, it reached television talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who interviewed Westfall on her program in 2008.

Also in 2006, Westfall became the first woman invited to compete in Road to the Horse, the prestigious colt-starting competition, and went on to win the event — the first female champion in the competition's history.

• 2003 NRHA Futurity Freestyle Reining Champion — Bridleless
• 2006 All American Quarter Horse Congress Freestyle Reining Champion — Whizards Baby Doll ("Roxy") — Bareback and bridleless
• 2006 Road to the Horse Champion — First woman to compete in and win the event
• Featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2008)
• 2012 National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Inductee

Clinician, Online Educator, and Author

Beyond competition, Stacy Westfall developed a large educational platform focused on helping riders better understand horse behavior and communication. Through clinics, online videos, podcasts, books, and training programs, she emphasized patience, consistency, emotional control, and building trust with horses. Her teaching focused on both the mental and physical aspects of horsemanship and attracted a large following well beyond the reining industry.

Westfall is a member of the American Quarter Horse Association, the National Reining Horse Association, and the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. She and Jesse continue to operate Westfall Horsemanship, with Stacy placing increasing emphasis on online education and coaching programs for riders at all levels.