GET TO KNOW OUR TEAM
Lindsay Traisnel
Owner & Rider
Lindsay began riding when her parents signed her up for weekly lessons at a local barn in the Windsor-Essex area as a kid. After a while, it was clear that she would need to seek coaching outside of Windsor to make it to the next level. Lindsay, along with her husband Xavier, have brought a wealth of knowledge back from the United States and all over Europe to develop the next generation of riders right here in Windsor-Essex County. They are committed to bringing elite-level coaching and training to the region. After being named to multiple Canadian High Performance lists she was selected to compete on the Canadian Eventing Team at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile where they won gold. Along with team gold, Lindsay was the highest placed Canadian earning a bronze medal with her horse "Bacyrouge". Lindsay and Bacyrouge now have their sights set on representing Canada on the biggest stage at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Jessica Buterbaugh
Riding School Instructor & Manager
Jessica has many years of experience coaching as well as working with horses and other small animals. Before becoming a riding instructor she worked for Windsor Raceway in the standard bred racing industry as well as in a small animal clinic. Jessica is a registered RVT and is NCCP and Equestrian Canada Licensed Competition Coach. Jessica spent several winters traveling South to Ocala Florida with her horses to train and compete in eventing with Olympic Gold Medalist Leslie Law. In 2017 she began training with the Traisnels, and since the official opening of WEC in 2019, Jessica has been the head riding school instructor. Jessica is also currently enrolled in school at the University of Windsor for Human Kinetics to become a Sports Psychologist in the future to better help her riders.
Xavier Traisnel
Owner & Coach & Rider
Xavier has many years of experience working with horses in all different aspects, such as riding at the advanced level in eventing, coaching, sourcing horses for upper level riders such as Will Coleman, Lauren Nicholson and British rider Kitty King. Xavier has also produced young horses that eventually went on to be very successful at the 5* level or compete at WEG and the Olympics. Xavier got his start into riding at a young age at a French riding school close by to where he grew up. The head coach there competed in eventing which is where his love for the sport and coaching began. Over the years Xavier has learned under a few top riders such as French Olympian Aurelien Khan and English Team rider Lucy Wiegersma. Xavier has a university degree from the Cadre Noir De Saumur in Business and Sports Management and has his International instructor level 3 (BEES2) which is recognized by ECF as High Performance 1 Instructor.
Desire Hodges
Barn Manager
Desire has spent several years working with horses and other livestock, she worked for Burnt Lake Stables and at a dairy farm in Alberta before moving to Clinton Ontario to attend Ridgetown College to get her diploma in Equine Care and Management. Desire has spent the last two years working and learning under Cecile Von Martels where she's gained lots of knowledge about upper level dressage and horse breeding. Desire began working at WEC alongside Jade in the spring of 2022 and has been a great addition to the team ever since. She's been learning the ropes of being a groom for Lindsay at upper level events and is also bringing along a young thoroughbred of her own and has plans of competing in the sport of eventing with him.
Jade MacInnes
Barn Manager & Social Media Manager
Jade got her start into eventing when she met Xavier and Lindsay in 2018 and since then she has been hooked. Jade went from starter level to training level in just 2 years on her pony Hope with the guidance and training from the Traisnels and plans to one day compete at the preliminary/2* level. Jade started working at WEC in 2019 while getting her Business degree at Wayne State University, and since 2020 has been our full time barn manager. Along with her own riding goals, Jade plans to learn the ropes of being a groom for Linday and Xavier at upper level events and gain more knowledge and experience with horses at that level of competition. Jade also has some experience coaching at the lower levels and is our fill in riding instructor.