Leslie Eagleton has worked at Iron Hill Equestrian Centre for the past eight years. Working closely with Irene Hill, she took over the position of Stable Manager in the spring of 2010.

Her interest in horses goes back to childhood. As a student, she spent her summers working in a number of positions involving horses; running horse camps for children, trail guiding in Banff and working with thoroughbreds on and off the track. In 1996, she graduated from Lakeland College with a Diploma in Western Horsemanship. This program provided comprehensive training in equine management, nutrition, breeding and horsemanship, including completion of Equine Canada Western Rider Levels 1 to 3.

Leslie spent six months at the Western Training Center in Austria. Owned by Helmut Schulz, it is a premier breeding, training and showing facility specializing in Reining performance horses. Her primary role was working with the young stock and starting two year olds under saddle.

Upon Leslie’s return to Canada, her life took a different turn. She was hired by the A-Channel as a Traffic Commercial Programmer and it was then she met her husband and soon started a family.

Today, Leslie lives in Priddis with her husband, two children, two dogs, five horses and cats. She is very active in the FEI-sanctioned western sport of Reining (some describe it as western dressage). She was South Branch President for Reining Alberta in 2008-2009 and was integral in the start up of the Reining Alberta Short Stirrup program. This program focuses on the development of youth riders aged 10 and under in a safe, semi-competitive and fun environment.

Leslie has shown successfully in Reining competitions both in Canada and the United States. She owns a small breeding operation, specializing in Reining bloodlines and uses her talent for starting young horses in developing her own Reining show prospects. In addition to her riding, Leslie has recently completed the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Judging Clinic and plans to pursue her NRHA Judges card.

Although Leslie’s main riding interest is in Reining, her connection with Irene Hill opened up the doors to the world of Dressage. Always keen to learn, she enjoys the opportunity to work with elite level dressage athletes and learn more about the fascinating sport and its people. In addition, she also enjoys working with the veterinarians, farriers and other practitioners involved in the care and management of the horses at Ironhill.