OUR TRAINERS
Nealia McCracken
North Wind Stables Owner and Trainer
Nealia was raised in the horse industry and established North Wind Stables (NWS) in 1985. NWS was originally founded and operated in northern Illinois outside of Chicago. In 1999, given her husband Mark’s transfer to NYC, Nealia moved the business to northern New Jersey. During her career she has trained many riders and horses to world, national and state championships in equitation, pleasure, performance and driving. While Nealia has made her living training and giving lessons in the English seat divisions, over the years she has become known as one of the top western pleasure trainers in the country for the American Saddlebred. Adding to her already busy schedule and with a desire to give something back to the horses, in early 2006 Nealia became one of three operating Directors of Saddlebred Rescue Ltd, a non for profit horse rescue organization. (see www.saddlebredrescue.com under Links) Nealia is a regular speaker at national conferences and writes articles for The National Horseman magazine.
North Wind Stables is a family run business. In his spare time Mark works on the administrative needs of the business and Nealia’s son Jason Molback has been an assistant trainer for North Wind since he graduated college in 2004. You will also see Jason at the horse shows with a camera in his hand as he frequently works for either Howie Schatzberg, Shane Shiflet or Rick Osteen at many of the major shows across the country. While you will see all of Nealia’s family in the show ring from time to time it is her daughter Jessica Moctezuma that has drawn the attention within the industry as she has become a highly recognized multi talented rider. Jessie is a multi-national and world title winner in performance, equitation and western pleasure. She is also a talented 5 gaited competitor as she represented Team USA in the junior and senior level competition at two different events in South Africa during 2007. Jessie was also a member of the 2008 World Cup 5 gaited team that competed in South Africa this September. (Go to the Menu and select World Cup for more information) Erin lives near us in Marshall's Creek, PA and works at the Pocono Medical Center. She was married this past July 4th to Eric German. She continues to ride at home when she can and trys to get in a show every now and then. Kate received her Masters Degree from the Univertisty of Denver a little over a year ago and has been working for the Carter Center of Atlanta, Georgia on a health project near Juba, Sudan in northeastern Africa.
(If you are interested in what Kate has been doing in Africa go to her blog located HERE )
Memberships/Affiliations
Jason Molback
Assistant Trainer
As the son of North Wind founder, Nealia McCracken, Jason grew up fully immersed in the horse business. As a junior competitor, Jason excelled in the pleasure pony ranks, earning two reserve champion national titles. Additionally, he competed in the ASB Western Pleasure division, where he garnered three reserve national honors.
Attending college at Salem International University as a computer technology major, Jason took the opportunity to work with Cecile Dunn, one of the nation’s leading equine educators. He graduated from Salem in 2003, and after a brief stint in the business world, decided to return to his first love, horses.
Since committing himself to horse training, Jason has distinguished himself as one of the very few trainers, young or old, to successfully train in all divisions: 5-gaited, performance, pleasure, western and ponies. His recent accomplishments with “Detonator”, a roadster horse also prove his growing expertise in this division.
Jason can be a man of few words, but under his quiet demeanor is a competitor who always strives for the best. He emphasizes a calm, consistent approach with both horse and rider. He urges and encourages rider responsibility, but always with kindness and often with a wink of wry humor.
In the last several years, Jason has developed another talent for which he is widely recognized: equine photography. Self taught, and then mentored by Howard Schatzberg, Shane Shiflet, Doug Shiflet and Rick Osteen, Jason is in high demand for his over-the-rail shots at horse shows. His discerning “trainer’s eye”, coupled with his artistic and technical talent, combine for pictures that capture a unique beauty and emotion of horse and rider in the show ring.
Anne Butler
North Wind Stables Instructor, Coach for North Wind's Academy Team, Trainer for Saddlebred Rescue
Anne has been a trainer and instructor at her own Hopewell Valley Stables with Amateur and Juvenile show riders competing in the Northeast. Previously Anne and her daughter Julie showed American Saddlebreds as an amateur competitor while pursuing a career in sales training and management, spending her early years training Morgan’s at her family's Icestone Farm in northeastern Pennsylvania. Through her involvement in the ASHA of NJ and the regional saddlebred world Anne adopted two horses from Saddlebred Rescue to place in her lesson program. She fell in love with the rescues after adopting Tangueray and Tonic. Anne commented, “I now understand better how valuable these horses can be to the industry as a whole and I am excited to be part of the effort." In early 2008 Anne decided to fold her business into North Wind Stables (NWS) and take a position as trainer for Saddlebred Rescue (SBR) and help expand the lesson program for North Wind. Both NWS and SBR felt this position for Anne was a unique match and imperative to our industry for this joint effort to be successful.
In addition to her work for Saddlebred Rescue Anne has increased the lesson program at North Wind Stables this past season and started six new riders in the Academy Program at both the Juvenile and Adult levels. Anne is also the co-manager and co-founder of the new local Academy Show circuit that has been backed by the local ASHA chapter in New Jersey and their President, Joan Booth.
