Janet Sassmannshausen

Horsewomen that is shaping the lives of many

Janet Sassmannshausen was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Her love of horses was apparent at an early age. She began taking lessons at a local riding school. It didn't take her long to realize that she wanted to make horses her life's work.

Janet’s parents were not involved with horses, making her have to work through her teenage years to support herself and her horses. She taught lessons and rode anything she was allowed to, getting extra experience and being able to be a more knowledgeable horsewoman.

“Family vacations were always planned learning vacations. We would do the Civil War trail or the Lincoln trail. From his birthplace to his childhood home to Washinton, D.C., we did all of that every year. I don’t think I appreciated it as much when I was little, but now the fact that I’ve been to every Civil War battlefield. My mom planned those. I really appreciate it now because I’ve been all over the country,” Janet Sassmannshausen said.

At 16, Janet began working for Bill and Michele Muenzenmay at Dunham Woods Farm. She mainly taught private lessons to help pay for her continued training. Soon after, she took over the daily operations at Oak Brook Hunt Club, sometimes teaching over 200 lessons a week. That hard work paid off, and she started receiving more clients who wanted to continue their riding career with her.

“I always knew I wanted to ride, I loved horses, then when I was in college, I started just to make extra money, and wound up through circumstances with all of the clients, and I had an automatic business right away that I fell into,” Janet said.

In 1984, Janet and her husband Richard bought Kinvarra Farm, a beautiful 13-acre property in the heart of Fox River Valley's horse country. Together Richard and Janet had four boys, Eric, Ryan, Kevin and Matt, who were all raised on the property. Following in their mother's footsteps, all of the boys rode horses from the second they could walk. All four of the boys rode under their mother for many years before branching off to better their riding abilities and learning with some of the best in the industry.

“I would say growing up with Janet was really nice because she's a very grounded person that lets you live life and make mistakes, but she's always there to watch and be there for you. She was very open-minded,” Ryan Sassmannshausen said.

A fox-hunting accident forced Janet to retire from the saddle. Though no longer able to ride, she continued to pursue her passion. Working and teaching from the ground, she brought in talented riders who shared her vision to maintain and expand her program.

At the beginning of 2012, her second son, Ryan, returned to Kinvarra farm to help his mother continue and grow the business. Ryan became a professional, taking over the training and showing all of the horses at Kinvarra Farm with the help of his mother on the ground.

“I pretty much owe my whole riding career to her because with her hard work and drive on her own. It allowed me one to develop the same kind of characteristics. Without it, I would have not even been involved in horses. I wouldn’t be at all where I am today without her. Pretty much all of it is owed to her and her love and passion for it. She was able to instill that love and passion into her children and create a family business that we are all reaping the benefits of every day,” Ryan said.

In 2014, with the help of the entire family, Kinvarra began its transformation into the facility it is today. The farm was rebranded and modernized, upgrading the footing in the rings and redoing all of the stalls.

In the summer of 2022, Janet and her family have taken over Dunham Woods Farm. Janet and all of Kinvarra Farm are working to rebuild the farm where she started her riding career. Now named Oak Lawn farm, Janet is bringing her expertise and clientele to the farm right down the road.

“I really like it because it feels like I’m back home again. I never dreamed that I would be able to have that place. As a kid growing up, I was really excited, and so to have that back, I want to make it really nice and better than it was,” Janet said.

Janet has brought along many amazing riders in her time as a trainer, starting Olympian Chris Kappler and helping him through the ropes of the industry. Along with development, many other well-known professionals are showing at the top level within the industry. Janet has also, in more recent years, helped many young riders make their mark in division one college riding at many different schools.

“Janet has provided countless riding opportunities for me. She believed in me and helped me achieve my goals. She also provided a second home for me. She’s like a second mother to me,” Alexis Ortiz, a student of six years, said.

Relationships created between trainer and rider are so strong. On a show day, they can spend around ten to twelve hours together. After years of working together, the bond can grow very strong, spending early mornings and late nights together.

“Janet is a very great person. She always has a positive attitude toward everyone. She is always willing to help her students in the best ways possible. She is always there for us, whether that's if we need help personally or if we need advice on or off the horse,” Madison Tegtmen, a student of eight years said.

Janet teaches each and every person that walks into to ring, showing them hard work and how to become a better horseman or horsewoman. Each student learns how to work better with their horse and how to handle situations when they get tuff.

“With horses, you learn work ethic, commitment, that life isn’t easy, sometimes it's hard, sometimes the horse is tuff, you fall off, and you have to get back on, you have to keep going, and you have to be committed to something,” Janet said.

Janet works with clients of all ages, skill sets and goals, working to help them in their own way. Finding horses that mesh well with the rider and are going to help her students reach their next goal. That being one of the largest parts of her job is finding horses that are able to do the job needed for that rider, whether it’s a pony kid that is just starting out, to someone that has been riding for years and is looking to start doing grand prix’s.

“I really like all of our people that we have right now because they all really love horses, and I think that is the key. We have a really good group of horses too. I feel very lucky to have the people and horses that I do have,” Janet said.

All four of her boys went to learn and ride for top professionals. After their time was completed with them, they came back home to work alongside their mother. Janet and her sons care for and train over 50 horses at the same farm that she purchased years ago.

“Well, they are all part of it to some degree because matt, they go to Flordia with us, and we hook up with them there. It is really unique that you can have a business with all your family members as different parts of it. I like it a lot,” Janet said.

Eric and Ryan, her two oldest boys, now train and ride at Kinvarra Farm; both are well-known and decorated professionals competing at the highest level. Together Eric and Ryan are bringing along students and horses that are going on to create great success. As well as importing, buying and selling top-level sports horses from around the world, through their mother’s farm. Janet's middle son Kevin works at the top horse shows in the country, maintaining the grounds of the shows. When he is not doing that, he is at home riding and showing horses for Kinvarra Farm. Matt, her youngest, started his own farm, Amara Equestrian, with his girlfriend, Alex Maracic, in upstate New York. Amra Equestrian joins Kinvarra Farm at the Winter Equestrian Festival, in Wellington, Florida, for the winters. Reconnecting the whole family in Flordia each year, putting to work all of the skills that their mother has taught them over the years.