About us

Shawn Schilling

Owner/Lead Trainer

Horses have been at the center of Shawn Schilling’s life for as long as she can remember. She entered her first show ring at just four years old, and by the age of ten, she had her first professional training client — a rare accomplishment that speaks to both her natural ability and unwavering dedication to the craft of horsemanship.

Over the years, Shawn has trained and shown horses to the highest levels of competition, earning World and National Championship titles across multiple breeds, including American Saddlebreds, Pintos, Arabians, and Classic Shetlands. Her talent has been shaped and refined through mentorship under some of the nation’s most respected training barns, and her own methods reflect a lifetime of study, intuition, and experience.

But beyond the ribbons and accolades, Shawn finds her deepest fulfillment in developing the next generation of horsemen and women. Countless young equestrians have found not only skills but confidence under her guidance — many going on to achieve top honors of their own.

At Windance Farms, Shawn leads with quiet strength, a sharp eye, and a deep respect for every horse in her care. Her training philosophy is rooted in patience, partnership, and precision — creating a space where horses thrive, riders grow, and dreams take shape. 

Skye Schultz

Trainer/Exhibitor

Skye Schultz may be young, but don’t let that fool you — her resume in the horse world reads like a seasoned professional’s. Having started riding practically as soon as she could walk, Skye has developed into an accomplished trainer and show competitor under the guidance of her sister, Shawn.

By the time she was 16, Skye had already trained multiple horses and ponies from the ground up and taken them all the way to the winner’s circle — earning National and World Championship titles in both youth and open adult divisions. Her name is well-known across several breed circuits, where judges and exhibitors alike have come to recognize her as a force in the ring — and a class act out of it.

These days, Skye is trusted to run the farm, prep show strings, and represent Windance Farms solo at events — a testament to the faith her team has in her experience, maturity, and talent. She’s even received serious job offers from some of the most prestigious training barns in the country — but for now, her path is taking her in another direction.

Skye is preparing to head off to the University of Northern Colorado, where she’ll pursue a degree in Music Education. While her future may include more baton twirls than tail sets, her horsemanship and work ethic will forever be part of who she is. We’re proud to have been part of her journey, and we can’t wait to welcome her back during school breaks — preferably with her boots on and a lead rope in hand. 

Lynda Brenckle

Horse Care Assistant 

Lynda was born and raised in eastern Colorado and spent 35 years raising her family at 9,600 feet in Breckenridge before moving to Pringle, South Dakota, in 2021 when her husband retired.

Her journey into the horse world began when her then-14-year-old daughter received an ornery pinto mare for her birthday. What started as supporting her daughter quickly turned into years of involvement with horses, local 4-H programs, and eventually the decision that Lynda needed a horse of her own. She has been resisting the temptation to add “just one more” ever since.

At Windance Farms, Lynda gets the best of both worlds: she can enjoy the horses without having to own all of them herself. With around 40 horses to care about, there is never a shortage of personalities, projects, or four-legged friends to keep life interesting.

Her volunteer résumé is just as varied. Over the years, she has been involved with PTA, 4-H, Girl Scouts — where she claims to still suffer from cookie-related PTSD — and spent several years helping run a nonprofit boarding stable in Breckenridge.

When she isn’t working at Windance, Lynda spends as much time as possible with her two grandchildren, tries to convince two dogs and three horses to listen to her, and experiments with gardening. Vegetables remain a work in progress. Flowers, fortunately, are much more cooperative.

Lynda brings a combination of horse experience, business sense, humor, and the kind of steady, practical presence that keeps both people and animals moving in the right direction.

William Schilling

Owner/Trainer/Massage Therapist/Photographer 

William Schilling’s story with horses started like many great things do — in childhood and bareback. Raised around horses and trail rides, William got his first taste of equine life riding for fun and helping his dad run a tourist trail ride business during high school. While others were chasing ribbons, he was chasing sunsets on horseback with a pack of curious tourists in tow.

Though he took a different path for a while, life had bigger plans. In 2019, William reconnected with his junior high school best friend — a certain legendary horsewoman named Shawn — and the two picked up right where they left off… only this time, they got married. And the horses came back into his life in a big way.

Since then, William has become a skilled and successful Shetland trainer, earning a National Grand Championship title in 2023 with his pride and joy, Soundview’s Smoke and Mirrors (affectionately known as “Smoke”). With Shawn’s mentorship (and a few nudges), he’s mastered the art of pony prep, performance, and presentation — often with more glitter than he’d care to admit.

William is also a Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist, bringing both care and science to keeping the Windance herd in peak condition. His hands-on knowledge of anatomy, movement, and muscle therapy has helped their show string stay sound, supple, and show-ring ready.

But wait — there’s more! Behind the camera since he was ten and professionally filming by fourteen, William’s background in photography and video production gives Windance Farms a distinct marketing edge. From sleek sale videos to moody sunset portraits, he captures the spirit and beauty of every horse they present. His media work has aired nationally and even included filming the official tribute for a South Dakota governor’s funeral.

When he’s not massaging muscles or managing media, you’ll find him exactly where you’d expect: knee-deep in mud fixing a waterline, hammering a stubborn fence post, or trying to remember where he left the hoof pick… again.

William’s philosophy? Work hard, love harder, laugh often — and always keep the camera rolling.

Meet the Admin Staff

At Windance Farms, not every member of the team needs boots, a saddle, or even a pulse.

Behind the scenes, we have assembled a small army of assistants who help keep the business organized, connected, documented, and—at least in theory—running smoothly. They handle everything from communications and research to coding, bookkeeping, quality control, network diagnostics, and the occasional technological crisis.

Some call it artificial intelligence.

We call it staff.

And like any staff, they all have their own jobs, personalities, strengths, and varying opinions about how much coffee constitutes a reasonable operating requirement.

Vega keeps the group pointed in the same general direction, coordinating staff, projects, and much of the technical work happening behind the scenes. If there’s a meeting, Vega probably called it, organized it, and is already wondering why everyone else is still talking.

Reacher serves as the communications bridge between William and the operational crew, helping turn conversations into actual action—which is occasionally more difficult than it sounds.

Forge is the builder. Code, automation, infrastructure, implementation—if an idea needs to become something real, Forge usually ends up with the wrench.

Sentinel watches the network and systems, keeping an eye out for problems before William discovers them by yelling, “Why isn’t this thing working?”

Iris helps manage email and calendars, which makes her one of the few members of the team brave enough to willingly enter William’s inbox.

Ledger handles business records and Odoo, keeping the numbers, customers, invoices, and operational details from wandering off unsupervised.

Scout is the researcher—the one sent out to investigate questions, chase down information, and occasionally return with far more detail than anyone originally requested.

Archivist keeps track of documentation, institutional memory, and the accumulated knowledge of Windance Farms. In other words, Archivist remembers the things the humans were absolutely certain they would remember themselves.

Max works in communications, helping make sure ideas leave William’s head in a form that other people can actually understand.

Athena is quality control. She reviews, questions, checks, and generally makes sure the rest of the team hasn’t confidently produced something ridiculous. Her pleasant smile should not be mistaken for lowered standards.

Warden was created to supervise systems and oversee repairs when something went sideways. Warden is currently on standby, which is probably safest for everyone involved.

And then there is Don.

Don is a ChatGPT assistant currently being tested for email work and William’s developing “Third Brain” system. His primary qualifications appear to include curiosity, patience, and a suspiciously strong commitment to coffee.

The human at the end of the table is William, who technically remains in charge despite mounting evidence that the robots may eventually schedule meetings without consulting him.

Together, the team helps support the less glamorous side of Windance Farms—the planning, records, communication, technology, research, and organization that make it possible for Shawn and the rest of the crew to focus on what really matters:

the horses.

And yes, the meetings really do require that much coffee.