Mary Muellner, President and founder of AmaDon Hills Thoroughbred Foundation, grew up on a small farm in Minnesota, the youngest of five children and the only girl. Her childhood was pretty typical for a Midwestern farm kid. Being the youngest and the only girl, her brothers didn't always want her hanging around. Since they lived in a rural area, sometimes Mary's only playmates were the animals. The family horse and Mary clicked instantly. There is a picture of her at 14 months smiling with glee being led by her father on the back of the family horse. At the age of 10 Mary started showing horses through the 4H program in western pleasure and equitation. During college and the 2 years after graduation, she was not very involved with horses, mostly riding friends' horses during summer vacations. Then a life changing incident occurred – Mary was hit head-on by a drunk driver. Miraculously, she received only minor injuries. Mary probably should have been killed instantly. As part of the post-accident rehabilitation, one of the trauma-team doctors suggested becoming involved in something that Mary was good at and that she liked to do. She had always wanted to take English riding lessons so she found a barn with school horses and signed up. After the first jumping lesson Mary knew a lot of jumping was not in her future, she could hardly walk because of a knee injury resulting from the accident. This particular stable also gave dressage lessons, so Mary tried that and was hooked. Mary relocated to California and continued her education in dressage. She spent several years as a working student for a dressage barn. Mary then moved on to Waaler Farms as a part-time instructor, assistant manager and assistant trainer. While at Waaler Farms Mary purchased Amadeus. A hunter/jumper trainer had bought him off the track, but he didn't like to jump so they sold him as a dressage prospect. From contacts at the track she learned that the racing stable he had been in was very abusive. He wasn't particularly fond of people when she purchased him. They worked through his issues and he went on to become a Grand Prix dressage horse. After the Waalers moved home to Europe, Mary continued her dressage education with Erich Bubbel, a 3 time Olympic coach and a German Master of Riding Masters. Erich and Mary worked together for five years. It was with Erich that Mary refined and expanded the classical training methods that she had learned at Waaler Farms She also learned techniques to successfully re-educate ex-racehorses. By working with Amadeus and other Thoroughbreds, Mary came to appreciate their intelligence, heart and athletic ability. After relocating to Northern California, Mary was in the barn one afternoon talking to her friend, (who owned a horse Donald, also a retired race horse), and they were talking about what they would like to do with horses and their lives and they had similar goals, to work with Thoroughbreds after their racing days are over and find them new careers. The idea of AmaDon Hills was born.   Notes from LJ Webmaster@hi2winners.com Some personal impressions I've come to find special in Mary: A quiet, personable lady, very grounded, and with great depth of vision and long range scope for the future of AmaDon Hills Thoroughbred Foundation. Just recently I had asked Mary to tell me about her, and her horse, and in a e-mail letter I received from Mary, she had this to say in regards to her horse, (a retired thoroughbred racehorse). He is, Amadeus. Below is a portion of text I copied from Mary's letter to me: "As for my boy - today is his 22nd birthday (yeah, I know it's also January 1, but this is the real day). I've had him for 17 years, and he's my budley. He's totally like the character in the movie - brilliant, silly, and likes to chase women. He's very much his bloodline - temperamental, and an exceptional athlete. He's also a one-person horse. He likes other people (have to have your fans you know), but when I'm there he doesn't really care that much if they are there or not. He's that once in a lifetime horse that you totally click with, and have total rapport, and understanding with. He's a very BIG personality. Although I call him Ami, Erich, my old coach, nicknamed him "champ." When I asked him why he explained that he is a champion because he overcomes the adversity put in his way and continues on. He has so much heart. Wherever we have been, and that's been a lot of places, he has touched the people who have known him deeply. Even those people who have disliked him, because of his being difficult and persnickety, have come to love him for himself. I know he has little quirks too, but I really have to think on those. It's now time for me to go, and take care of my little pony (he's 16.3, and 1400 pounds) so I'm going to do just that, as I do every single day! -M"   [  Home  ]  [   Up  ]  [  About Amadon  ]  [   Adoptions  ]  [  Faq's  ] [  Resources  ]  [  News  ]  [  Donations  ]  [  Feedback  ]   Send mail to amadonhills@msn.com with questions or comments about this web site. ~ AmaDon Hills ~  Finding Homes For Horses  Designed & Maintained  by LJ Brooks webmaster@hi2winners.com     Last modified: March 2005 Copyright © 2005 - AmaDon Hills Thoroughbred Foundation - All Rights Reserved