Our Trainers
Les Corbett, Senior Trainer / Instructor
Les has been involved in horses all his life, his father Roy was a standardbred trainer and worked at the famed Olympic Club in Seattle as a Trainer and Caretaker when Les was in his youth. This is where Les got his early exposure to horses as well as his life long love of them. Les spent alot of time at the barn with his dad watching and learning from him as well as the other trainers that worked at the Olympic Club, which was quite diverse in breeds and disciplines. In the late 40's early 50's when Les was in his teens he went to work for Jimmy Rainwater at his Rightway Riding Academy in Seattle and later at the Flying Horseshoe in Kirkland. During this time Les exercised and broke horses for Jimmy as well as gave riding lessons of rent string horses. Some days there would be 15 to 20 horses and riders in a lesson. This is where Les mastered his skills in teaching and instructing. In the mid 50's Les went to work for Bert Corby, a well known Saddlebred tariner in the Northwest and on the West Coast. It was with Corby, Les began his life long love with the American Saddlebred and Hackney Pony's. It was with Corby, Les honed and mastered his already God given natural talent as a Horseman. During this time Les got the oportunity to work and train his first five gaited horse, a horse named Kimo Kimo. Under Les's guidence he became 4 time Northwest and West Coast Open Five Gaited Champion. Les worked for Corby for 6 yaers and in 1959 opened his own stable, Les Corbett Stables in Woodinville Washington. This same year he got married to Andrea his wife now of 50 years, a fellow equestrian and talented horse woman. It was also in 1959 that he came into contact with a lady who would become his life long friend and customer. This lady was Mary Reed of whom Les trained her and her horses for 42 years. In these early years Les not only trained Saddlebreds but he also trained Hunter and Jumpers and Western Horses and had many Champions in the Hunter and Jumper devision as well as Wertern Pleasure and Trail Horses. Throughout the 60's and 70's Corbett Stable horses and riders dominated in the show ring under the expert guidence of Les. During this time Les earned the reputation of being a top riding and equitation instructor and having the ucanny ability to match horses and riders perfectly. His reputation preceded him as his horses where always well trained and mannered in the show ring, and his riders could ride there horses with skill and confidnce. He also got a reputation at this time for fixing problem horses that other trainers had trouble with or people thought where counterfit or untrainable. In 1979 Les's long time friend Mary Reed , Now Mary Zeeb opened Marywood Farm in Redmond Washington, and naturaly Les was named Marywood Farm exclusive trainer. Throughout the 80's and 90's Marywood Farm horses trained by Les dominated in every division at Saddlebred shows from perfomance classes down to Country Western Pleaure, and Huntseat, As well as with there Hackney driving pony's and Standardbred Road Horses. Over the years Les has trained champion horses and pony's in nearly every division from Saddleseat to Western and Huntseat and Jumping. Les is one of`the few trainers that over the years have trained all breeds of horses and been successful with every one he has trained no matter the division. Les is one of a handfull of old school Horseman left in the country today.
Troy Corbett, Manager / Trainer
Like his dad, Troy was born into and grew up in the horse buisness and it is no wonder he bacame a horse trainer, what with his father being a top trainer and his grandfather being a trainer. Troy was destined to this profession. Troy Grew up Troy in Bothell Washington and Attended Bothell High School where he excelled in many differetnt sports and was an 3 Sport Letterman and was a starter on the Varsity Football Team for 3 years. Troy started riding at age 3 and rode until he was 10, he started showing at age 7 and over those years competed sucsessfully in equitation, 5 gaited and pleasure. When Troy was 10 he felt the need for speed and put riding on hold to master his new love, driving Road Horse's and Pony's. At age 11 he was at the time the youngest person showing Roashorse's in the country. He showed Roadhorse's for 10 years winning up and down the West Coast and in the Northwest beating trainers and exhibitors twice his age. Troy and his horse, Accelerator, where undefeatd in 1990 and 1991 with wins at The Cow Palace, Monterey Springfest, Santa Barbara National and NWSA Fall Classic. Troy took a break from horses and showing in the early 90's to serve his country in the US Air Force where he attained the rank of Seargent. Also during this time he attended College at the University Of Illinois, where he was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi Fraturnaty. Due to an injury and military cutbacks Troy was given an early discharge. After an Honorable Discharge from the Air Force Troy returned home and got back into horses helping out his dad. In the end Horses and the horse buisness lured him back, in 1994 Troy turned professional and went to work full time for his father as an Assistant Trainer at Marywood Farm. At Marywood Farm Troy got the opportunity to work along side his dad and ride and drive many top horses as well as break, train and show many young horse's due to Marywood's breeding program. Troy got to hone his horsemanship and training skills at Marywood Farm. In 1999 when Marywood Farm closed, Troy and his wife Brenda ressurrected Corbett Stables along with his parents Les and Andrea. Today Troy and his wife Brenda have built a successfull family friendly buisness that is showing competative horse's and rider's throughout the Northwest, Canada, and California.
troyc@corbettstables.net
Brenda Corbett, Trainer/ Instructor
Brenda started riding when she was 8 years old . She was a horse crazy girl and started taking lessons with a local trainer that was at a barn near to her home. After 2 years of lessons she got her own horse, an Arabian mare that she leased for a year before buying. Brenda showed her mare nicknamed Lady for 7 years on the Washington State Zone Circuit where she was nearly unbeatable in Saddleseat and also did quite well in othe disciplines. In 1995 Brenda sold Lady and bought an Arabian gelding SH Brash who she ahd been riding for her trainer for 2 years before she purchased him. Brenda showed Brash on the Arabian A circuit for 4 years where she was very competative. In the Spring of 1996 Brenda met Troy and they started dating and Brenda became part of the Marywood family helping work horses, handling and breaking baby's, and working at shows as well as showing. Brenda turned from Arabians as she fell in love with the American Saddlebred at Marywood Farm. In 1998 Troy and Brenda got married and Brenda officially became a member of the family. She kept her amateur status until 2001. At that time Brenda decided it would be helpfull if she turned perfessional and could start helping her husband Troy by giving lessons and working and training horses to lighten his daily load. Brenda has become a top notch instructor who is able to take the most timid and nervous rider and turn them into a top confident show rider. On top of that she has become an accomplished Horse Woman.
brenda@corbettstables.net