Lacie Smith Randall
Chateau Epona owner/trainer, Lacie Smith Randall, has been a competitive equestrian since age eight. Like many young riders, she began her career with horses in 4-H and rode hunt seat and western with her grey Arabian gelding. As her love for horses continued to grow, Lacie decided to pursue her dream of a horse-oriented career by attending Cazenovia College’s esteemed Equine Management/Equine Science program in New York. There she improved her riding and training skills as part of the Cazenovia Equestrian Team (while simultaneously discovering her strong dislike of harsh winters) and ended her college riding career with a Nationals win shortly before graduation.
Over the course of her career, Lacie has been fortunate to school under the tutelage of world-renowned trainers from the Arabian and Quarter Horse industries, working with names such as Cari Thompson-Maritz, Ron Copple, Mike Bednarek, Andy Sellman, and Greg Gallun. Her education also included internships at the famed Dolorosa Arabians as well as the Central Washington Equine Clinic (now Sun Valley Equine Hospital). After college, Lacie served as head trainer and riding instructor at facilities in Michigan and Nevada where she assisted many horses and riders of varying ages and abilities achieve their competitive goals of winning at Regionals and qualifying for Nationals. Lacie returned to Yakima in 2011 to assist with her family’s farm and soon opened Chateau Epona to cater to the aspiring youth and amateur riders in the Yakima Valley. Nothing gives her greater joy than watching her riders succeed- whether it’s on the ground or in the saddle, in the schooling arena, show ring, or out on the trail.
Lacie has been certified by the American Riding Instructors Association since 2009 and is the only ARIA-certified instructor in the Yakima Valley. In her limited spare time, Lacie enjoys cooking, boating, and trail riding with her friends and family.
