Three Brothers Stable is more than a place to learn how to ride or keep your horse. While teaching a solid foundation in riding and horsemanship, we also teach courage, confidence, and peace. Riding provides more than exercise; it provides valuable life lessons for young and old. Our students learn responsibility for something other than themselves, and that trumpets don’t always sound when you work hard. They learn self-reliance and the ability to make decisions for their “team.” Students are gently pushed to find a new comfort level as they progress. They gain the confidence to try new things.
The arena is the heart of our barn. It is where friendships are formed: secrets are passed, laughter is heard, and dares are made. It is also where goals are set and achieved, courage is found, and we all learn to get up after a fall. We teach these life lessons through solid horsemanship. Our students learn how to ride and care for horses properly. We see our students go into the world and accomplish great things with the lessons they learned at the barn.
Maggie Wass de Czege
Maggie started the Three Brothers Riding School in 2007 as part of a dream to work with horses and raise the three boys she loved. Riding horses has brought structure, trust in others and herself, self-reliance, a good work ethic, respect for authority, and the ability to be brave into Maggie’s life. Maggie believes that her riding school is about developing horsemen and better young men and women. Her goal is to keep riding affordable so the average kid can benefit from all that riding has to offer, and her students are an important extension of her family.
Family History
Maggie was born into a horse family. Sharon and Huba Wass de Czege were active members of the local foxhunt and riding community, and they supported their children’s pursuits in equestrian sports.
Sharon began riding through her efforts as a barn rat at a local barn, quickly slipped into the local foxhunt, where she met many friends, and began show jumping. She was able to compete at the top levels of the sport, even without owning her own horse or having the support of her parents.
Sharon met Huba while he was stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA. He was quickly drawn into the world of foxhunting. Huba was a bold and confident rider but always deferred to Sharon’s expertise. After they were married, they bought their first horses.
Sharon got involved with the local Pony Club. This began her life-long love affair with teaching young riders. Her upbringing in the horse world shaped her teaching philosophy. Sharon always pushed riders to work hard toward a goal, which was not only related to riding but to learning all about the care of your horse. She also freely gave her time to the kids of little means and was passionate about riding.
Huba was always supportive of Sharon and his children in all they did. He saw greatness at every level and encouraged hard work in all pursuits. The example that Maggie’s parents set has shaped every aspect of her riding school.
Early Riding Education
Maggie’s riding education was very traditional, devoid of shortcuts. Showing was always a test of where you were in your training; it was never the point of riding. Maggie started foxhunting and joined Pony Club when she was seven, while her father was stationed at Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas. About that same time, she started showing her pony, Beauty, in local hunter shows and a few B-rated shows.
By the time she was 12, she had graduated to compete in local horse trials at the novice level. Pony Club and foxhunting were the center of her and her family’s world. Her whole family hunted every weekend and Wednesday with the Ft. Leavenworth Foxhunt until they moved to Ft. Ord in California when she was 13.
Sharon was the district commissioner of the Fiddler’s Green Pony Club at Ft. Leavenworth, and when they moved to Ft. Ord, she started a Pony Club chapter to continue her children’s involvement with the organization. At this time, Maggie had moved from her pony to a big, bold Thoroughbred mare, Katie. Dressage had become an interest of Maggie’s at this time out of the necessity of riding the bold young mare.
When Maggie was 15, she spent the summer with Mike Huber (Gold Chip Stables) and competed with Katie at Training Level before moving to Mons, Belgium.
While in Belgium, Maggie’s family bought her a sensitive English Thoroughbred, Dreamer. Maggie’s dressage training became her focus during this time, as the weather in Belgium led to a lot of quality time in the indoor arena. She worked with a former member of the Belgium Olympic Dressage team. Maggie also groomed for an international combined driver, Trish Shelburg, and taught riding lessons at a local riding school outside Mons. By the time they moved to Ft. Riley in Kansas when Maggie was 18, she was competing at first level in dressage.
While at Kansas State University, she started riding a scopey, but difficult Holsteiner gelding, Gremlin. Maggie squeezed in her C3 and B ratings and a trip to the Pony Club National Championships for Eventing before she aged out at 21.
During this time, Sharon became very sick with cancer; school went to the back burner, and the development of Gremlin became Maggie’s focus. During this time, Maggie worked with Arleen Rigdon, a top dressage rider and judge in the area. She was successfully competing at training level and getting ready to move up to prelim when her mother passed.
Shortly after that, she competed in her first prelim horse trial. Maggie chose to leave school and became a working student for Denny Emerson. Over the next few years, a few “grown-up” decisions led her to Bryan, TX, and her family.
Bryan, Texas
Maggie’s horse education continued in Bryan but became much more diverse. She began working with David Kent, a cutting horse trainer. She gained an appreciation and love for the working cowhorse. She learned about the similarities between her classic training and cutting and some interesting differences that could be implemented into the English world, like learning to stand patiently.
Maggie groomed for Has Biss, an international judge and trainer, while he was in College Station. She also worked at Granada Farms, learning the ins and outs of the breeding world. With her husband at the time, she raised Paint and Quarter Horses and started them off in the cutting world. Breeding also gave her experience starting babies and working at the big horse sales, including those in the Thoroughbred racing industry, where she worked at the two-year-old sales with Hank Bird.
Maggie was blessed with the opportunity to take lessons with many great trainers, her mother’s daily tutelage, and to ride several gifted horses. She learned the importance of becoming a horseman and the patience and long road required. While eventing and the Pony Club remain the focal point of her riding and the riding school, Maggie was also involved with the Texas High School Rodeo Association, where her youngest son calf ropes.
Beyond Riding
Maggie’s life has afforded her various experiences in and out of the horse world. These experiences have led to a well-rounded education and appreciation for all aspects of the horse world. Many of her experiences that have influenced her as a horseman are not horse-related. Maggie grew up as an Army Brat, and living in many different places allows her to appreciate many different kinds of people with different perspectives.
Maggie joined the Texas National Guard as a medic (later getting her paramedic license) and then went to Officer Candidate School, becoming a logistics officer and paratrooper with the 1-143rd ABN. Her military experiences have given her a great understanding of leadership and how to teach her students to be leaders. Maggie was also an Assistant Scout Master for her sons’ Boy Scout troop. Maggie’s oldest two sons are now serving in the Army. Her youngest son rodeos and is the barn’s Farrier.
Maggie continues to develop the riding school to instill the values of hard work, courage, self-reliance, and responsibility.
