OUR STAFF

"Where hooves meet hearts."

Nurturing the bond between humans and horses, we create a place where passion, learning, and camaraderie converge, fostering a community where hearts connect and dreams take flight.

Embracing the transformative power of horsemanship, we inspire individuals and families to discover their inner strength, cultivate empathy, and forge lifelong friendships, all while enjoying the tranquility and beauty of our equestrian haven.

Where hooves meet hearts, we celebrate the unique bond that transcends language, fostering a sense of belonging, purpose, and unwavering loyalty.

THE SOUTHLAKE EQUESTRIAN TEAM

BRIDGET BELLO

Owner, Trainer

Bridget Bello is owner and trainer at Southlake Equestrian. She has been a Hunter/Jumper trainer and IHSA coach for over 27 years. As the previous coach of her alma mater, Long Island University, she has worked with college-aged riders from beginners up to open and developed their equitation skills through the national level. Most recently, she has coached riders up to year-end awards on the DHJSC circuit as well as NTHJSC.

She has trained and had horses in her blood since her pre-teens where she rode and trained anything she had an opportunity to work with. She has ridden competitively most of her junior and adult life in both USEF recognized and IHSA shows during college. Bridget also has extensive management and entrepreneurial experience operating and managing both family and equestrian businesses for the last 20 years. She has attended various equestrian related clinics with top Olympic competitors such as Michael Page, George Morris, Mary D’Arcy and Anne Kursinski. She holds a PATH certification as well as a Masters Degree in Elementary Education which helps her design programs for her riders that work on both intuitive instruction, and the development of riding skills and muscle development for both horse & rider.

She is a native New Yorker but is proud to call north Texas home for the past 10 years. She has a passion for continuing hers and her students’ education and believes that we are always learning & growing. Her personal vision for Southlake Equestrian is to be able to create a community of horse lovers and competitors who can thrive, feel welcomed and grow as horse-people at our equestrian center. She is proud to boast that she treats all of the horses as if they are her own horses and sees no job or responsibility as beneath her. She will always jump in to assist when it comes to the care and comfort of each horse. Bridget wants each client to walk away feeling like Southlake Equestrian is their happy place and home away from home.

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MADELINE TRAXLER

Trainer

Madeleine Traxler has dedicated her career to horses; riding, competing, training, buying, developing and selling. She started riding when she was 8 and has never wavered. Madeleine’s love for horses extended to barn management where she has owned 3 of her own and has run a number of others across the United States. Madeleine has a passion for teaching and most recently was working with Bob Brawley as one of his co-trainers, teaching students of all ages. She has been very active on the USEF show circuit, competing in both Hunters and Jumpers around the country. She also has extensive experience helping students prepare for and succeed with their competitive goals at both USEF and local shows. Madeleine is a big believer in teaching to each student’s abilities, potential and individual goals. She finds it necessary to adapt her teaching and learning styles to match each student’s particular needs. Madeleine has always been an advocate for good horsemanship and has an eye for matching students to the proper horse, always ensuring that the horses are properly developed and cared for.

She was fortunate to have ridden and trained with some of the legends such as Gene Lewis and Bob McDonald and most recently had been training with Jeff Gogal.

Earlier this year, Madeleine moved to Texas to continue her passion for training and teaching all riders how to be confident and competent equestrians.

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ISMAEL MANDUJANO

BARN MANAGER

Izzy has been with the SE facility for over 20 years! He is a lifelong horse professional with a face that almost any DFW horse person knows & recognizes. He is committed to excellence & professionalism with all of our equine residents and instills a positive spirit and amazing work-ethic with all of our grooming staff. Izzy is also an under-cover accomplished rider and competitor who has trained with some of the best in the DFW area such as Mike McCormick, Bob Brawley, & Colleen Acosta. He has an expert eye in evaluating each horse’s health & soundness, knows how to approach each horse health challenge with skill & experience, and is a major contributor to the success of our show team while on the road with expert prep, impeccable turn-out and a necessary schooling ride on a horse. He is always friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable with our SE community and
is also a highly creative carpenter who enjoys building our custom show set-ups, displays and show trunks by request.

SOUTHLAKE EQUESTRIAN

GROOMS

Our grooms at SE are the backbone for our well-run and positive environment. They are highly experienced horsemen with a genuine enthusiasm for their job and a compassion for the horses. At SE we are acutely aware that ample support and staffing creates an environment that is relaxed yet meticulously maintained. We employ four full time grooms who all live onsite and are always happy to assist our clients and offer great care to our horses.