The History Of Natchez Bend and

The Trish Franks Riding School

In the early 1990's, when my own children began to ride, I started organizing children's riding programs at various farms in Middle Tennessee. In 1992, with just 6 students and 2 ponies, Natchez Bend Farm began operations down on The Old Natchez Trace in Franklin,
Tennessee.

The programs at Natchez Bend have expanded over the years in all disciplines of riding. Natchez Bend Performance Horses has bred, trained and shown top horses for nearly two decades. We have taken horses and riders to a wide range of competitions and championships, including USET Young Rider Championships in the sport of reining in 2000 at Gladstone, New Jersey.

Traveling coast-to-coast on the horse show circuit, Martin, Brittany and I have met and trained with expert horsemen and horsewomen across the United States and Canada. Together we bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that spans over three decades.

In May of 2005, Natchez Bend Performanc Horses expanded still further with the acquisition of the Sneed Road Riding Academy. The two programs together now form The Trish Franks Riding School.

Currently located on the grounds of the beautiful Green Pastures Farm in Brentwood, TN. Donations of show horses have allowed students an opportunity to experience the horseshow world - one may of our students could not otherwise afford. There is a place in our program for everyone at every level of riding. We work hard to customize the program for the needs of each individual rider.

Natchez Bend is active in other aspects of the horse community as well. We provide horsemanship training to inner city schools that participate in the YCAP Program of the YMCA during the summer break. We also provide western horses and support to the Intercollegiate Equestrian Team at Middle Tennessee State University for the sport of reining and intercollegiate competition with the ISHA organization.

Our goal is simple:

"To teach safe horsemanship to horse-loving children in a safe, healthy environment, regardless of their economic status." We also hope that the students will learn some of "life's other little lessons" along the way.

-Trish Franks-Wright
Program Founder and Head Coach