About Us

Tricia Arthur
Instructor/Trainer

Tricia was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, but considers Brookings SD her hometown. She has loved horses since she knew what they were. She spent her childhood reading about horses, taking occasional lessons, and looking forward to summers at her Grandpa’s farm (with a pony!). At sixteen she finally got her own horse, and spent the next twenty-six years learning from the smartest mare ever.

She attended William Woods University and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and holds a bachelors and a masters in History, and a bachelors in Equestrian Science. Tricia began teaching and training horses while in graduate school. After school she moved to Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania with her friend and dressage guru, Trish Brosious. Peaceful Valley Stables was the site of her first full-time teaching job, and she taught there three years before being offered a position at Manito Equestrian in Allentown PA. During her time in Pennsylvania she discovered the American Riding Instructors Association, and was certified level II in hunt seat, dressage, and recreational riding.

In 2000 she was offered a position with Greenville County Recreation District as Head Instructor at Riverbend. She enjoyed six years of teaching there before she retired to act as Mom-in-residence for her stepson. Twin girls (Helen and Rose) born in 2007 kept her out of teaching until this year.

In 2008 the Arthur family moved to their current residence, Recalcitrant Acres. Her wonderful husband Don built her a barn, pastures, and a riding arena, so she was able to keep her horses and continue to ride. The herd went through several changes and eventually grew from two to four, so every member of the Arthur family now has their own horse.

Tricia is the owner of Plainspoken Dressage and is thrilled to be back at her favorite occupation, and is grateful to Kim and Bramblewood Stables for the opportunity. She is already in love with all the school horses.

Becky Hammer
Instructor/Trainer

Becky is a lifelong creative spirit who seeps curiosity and imagination into everything she does. At home, she shares her space with Ivy, her lovable handful of a Doberman, and Ava, a once-feral cat she gently coaxed into becoming a devoted companion. Animals have always had a central place in her life, and she holds space in her heart for all of them.

Becky began exploring the horse world at a saddleseat lesson barn and immediately fell in love. As her interests evolved, she spent time riding at a hunter/jumper farm, but continued searching for a place where learning was valued without competition as the measuring stick. During this time, she also volunteered steadily at a therapeutic riding center for children with special needs, where assisting in sessions and building relationships with students became some of the most meaningful work she had done.

The first time Becky visited Bramblewood, something shifted. For the first time, she felt genuinely welcomed as a beginner and supported in her growth. Her interests expanded beyond riding into groundwork, lunging, clicker training, and liberty work, particularly through her partnership with Pepper. That relationship laid the foundation for a deep respect for natural horsemanship and positive reinforcement as tools for building trust, communication, and mutual understanding.

Over the years, as Becky assisted, learned, and grew alongside us—and as Bramblewood itself continued to evolve—she has remained integral to the heart of our work. She is currently studying equine bodywork and is deeply focused on developing her intuition: learning to listen to the horses, the land, and the quiet cues that guide true connection. Becky is thrilled to share her knowledge, care, and passion with her students at Bramblewood.

Jill Brookey
Instructor/Trainer

Jill brings decades of lived horsemanship, teaching mastery, and leadership to every space she enters. Raised in Defiance, Ohio, Jill grew up grounded in hard work, responsibility, and a deep respect for animals—values that would go on to shape her entire professional life.

She went on to study at Meredith Manor International Equestrian Center in Waverly, West Virginia, one of the country’s most rigorous riding and instructor-training programs. Jill graduated with a Riding Master VI and a Teaching Level 3 certification, achievements that reflect both technical excellence and the ability to teach riders across skill levels. During her two years at Meredith Manor, she logged more than 2,000 hours in the saddle—an immersive, demanding education that forged a rider with exceptional feel, adaptability, and depth.

In October of 2001, Jill was hired at Riverbend Equestrian Park, in Greenville, SC — a county ran riding school — where she spent the next decade teaching riders and shaping programs with consistency, clarity, and care for connection and details. Her long tenure speaks not only to her skill as an instructor, but to the trust she built with students, families, and colleagues alike. When Greenville Parks and Recreation shifted the structure of the barn, Jill transitioned into a marketing role for four years, followed by three years as a waterpark manager—expanding her leadership experience while remaining deeply connected to community-based programming.

Today, Jill is back in the Parks and Recreation office, where she oversees seasonal and part-time hiring, coordinating and managing the onboarding of more than 400 employees each year. Her work requires discernment, people skills, and an intuitive understanding of how to place the right individuals in the right roles—skills that mirror her approach to teaching horses and riders.

Outside of work, Jill is the proud partner of her husband, David, and a devoted mom to Ashley (15), Emma (10), and Bradley (4). Their home is shared with two cats, a dog, and five fish, and her life outside the barn is rooted in the same love of the outdoors and curiosity for new places that has always guided her path.

Jill is seasoned, steady, and deeply capable—someone whose experience runs wide and deep, and whose presence reflects a lifetime of commitment to learning, leadership, and the long game of doing things well.