MEET OUR TEAM
Lindsay Traisnel
Owner & Rider
Lindsay Traisnel is a Canadian international eventing rider and coach dedicated to developing both horses and riders in Windsor-Essex County. She first discovered her passion for horses when her parents enrolled her in weekly riding lessons at a local barn in the Windsor-Essex area. As her talent and ambitions grew, she pursued advanced coaching and competition opportunities beyond the region, gaining valuable experience across North America and Europe.
Together with her husband, Xavier Traisnel, Lindsay has brought that international knowledge back to Windsor-Essex, where they are committed to providing elite-level coaching and opportunities for the next generation of riders.
A consistent presence on Canada’s High Performance lists, Lindsay represented Canada at the 2023 Pan American Games, where the Canadian Eventing Team won gold. Riding Bacyrouge, she also earned an individual bronze medal and finished as the highest-placed Canadian in the competition. In recognition of her accomplishments that season, Lindsay was named Equestrian Canada Equestrian of the Year in 2023.
Lindsay continues to compete at the top levels of the sport while sharing her experience and passion with the next generation of riders.
Jessica Buterbaugh
Riding School Instructor & Manager
Jessica has many years of experience coaching as well as working with horses and other small animals. Before becoming a riding instructor she worked for Windsor Raceway in the standard bred racing industry as well as in a small animal clinic. Jessica is a registered RVT and is NCCP and Equestrian Canada Licensed Competition Coach. Jessica spent several winters traveling South to Ocala Florida with her horses to train and compete in eventing with Olympic Gold Medalist Leslie Law. In 2017 she began training with the Traisnels, and since the official opening of WEC in 2019, Jessica has been the head riding school instructor. Jessica is also currently enrolled in school at the University of Windsor for Human Kinetics to become a Sports Psychologist in the future to better help her riders.
Xavier Traisnel
Owner & Coach & Rider
Xavier Traisnel is an international eventing rider, coach, and horseman with extensive experience developing high-performance horses and riders. Originally from France, he began riding at a young age at a local French riding school where the head instructor competed in eventing, sparking his lifelong passion for the sport.
Throughout his career, Xavier has worked across Europe and North America riding, producing young horses, and sourcing top prospects for elite riders including Will Coleman, Lauren Nicholson, and Kitty King. Several horses he has helped develop have gone on to compete successfully at the five-star level and at major championships including the Olympics and the World Equestrian Games.
Xavier trained under French Olympian Aurélien Khan and British team rider Lucy Wiegersma. He holds a degree in Business and Sports Management from the Cadre Noir de Saumur and his International Instructor Level 3 (BEES2), recognized as a High Performance 1 coaching certification.
Now based in Windsor-Essex with his wife Lindsay, Xavier focuses on developing young horses and coaching riders from grassroots to high performance. His contributions to the sport have been recognized with the Ontario Eventing Association Coach of the Year award.
Desire Hodges
Barn Manager
Desire has spent several years working with horses and other livestock, she worked for Burnt Lake Stables and at a dairy farm in Alberta before moving to Clinton Ontario to attend Ridgetown College to get her diploma in Equine Care and Management. Desire has spent the last two years working and learning under Cecile Von Martels where she's gained lots of knowledge about upper level dressage and horse breeding. Desire began working at WEC alongside Jade in the spring of 2022 and has been a great addition to the team ever since. She's been learning the ropes of being a groom for Lindsay at upper level events and is also bringing along a young thoroughbred of her own and has plans of competing in the sport of eventing with him.
Jade MacInnes
Barn Manager & Social Media Manager
Jade got her start into eventing when she met Xavier and Lindsay in 2018 and since then she has been hooked. Jade went from starter level to training level in just 2 years on her pony Hope with the guidance and training from the Traisnels and plans to one day compete at the preliminary/2* level. Jade started working at WEC in 2019 while getting her Business degree at Wayne State University, and since 2020 has been our full time barn manager. Along with her own riding goals, Jade plans to learn the ropes of being a groom for Linday and Xavier at upper level events and gain more knowledge and experience with horses at that level of competition. Jade also has some experience coaching at the lower levels and is our fill in riding instructor.