Courtney DiLalla of Summer Hill Farm

Tell us how Summer Hill Farm came to be?

I have always had dreams of having my own farm but wasn’t sure it would actually ever become a reality. Working hard, being diligent, and never giving up brought that dream to a reality!

What was your goal in opening your business?

After many many years of leasing and renting various properties, when we opened Summer Hill Farm in Plainville, I knew that at the top of the list we needed to offer good, safe turn out, good fencing, and good arena footing!   We also wanted to make sure we were able to offer clients the opportunity to come enjoy their horses in a safe and quality environment.

How do you find a work/life balance for your family and your business?

Ha! I wear a lot of hats! It's not easy to be a good wife, mother, trainer, barn owner and everything in between. All those jobs are hard on their own! It's definitely a balance I work on every day to try to improve, but the struggle is real! I have found that we have an excellent equine community with many professionals who wear all these hats too. I have really seen some great women rally together when they see each other in need of a hand or even just some inspirational words.  

What kind of advantage do you see for your children growing up on a farm?

There are so many advantages growing up on the farm. It's a great life! It takes a village and we are surrounded by an amazing, close knit group of staff and customers my kids consider family.  They are blessed to be able to live on such a beautiful property to do things boys love to do. They are always playing, driving mini John Deere tractors, and getting dirty! Farm kids learn the value of hard work.They understand that even if it is raining or freezing we still have to work and take care of the animals.  They have learned compassion and really love the horses and ponies. They have obviously had the joy of riding and being around the horses, but have also had a hand in raising and watching the babies grow. They have also had some hard life lessons like the heartache of losing a beloved senior member of our herd, or selling a sale pony they have become very attached to. Living and growing up on a horse farm is full of life lessons!

Who influenced you along the way and why were they so important?

Hands down the most influential friend/family member/fellow professional is my friend KC Meadows. Even though she relocated to Farmville, VA a while ago she is always just a text away and always has good advice!  We have been friends for so many years, way back to when she still was riding at Saddle Rowe Farm in Medway, MA. She is best at pushing me to do things that are out of my comfort zone and encouraging me to take that leap. Maybe that idea isn’t as crazy as it seems. Important mentors that I feel really went the extra mile to share their experience and wisdom with a horse crazy kid were Sally Hinkle Russel and Tricia Concannon. These strong horsewomen taught me so much not only about horses but also the business. They also gave me some amazing opportunities to travel, attend some of the best shows and ride some pretty cool horses along the way!

What do you preach to your students? What's the one point you want to emphasize to each of them?

HORSEMANSHIP! The horses always come before the sport!

What is the biggest struggle that you find as an owner of a business in the horse industry?

The biggest struggle is finding the right work/life balance not just with family, farm, and business but also finding the right balance within the farm. You need the right staff, clients, and horses for everything to flow and allow everyone to be their personal best.

If you could do it over again what would you do differently?

I don’t know! There’s so many things to be honest! I look back and sometimes wish I had maybe handled certain things differently, or maybe I had made a different choice, but we are ever evolving and I learned from all of those choices. Those choices have shaped me and my business each step of the way, and continue to influence and make both Summer Hill and myself who we are today.   

Where do you see your business in the next 5-10 years?

I hope to be doing pretty much what I am doing today!  I have an amazing group of lovely young horses and owners, along with a bunch of super awesome pony kids eager to learn. We have two great trainers to help me keep everyone in top form. I hope as my kids get older I am able to attend a few more shows on the road as I had been a bit grounded when they were little. I hope they are attending the shows with us, maybe aboard some of the ponies we have raised and trained, but who knows! I have always loved showing the young hunter ponies on the line and hope to start incorporating some breeding into our program in the very near future.

What is your personal definition of success?

Definitely when a grateful client says “thank you so much, that was super” and you know they meant it.

How can the horse industry support one another, especially during a crisis like the one we currently find ourselves in?

So there’s no denying 2020 has been super hard on all industries. The horse industry is no different. I have seen an overwhelming amount of support for one another.  Lots of phone calls and text, idea sharing, and good thoughts. Noone wanted to see their fellow farm owners and friends struggle or fail. I am really grateful for all of those professionals and friends that rallied and got through this with the help of each other. This is a hard business to begin with, but by  always remaining professional and honest it will keep you on the right track.

How does HorseWorks support you and your business?

Brendan and HorseWorks have helped make this dream such an easy process. Literally, only a phone call or text away! Horsworks insures my home, farm, and business, along with the horses, and I never hesitate to give a client Brendan's number. I know their questions will be carefully answered and he will always get them the right coverage they need! We are so thankful to have an agent like the team at HorseWorks during these uncertain times. We all had so many questions about coverage during the current pandemic and Covid situation. I felt fully informed about my coverage and was able to make the best decisions about how and when to open and proceed safely due to all the information Brendan and the HorseWorks team personally gave me. They are always there for us!