I want to help you reach your horse girl dreams
Meet Crysta
An international horse trainer with humble beginnings, Crysta grew up flipping through Paint Horse Journal, dreaming of the day she’d get to compete at a Paint show. As a teenager, she cleaned stalls to earn her way into local horse shows, taking every opportunity she could to ride and learn. Over time, she worked her way into assistant training positions with some of the country’s top professionals.
Before fully committing to the show world, Crysta spent time working in the Circle D Ranch department at Disneyland, working with all sorts of drafts horses. Though her time there was cut short by the Covid-19 shut down, the lessons of excellence in guest service and the guest experience stuck with her. Not long after, she accepted a position with top trainer Karen Qualls, Karen opened the door for Crysta to opportunities at some of the biggest APHA shows in the U.S., including work with Shannon Watters.
Crysta took everything she learned from those experiences and started building her own business, Crysta Brown Horsemanship, while still based in California. Since then, she’s picked up a long list of titles in both All-Around and Ranch classes, including the 2025 AQHA Emerging Leader Award, 2025 National Champion in Open Ranch Rail Pleasure, and the Special Recognition Award at the 2023 Northern Ireland Equine Awards.
Moving Forward
While growing her program in California, Crysta met her now-husband, Chris Thomas. Chris, originally from Northern Ireland, was just in California for work, but as their relationship grew, they decided to make the move overseas.
Northern Ireland turned out to be full of opportunity. Together, Crysta and Chris began investing in their breeding venture, “For Sale Farms,” with a goal offering quality APHA and AQHA horses in the UK and Ireland. Crysta also teamed up with friends to launch “Stock Horse Ireland,” an organization focused on growing the Stock Horse community through education and shows.
In 2024, Crysta and APHA judge Don Beard took teams from the UK and Ireland to the APHA Youth World Games—the first time either country had ever been represented. They came home with Reserve Champion in two classes, a Top Five overall for Team Ireland, and a Top Ten for Team UK.
Now carving out a unique path in the industry, Crysta splits her time between Ireland and the U.S., working with respected trainers, showing, and coaching. She also serves clients around the globe through her online coaching programs. As her business continues to grow, Crysta stays focused on making quality horsemanship education accessible and creating welcoming entry points for riders who want to get involved in the world of stock breed shows.
new adventures
Crysta brown in the press
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On The rail podcast
Experience Training Across Borders with Crysta Brown
Crysta sheds light on working with young Irish riders, the intricate process of breeding and shipping horses between the U.S. and Europe, and cultural differences in training methods.
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The equine chronicle
Fostering the Stock Horse Community in the UK and Ireland
By Delores Kuhlwein
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Horse&Rider's The Ride Podcast
The Ride Ep. 91: Trying Ranch Horse Events with Crysta Brown
In this episode of The Ride, Nichole and Devin talk with Crysta Brown, a professional rider who has recently transitioned from all-around events over to ranch riding events.
