Our Trainers
Shep Welles
Shep Welles is the owner and operator of Triton Stables and has been riding since the age of 7. He has over three decades of riding and teaching experience as a professional. He currently instructs the more advanced students at Triton Stables. Shep has competed at shows throughout the eastern U.S. including Washington, Harrisburg, Devon, and the Florida Circuit. In recent years he has focused on riding and teaching aimed at preparing riders for the NCHJA horse shows. Shep is known for producing excellent riders and horses who consistently win top awards at the NCHJA “C” shows. Shep’s main objectives include providing quality instruction and training for the horse and rider in a fun and enthusiastic atmosphere. He strives to educate each individual to reach his or her maximum potential so they can thoroughly enjoy the equine sport. He has been awarded the Horseman of the Year Award by the NCHJA three times, most recently for the year 2015. He also has received the Sportsmanship award of the year from the NCHJA. (North Carolina Hunter-Jumper Association)
Megan Ward
Megan is the head instructor and coordinator of the beginner and intermediate riding school at Triton Stables. Coming from an established horse family, she began riding at Triton in 1994. By 1996 she began showing successfully at the NCHJA “C” shows. She spent many years as a junior traveling on the east coast showing ponies and horses in the Pony Division and Children’s Hunter Division. At the age of 16, she began an apprenticeship with Shep to further expand her riding and understanding of all aspects of the horse industry. In the fall of 2004, Megan began riding and teaching alongside Shep as a professional. Since then she has continued to teach, ride and coach to expand the riding program at Triton. Megan is a hands-on, enthusiastic instructor that produces riders with a strong understanding for the horse and the basic fundamentals of successful riding. Megan has been named Horsewoman of the Year Award by the NCHJA two times and is currently serving on the Board.
In Tribute of Mrs. Welles
Mrs. Welles passed away on April 19, 2013, and we all miss her dearly. Mrs. Welles dedicated over 40 years to teaching riders of all ages and abilities. A graduate of Duke University, she taught swimming for many years before starting her career with horses. She and her husband Paul raised 6 children. Mrs. Welles rode and fox hunted with them and headed the riding program Camp Triton on Lake Gaston. In 1970, the Welles Family purchased a farm in northern Wake County, and Triton Stables was born. Some of her children carried their love of horses into their adult life with two of them being professional riders and one a Veterinarian. Many of her former students return to Triton with their children and grandchildren because of the excellent instruction she provided. Mrs. Welles was honored by the NCHJA twice as Horsewoman of the Year and received their Lifetime Achievement Award for her commitment to the sport. Mrs. Welles states, “Children grow up healthier when they are athletic. Learning to get along with horses not only improves a child’s relationship with animals but also how they get along with people. The relationship between a horse and rider is priceless.” Even after retiring from teaching, Mrs. Welles enjoyed nothing more than spending her days at the stables with her dogs and watching the students ride.