Staff
Leslie Kramer - Owner
Leslie Kramer, one of the owners and the manager of Equest Farm, began her commitment to this sport and the special relationship between people and horses over 50 years ago. She began riding with her father Ben Brupbacher and sister Mary once a week as a Sunday outing. Those once a week rides turned into a life passion for the horse and this special place once known as City Park Stables, now Equest Farm. Now, Leslie is fortunate enough to interact with riders and horse lovers on a daily basis. Managing the facility is a full time job, not only maintaining the property but monitoring the care, custody and control of Equest Farm.
Through a long and illustrious history, the stables have survived in this urban setting when so many equestrian centers located in an urban setting have failed to thrive. Through her commitment, Leslie has brought the citizens of New Orleans a place to enjoy the serenity of the land while enjoying the horses.
Francesca Senior - Head Trainer
Fran grew up riding at City Park Stables, where Equest is today, eventually riding with Jerome Robertson as a full-time working student and apprentice; riding, showing, teaching, bringing young horses along, and working in and around the barn.
Fran is committed to lifelong continuing education through clinics, USHJA programs, and training with icons like George Morris, Jack Towell, Buddy Brown, Peter Pletcher, Julie Winkle, and Bernie Traurig.
As a professional rider, Fran has shown at the top level of USEF horse shows around the country, winning Hunter Derby Classes and picking up numerous championships and circuit championships in the Hunter and Jumper divisions.
Fran is a USHJA-certified and credentialed riding Instructor, one of only three in the state of Louisiana.
She has over 25 years of experience training horses and riders of all ages and abilities.
Fran has a proven track record for finding ‘just the right horse’ for people looking to buy or lease through carefully cultivated relationships with knowledgeable, well-respected, and talented jumping horse producers in Europe and the US.
Carefully matching riders with horses and creating personalized programs for each partnership has consistently led to successful combinations for the Hunter, Equitation, and Jumper rings.
Developing riders from walk trot into ribbon winners at Pony Finals has been particularly rewarding, along with qualifying horses and riders for national finals and medal Finals.
The horses and riders in her program are regularly recognized for their achievements through zone awards and State association year-end award championships.
Fran served on the board of directors of the Mississippi Hunter Jumper Association for five years, including as President from 2019-2021, putting on three to four shows a year as chairman of the horse show committee.
On a personal note, Fran is happy to be "home" again, among many familiar faces, sharing her knowledge and love for the sport and horses through teaching.
Quin Plischke - Instructor / Rider
Hi! My name is Quin, and I am a classroom teacher and instructor at Equest! I grew up in California, but have been in New Orleans, and at Equest, since 2017. I’ve been riding since I was a kid, and showed on the circuit as well through IEA and IHSA in college. The Equestrian world has always been a huge part of my life and I feel so fortunate to be able to continue with it at Equest and be a part of the Equest family!
Vicki Chappetta - Office Manager
Vicki comes to Equest Farm with 22 years of extensive office management experience which has proven to be an outstanding addition to the team. Vicki brings her vast knowledge and skills in the areas of scheduling, organization, process management and relationship-building as well as her impeccable attention to detail which has transformed the overall communication and functionality of the office. Fondly known as the “barn mom”, she is a valiant problem solver who does not hesitate to roll up her sleeves and offer a helping hand.
Charlotte Parkyn - Instructor
Charlotte grew up riding at Hunter's Court Stable in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. As a trainer, Charlotte emphasizes intuition and subtlety of movement, which are a large part of what makes this sport so unique. She loves seeing the delight in beginners as they pick up new skills, and the way their application can so drastically impact the rider's relationship with their horse. While her teaching style is designed to make new information easily accessible, thanks to a Horse Science Degree from Middle Tennessee State University (where she was also on the Equestrian Team). Good riding is all about the details, and Charlotte is here to help riders pay attention to them from the first moment they pick up a curry comb until the end of the lesson, when they see their horses safely back to their stalls and put the finishing touches on tack cleaning. In her experience, the joys of learning every part of horsemanship are infectious.
Lina Gruber - Instructor
Hi, I’m Lina Gruber! I grew up in sunny San Diego, California, and later moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane University, where I graduated in 2024. Horses have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and over the years I’ve had the joy of competing in equitation, hunters and jumpers. Now, as a riding instructor, I get to share that lifelong passion by helping riders grow in skill and confidence.