SendonWay began as a dream in the early 1980s.

Bob and Bernie Lewis and their two daughters, Nancy and Sharon, were living in Wheaton, Illinois, approximately 30 miles west of Chicago. Both daughters began horseback riding at very young ages, taking a serious interest in dressage and competing successfully across the country. As the horse obsession grew, Bob and Bernie wished they could have a permanent place where their daughters could ride and keep their horses. Unfortunately, the high price of land and farms in and around the Chicago area made this dream seem as though it would never be a reality.

A glimmer of hope came in 1996 when Bob was offered a job transfer to Cleveland, Ohio. Bob and Bernie approached Nancy and her husband Greg Stanton with the idea of pulling their resources together and purchasing a farm. Because of her career, Sharon decided to stay in Illinois until she too could make the move to Ohio. Everyone was excited and in agreement. However, the search for the "perfect farm" wasn’t easy, and the family was ready to give up after numerous trips to Cleveland and a few disappointments on transactions that didn't materialize.

Finally, their real estate agent asked if they would be interested in seeing a farm that had recently been taken off the market. After visiting the beautiful farm, everyone felt immediately that "this was the one!" The Lewis and Stanton clan soon learned that the owners (who raised racing Arabians and Thoroughbreds) had received a number of purchase offers from non-horse-related buyers, but had turned them down because they wanted the farm to continue in its horse-related tradition. When the owners learned that the farm would be family-owned and operated as a premier dressage facility, a deal suitable to all was struck.

The first obstacle to overcome, besides moving two families, three horses, and five cats from Chicago to Cleveland, was to come up with a name. Bernie found the word Sendon, which means "an unexpected gift, as if given by God." The family agreed that after all of the problems they had faced in finding a suitable farm, this word was perfect. This is how the dream that was SendonWay became a reality.

The family moved their world-class dressage horses into a barn that originally housed world-class Brown Swiss Cattle. In fact, SendonWay had been a diary farm and shipped stud bulls around the world to restart herds that were devastated by World War II. Now the stalls had to be updated to accommodate larger horses and the farm had to be transformed into a boarding and training facility. Plans were set to add an outdoor riding arena, heated wash rack, clients’ tack room, restroom, kitchenette, trees and landscaping. The dream was truly underway.

Today, SendonWay sits on 16 beautiful acres with large, rolling grass pastures and a creek running through two of them. There is an indoor and outdoor riding arena; a 12-stall barn that even in the heart of winter never drops below 40 degrees; a heated tack, wash, and restroom; and a caring, knowledgeable family running the farm that has been involved with horses for over 30 years. Both families have homes on the property, ensuring that every horse is diligently watched over and cared for.

SendonWay is a half hour east of Cleveland and two and a half hours northwest of Pittsburgh, Pa. Because of its central location, boarders can easily access all of the major show facilities throughout the midwest, from Chicago, Philadelphia, Lexington, Cincinnati to Raleigh.

The original buildings on SendonWay's property were built over 100 years ago. The Lewis and Stanton families are building upon that tradition, as well as making new traditions and success stories of their own. Contact us today if you would like to become a part of this ever-growing tradition. We guarantee you won't regret it!