“I love my business, with a lot of hard work and luck I’m still here”.

Receive 20% off if you mention this article when shopping at Carousel Saddlery, April 15th through May 15th, 2025. *

Nestled in the quiet Village Square shopping center in Portola Valley, amid a grove of ancient redwood trees, lies a hidden gem, Carousel Saddlery, one of the last privately owned saddle shops in the Bay Area.  Owned by the same person for over 30 years, Nicole Chagniot McDevitt has been helping generations of riders and horse owners with the personal touch she has become known for.  

I sat down with Nicole on a cold winter afternoon to learn more about the woman who’s been supporting the equestrian community for generations.  Nicole is tall and slim, with long dark hair, and has an effortless ease that belies her quiet determination. She first became interested in horses when she was a young teenager living in San Francisco.  Nicole would take the bus to Golden Gate Park where at the time there were stables and an extensive trail system.  One of the trainers took Nicole under his wing and taught her how to work with horses, including grooming, handling, harnessing and eventually how to drive his standardbred horses on the track at the park.  A lifelong passion was ignited.  

Her first riding experience involved a horse named Easter, a lesson horse that no one wanted to deal with.  Nicole asked if she could take care of the horse, which the owner agreed to, and she would brush and groom the mare during the day.  When everyone left for the night Nicole would get on bareback and ride her around the track.  “I got dumped many times, but she always came back to me and I would find a stump and get back on”, laughs Nicole.  

After graduating from high school a friend landed a job at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center and asked Nicole to come along.  “I would take people out on trail rides in exchange for lessons, and eventually rode in some of the eventing competitions”.  Learning how to jump was a highlight, along with more time in the saddle.

Moving to the Portola Valley area Nicole ended up at Springdown Stables, where she worked with Lilo Fore, an esteemed German dressage instructor.  “I rode any horse that came my way, learning dressage and how to work with the different horses”.  Despite the excellent dressage training, jumping still proved to be a strong attraction, and Nicole eventually went to ride with Carol Atkinson in Woodside, a local legend at the time.  One of Carol’s clients had a horse that Nicole was able to ride and the gelding ended up being a wonderful teacher and partner.  Carol helped Nicole go to her first show, coaching her in the jumper division in exchange for braiding and grooming help.  

Nicole stayed at the Atkinson stable for several years and ended up working with Carol’s daughter Jennifer and her husband Steve.  Eventually finding her niche with the hunters, Nicole moved to train with John French, where she stayed for over 15 years.  Many of Nicole’s original horses were thoroughbreds purchased off the track.  At that time it was a common way to find affordable, nice young horses that you could bring along as hunters or jumpers, and many of them went on to win successfully.

Nicole initially worked at Carousel Saddlery as a way to help pay for her horses.  The owner was looking to sell the store and a friend, John Kilmartin, was interested.  “So he purchased the store, but it really wasn’t his thing and I really liked the store, so he said I should buy it” Nicole remembers.  “I was probably about 21 and the idea started to sound attractive, so I went to my parents and they said to bring home the books, which were not in great shape, so they were unwilling to help finance the purchase” she recounts. “They suggested I get a loan, which they didn’t believe I could do, but I did, through my Uncle”.  She ended up paying off the loan in just two years and hasn’t looked back.

To help save money Nicole was initially the only person working in the store, which was open 6 days a week, giving her only Sundays off.  At that time there was no internet or digital banking, so her Mother would come and help her in the store now and then so she could run errands and go to the bank.  This led to an interesting phone conversation with a potential customer.  “My Mother is French, and doesn’t know much about horses.  A person called looking for ratcatchers, (a common term for an english riding shirt), and my mother blurted out, “Cher moi, you need to call an exterminator!”  Nicole recounts with a laugh.

“Everyone thought I would go under” she remembers. She started with $14,000 of inventory, all of it from Miller’s, a well known tack store in New York.  The Miller rep took a special interest in helping her learn the ropes and they ended up becoming good friends, he even attended her wedding.  

Despite the profusion of online equestrian shopping now available, Nicole finds that people have come full circle and want to see and try products in person, and look for the personalized customer service. Her skill at accessing accurate helmet fit, or selecting paddock boots for a young child who is starting their first riding lessons, has made her store a destination for equestrians throughout the Bay Area.   “It’s been 38 years now and I love my business, with a lot of hard work and luck I’m still here”.  And we’re so glad she is!

* Offer excludes manufacturer price protected items.

• Kari Browne