Mary Hadsall, Executive Director

Mary first walked through the gates of Camelot to gain information about starting her own therapeutic horsemanship program. Instead, she found her destiny. An hour after leaving, she returned with a fully completed application for Camelot’s internship program, which she entered in 2002. Within a year she was Camelot’s assistant barn manager; within two years she became director of riding instruction. Since 2004, she has served as our executive director.

Mary is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and CHA Master Level IRD instructor. Her horse career spans more than forty years. As an avid dressage enthusiast, she is intrigued with the horse/human connection and shares this love of equus with Camelot’s students. “Camelot is a place of dreams and empowerment,” says Mary. “Our horses teach our riders to reach for the moon. Nothing is impossible!” In addition to teaching at Camelot and riding her horse, Cliffy, Mary also enjoys photography, hot air ballooning, cycling, sailing, and stand up paddle boarding.

Prior to Mary’s work at Camelot, she worked as an instructor at the National Ability Center, a non-profit organization in Park City, Utah, that offers a variety of outdoor activities for people with disabilities. She also worked for several years in the mortgage business, which equipped her with the tools to handle the financial aspects of running our organization. Mary brings an enormous array of gifts and talents to Camelot, including dedication, drive, sensitivity, and proven leadership skills. Her passion for the ideals of Camelot is evident in the work that she does and the lessons she teaches. One of her favorite sayings is, “The speed of the team is the speed of the leader!”

Rebecca Thompson, Barn Manager, Riding & Driving Instructor

Rebecca Thompson spent much of her childhood riding and competing on Arabian horses in hunter jumpers and dressage. This fostered a lifelong love of horses that she shares through her teaching. Rebecca taught horseback riding at the Phoenix Zoo for 5 years, during which time she aided program expansion by developing and implementing a driving program. Wanting to give back to the community, Rebecca found Camelot in 2017, first volunteering as a morning ranch hand, and then joining the afternoon volunteer schedule working with the students. In 2020, Rebecca joined the Camelot staff as Barn Manager and Riding Instructor.

In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Arizona, Rebecca is a PATH Intl. Certified Riding Instructor, and a riding and driving instructor through the Certified Horsemanship Association. Rebecca gained additional insight and experience by training as a behavioral skills therapist with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders. With this training, Rebecca has helped develop life skills and independence in children of all ages. She uses her experience from CARD to help promote independence for Camelot students. In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys knitting, playing with her cat and dog, and spending time with her husband and son.

Robin Erlich, Office Manager

Robin first became interested in Camelot when a friend who participates in a similar program overseas directed her to our web site. She began as a volunteer, and then in 2006 assumed her current staff position. With a lifelong love of horses and a background in both education and banking, Robin is well-suited to be a member of Camelot’s royal family.

Robin attended Humboldt State University and California State University Los Angeles, graduating in 1975 with highest honors and a BA in Liberal Studies. She continued on to graduate school and earned both a standard elementary credential and special education credential in 1976. After several years of teaching for the Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, she changed tracks entirely and became a consumer credit loan officer for First Interstate Bank. In addition to keeping the rest of the Camelot staff in line, Robin also works part time for her husband’s Los Angeles-based consulting firm.

In her spare time, Robin likes to ride her Paint horse, Gizmo; play with her Bouvier, Kramer; and play Mah Jongg. Robin sums up everything equine in a way well-known to every true horse lover: “There’s something about the smell of horses and a barn that’s so enlivening, invigorating, and renewing.” We all know exactly what she means!

Vaishnavi Chinta, Weekend Ranch Hand

Vaishnavi initially found out about Camelot through her research initiatives on equine-assisted therapy. In order to achieve high honors as a part of her graduation from high school at BASIS Scottsdale, she was required to complete an external senior research project and present an analysis of her findings at the end of the school year. And because of her love for horses that was fostered at a young age through the practice of show jumping, she decided to conduct research on equine therapy, which is how she fatefully crossed paths with Camelot.

As Vaishnavi’s research period was coming to an end, she realized that she was reluctant to part with Camelot. So when a staff position opened up, around the same time she knew she was going to major in Medical Studies at ASU for her 4 years of undergrad, she seized the opportunity to continue to be a part of Camelot.