My teachers

So, I thought I would take a moment to talk about the people who have taught me so much over the years.

In 1994, my mother took me to see the "World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions" in Anchorage. This was my very first introduction to dressage. (http://www.lipizzaner.com)

My first up close and personal introduction to the concept of dressage was by Rachel James in about 1995. Rachel and I were in 4H together. She had a little arabian gelding, Quana Parker. Rachel lent me a great book that started me down the path towards dressage.

In 1996, I headed to Germany for a year. I lived with a family that bred Hanovarians. We lived just outside of Verden, where they hold the Hanovarian Elite Auctions. I rode at the Hanovarian Riding School (Hannoversche Reit- und Fahrschule - www.hannoveraner.com/101.html). My instructor there was Herr Weist. I tested and earned my German Small Bronze Medal while I was there.

Upon returning to Alaska after a year spent in Germany, I decided to find a working student position with a Grand Prix dressage trainer. I found a position with Mari Zdunic in Hartland, Michigan. (www.shineabit.com) Here I got the chance to ride the Grand Prix movements on well trained Grand Prix horses, working with green and young horses, and really get into the PSYCHOLOGY of the horse. While working with Mari, I also had the pleasure of working with AnnMarie Kierkegaard, Dorothy Mueller, and Lois Heyderdahl. It is funny to note that the current head rider for the "World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions" learned to ride from Mari!


Mari with Frenesi (thoroughbred) after winning the Silver Medal at the Olympic Sports Festival in 1981.


My next instructor was Tracy Rowe-McEwan. (www.rowestables.com) Tracy's parents competed at the upper levels of dressage at the same time as Mari and her mentor, Chuck Grant. Small world! So Tracy had a similar approach to the horse, adhering to classical principles, believing that the well being of the horse comes first. I worked with Tracy with my big Oldenburg mare, Moose, and also with my Hanovarian/TB mare, Abba. I continued sporadic lessons with Tracy until I left Michigan in December of 2007.

I also brought in Paula Kierkegaard for clinics. In yet another display of how small the world is, Paula is AnnMarie Kierkegaard's daugher-in-law! I 'met' Paula on the UDBB (www.ultimatedressge.com), where she is known as 'galopp'. She helped me to really focus on how my equitation impacts the horse. We worked a lot on improving my seat (as did Tracy!).

I have had the privilege to audit clinics with Walter Zettl, Karl Mikolka, Paul Belasik, and Michael Poulin.

I have been lucky enough to take a handful of lessons from Fritz Fleischmann (German Bereiter and former Head Trainer for German Dressage Gold Medalist Hubertus Schmidt) and Chrissa Frith-Hoffmann (Grand Prix rider and trainer, who holds the United States Dressage Federations Bronze, Silver and Gold medals - www.cfh-dressage.com)