VALLEY OAKS CHAPTER CDS

I’ve been horse-obsessed for as long as I can remember and started taking lessons at 3.  I was lucky enough to get my first pony, Moondancer, when I was 8. At 10, my parents purchased a small horse property in northern CA, and it was my biggest dream come true! I’ve lived with my horses in my backyard ever since and I can’t imagine my life without them.  My early years were spent doing hunter/jumpers and then I transitioned into 3-day eventing and dressage in my teens and twenties.  Now I do mostly dressage with some occasional small jumps on my home bred welsh/holsteiner/appaloosa pony mare Ava.

When I was a very little girl, I was in love with horses having an imaginary pony who lived under my bed.  I couldn’t tell you where this obsession came from, but it was securely embedded in me.  When I was 12, I began working at a ranch that rented out horses and fell in love with the work.  I went on to working with another lady who gave lessons for the City of Fremont.  I did 

this for several years. Once I was out of school and got a job, I was able to afford my first Horse.  From that point I have not been without at least one equine partner. I tried a dressage schooling show with my stallion, we did very well, lighting my interest and goal to ride better.  So, I joined CDS Delta Sierra serving as a board member.

I am currently retired from 43 years of teaching at the secondary level.  I started riding in high school by taking lessons and trail riding.  I later competed in hunter/jumpers and did a bit of eventing which introduced me to dressage.  After some competition, I began to breed warmbloods and  purchased a small ranchette in Turlock.  I continued breeding and sales for over 20 years. I also did some judging, gave clinics, showed in-hand for 

several years, and coached adult students in riding and showing.  I finally  purchased a horse in Germany and watched as she competed successfully to the small tour CDI level.  After selling my ranch, I have continued to own my  retired mares while volunteering as a scribe and active CDS member.

I got my start with horses in middle school through my local 4-H chapter with the promise "you don't need a horse to participate". That quickly turned into weekly lessons, then spending nearly every day at the barn riding a variety of horses, and eventually convincing my parents to purchase my first horse. In college, I was a showing member of the Cal Poly Intercollegiate Dressage team and competed against other schools in our division. Fun fact - I worked at Riding Warehouse during college and met my now husband in the break room. After a couple year hiatus, we moved back to Sacramento and I focused back on riding. I recently purchased my first horse as an adult, Lily, a KWPN mare, and am enjoying this next phase in my riding journey. 

My earliest memory of my love of horses was at 5 yrs. old.  My parents enrolled me in riding lessons when I was 8 years old. After riding everyone else’s horses, at age 34, I finally got my own horse, an Off the Track Thoroughbred (OTTTB).   He was wonderful and I rode hunt seat equitation, jumpers, and novice level eventing.  After a break of 10 years  I was given another OTTTB, a mare, and together both of us knowing nothing, started learning about dressage. I now own a wonderful Dutch mare and we continue to progress in our dressage training.

I have been riding since age 4 when my parents got me my first pony “Cowboy” from the glue factory.  From there, I fell in love with horses and started doing hunter/jumpers and dabbled in some eventing before the age of 18.  In my adult years, I continued with some jumping but after having my daughter, I lost my nerve and started riding dressage.  Dressage has become my lifestyle and I am fortunate enough to share it with my daughter, Cayla, on our beautiful ranch.  We have some amazing horses that are the loves of our lives.

I first sat in the saddle at my first birthday party and have been horse-crazy ever since. I inherited my mom’s horse, Buddy, who she rode while pregnant with me, and began my dressage journey. After several years of exploring jumping, I realized how much I missed flatwork and returned to dressage. In 2021, my mom and I moved to a property in Wilton, where we now enjoy having our horses right in our backyard. I began showing consistently with my horse Bodi after getting him in 2018, and it has since become an impossible-to-stop addiction.

I have loved horses all of my life. I began planning my barn at the age of 5 years old.  In order to ride, I mucked stalls after school, until I bought my first horse at 20 years old. I began in Endurance riding and switched to Hunter/Jumpers with my daughter.  We both transitioned to Dressage because we love how dressage develops the horse, especially the harmony between horse and rider.  I am blessed to ride an amazing Holsteiner gelding who stands a shrimpy 18.2 hands. 

I began riding at age five, starting in the hunter ring before developing a passion for eventing. My first off-the-track Thoroughbred, Merci Beaucoup, was my dressage and eventing partner when I was just thirteen. Merci and I progressed to the Preliminary level in eventing and qualified for the Region Championships at Prix St Georges level. After an 18-year break, marked by marriage, the birth of twin daughters, a move from Connecticut to California, and building businesses with my husband—I returned to the sport and competed in a few more championships. Mayflower retired in fall 2024 and now lives at home with me. I currently ride my five-year-old KWPN, Remi, and share my love of horses with my eleven-year-old twin daughters. On the best days, we get to ride together.