I started riding at the age of five, but have been involved with horses almost from birth. My mother rode, hunted and was a horsewoman herself from the early 1930's on.

Instruction started when I was around five or six years old, in a very good establishment in Michigan. When my family moved to Maine, my mother found an instructor, Ellen Kaichen, whose daughter has gone on to be a working student, then a private student, of Bruce Davidson, Denny Emerson, Lendon Grey, Conrad Homfeld and Joe Fargis. Pam, Ellen's daughter, rode Abdullah, Terri William's stallion the year before he went to the Olympics. I rode with Ellen for six years and feel to this day she was one of the most influential instructors of my life.

I rode with her until I was 14, then my family moved to northern Maine. At this time, I started riding with a woman named Marie Ford, a student of Captain Alex Solorzano (who was a member of the Pan American Olympic Gold Medal Team in the 30's). I also rode with Captain Solorzano whenever possible. Ms. Ford had been a student of Heir Bliss in Germany, Nuno Oliveira in Portugal and Mike Poulin (sharing lessons with Captain Solorzano). In addition, she was an 11-year student of Ida Anderson (an AHSA R judge). I rode with Marie weekly for four years.

At this point, my parents moved to southern Maine and I started riding with Peter F. Bailey. Peter was a long-time student of Karl Mikolka when Karl was at Friar's Gate, south of Boston (early 70's). Peter made the Young Rider's Eventing Team for New England and went on to compete and train throughout New England.

My family always had horses and we bred many of our own, therefore gaining so much experience bringing along youngsters. At the age of 16, I started to teach many of the young children in our neighborhood. I continued this through college, which helped me financially and spiritually.

After college and for the past 20 years, I have continued to work with people that I could find in my area.

In the 70's, I competed in hunters and continued to apply dressage fundamentals to the training of my horses and students. I held strong to my beliefs although I was ridiculed for incorporating dressage into my hunter riding. I kept going forward with my beliefs and conviction.

In the last 20 years, I have worked with many old horsemen (not many of them around anymore), and also with many people that are still here making their mark in equine history, such as Celeste Leone and Richard Ulrich (students of Karl Mikolka and fellow Spanish Riding School student), as well as:

Karl Mikolka: an Oberberiter from the Spanish Riding School.

Barend and Annemarie Heilbron: graduates of the Dutch Equestrian School in Deurne, Holland. Both are now riding with Rien van der Schasft, who is a trainer and competitor in Holland as well as international dressage. Barend and Annemarie run their own training facility in Holland.

Alyce McNeil: a long-time student of George Morris, and an instructor who is making her mark on Area I with phenomenal success. My students ride either with Alyce, Barend and Annemarie, and Karl whenever possible and beneficial for their level of riding.

I have had 35 years of managing barns of not just a few but 50+ horses for sale barns in the New England area, selling horses all over the world. My experience is mostly with Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Arabians and Warmblood Crosses.