My Teachers
I started riding at age eight when our parents gave my sister and I a series of 10 riding lessons at a local stable. After we finished our lessons, we were supposed to go on to whatever else kids normally do on summer vacations. But, I was bitten by the bug. I read, dreamed and played horses with my friends. I became a barn rat who spent the entire day mucking, watering, sweeping, grooming, and anything else I could do to be around horses. In exchange, I earned one lesson a week which, at that time, cost a whopping $3.50.

My background at that time was with hunters. When I entered the University of Massachusetts in 1968, however, I was introduced to dressage and combined training by the director of the riding program, Linda Jaskiel Brown. Linda lit the spark with her teaching, and then fanned the flames when she invited me to go with her as her groom for a training session at the Equestrian Team headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey. I was so inspired by what I saw there that I made my new goal--to represent the United States in international competition.

Since working with Linda, I have had the great fortune of working with some of the most talented trainers of our time. After leaving the university, I chose Cindy Sydnor as my first instructor. I admired Cindy's elegance and adherence to classical principles. I thought, "This is someone I want to emulate." One of my biggest thrills was upon leaving the arena at a show and having a spectator walk up to me and say, "I hope you win that class. You remind me so much of Cindy Sydnor."

To this day much of the organization of my lessons and the hundreds of exercises that I use to help gymnasticize the horse are the direct result of Cindy's input. I was so sad when she moved out of our area to North Carolina. But I've never really had to say good-bye to her as her influence permeates both my riding and my teaching to this day.

After Cindy left, I relied on the memory of her lessons and all the books I could get my hands on to continue my education. Podhajsky's Complete Training of Horse and Rider became my bible. ( I can recite most of it by heart.

So you can imagine my excitement when I met Robert Dover in 1980 and he was teaching exactly what I was reading about--right down to actual technique. I felt like I had come home. Robert became, and continues to be, my mentor and greatest influence. He taught me not only how to ride and compete, but that dressage is an art form.

Then, once again, my trainer left! Robert moved to California and it was during that period that I was privileged to ride with Pam Goodrich. Pam was just what the doctor ordered at that point in my riding career, I was a fairly accomplished but somewhat mechanical rider. It made sense that I would develop that way as I'm a very left-brained, analytical person. Pam's gift to me was creativity. She taught me how to feel and that "there are no rules". Each animal is unique, and you must tailor your system to fit an individual's physical and emotional needs rather than getting locked into rigid thinking.

This aspect of my training developed even further when I was able to spend part of the next three years training in Europe with the late Herbert Rehbein. This man was total genius on a horse, but he was not a very articulate teacher. However, I learned volumes by watching him and by sitting on my horses after he had ridden them. He always transformed them, and I did my best to try and recreate those feelings.

These days, in addition to the ongoing help from Robert, I am fortunate to have an exchange program with my dear friend, Susan Blinks. Sue and I go back about 18 years when we met at a horse show and just hit it off. We trust each other implicitly and trade off as "eyes on the ground". I love working with Sue and she's living proof that excellence and kindness in training can, in fact, go hand in hand. The welfare of her horse is never compromised for ambition, competitive goals, or ego. I embrace that philosophy and try to live it every day.