Trainer Details
Kate Hornbecker – Mountain Valley Equestrian Center
323 East Flat Hill Rd
Southbury, CT
(203) 509-9060 Kate.hornbecker@gmail.com
www.mountainvalleyequestriancenter.com
Specialty: Kate Hornbecker is an active competitor and coach in Area I. She believes in rider education and safety above all else, and creates a great learning environment for green horses and young riders. Kate has taken several OTTBs from the starting gate to the starting box and continues to support the breed with her OTTB fresh start program.This program focuses on consistent, patient training for the horses along with proper education of the owners. Kate operates and trains out of Mountain Valley Equestrian Center in Southbury, CT. The farm has access to acres of trails and fields, as well as several different schooling rings. Boarding is available with training board options.
Lessons are available to riders of all levels on our horses or yours and coaching is available for most shows.
Crystal King-Adanti -Innovative Equestrian, Llc
196 Pine Street
Columbia, CT
860-304-4727 crystalking06@hotmail.com
www.innoveqct.com
Specialty: Introducing students and horses safely to the sport of eventing, custom training programs, over 29 years experience in riding, 13 years of instruction. Have a background in hunters, equitation, dressage, jumpers and pony club. Master’s Degree in Education, am a full time school teacher which enables me to differentiate instruction and think outside of the box.
The Guilford Riding School
Guilford, CT
(203) 453-TROT
Trainer Jill Walter-Robinson has been an active eventer for many, many, years. She has established a school barn which stresses safety and horsemanship while still providing fun for children and adults in the CT shoreline area. Her program has been established since 1992 in Guilford and she has a long list of experience at places such as Belmont racetrack, Farmington Polo grounds and the Maryland Equestrian Center. She really is a huge asset to our sport and her attendance at some schooling shows (along with her students) single handily can keep them full!! (She typically brings 4-6 students with her).
Deb Moynihan -Irish Acres Farm
46 Clark Rd.
Bolton, CT
(860) 646-8841 djmoynihan@snet.net
USEA Certified Instructor, USDF Certified Instructor/Trainer, Level IV Centered Riding Instructor/Clinician. Offering lessons, training, clinics. Indoor/outdoor facilities, Borders 100 acres of trails. Conveniently located 12 miles east of Hartford. Small facility with care/training tailored to you and your horse.
Virginia Leary -Lost Run Farm
Litchfield, CT
(860) 567-0419 Lostrun@optonline.net
Virginia Leary is a former international level eventer who has coached riders at the advanced level. Virginia now shows and trains at the fei level in dressage and is liscenced to judge eventing dressage training level and below. She is in the small r dressage training program. Available for lessons clinics and judging.
Sarah Dalton-Morris – Great Vista Farm / Frazier Farm Training Centre
335 Middle Road Turnpike
Woodbury, CT
(203) 263-2627
www.greatvistafarm.com
Specialty: Pony Club “A” and BHSAI. 22 years at Frazier Farm Training Centre. Over 25 years experience developing young riders, green horses and adult riders. Cross country course open for schooling with your own trainer or group schools available with SD-M by appointment.
Missy Miller – Town Hill Farm
55 Limerock Road
Lakeville, CT
860-435-2052 townhillfarm@aol.com
www.townhillfarm.com
Heather Carlson – Starlight Farms
503 Long Mountain Rd.
New Milford, CT
(860) 354-1623
www.starlightfarmsllc.com
Specialty: Eventing since 1985, Heather has a passion for horses, people and the safety of our sport. She has competed up through CCI** level and has many students ranging from beginner novice through preliminary. With facilities in both New Milford and Aiken, SC, Heather competes and coaches year round in Areas I, II, and III. Facilities include indoor and outdoor arenas with a variety of jumps as well as dirt roads for conditioning.
Richard Wood
1187 Quaddick Town Farm Rd.
Thompson, CT. 06277
978-502-7664 richpwood@netscape.com
Experience: ICP Level II Certified Instructor. 30 Plus years riding and teaching. Dressage to Intermediate I Eventing to Intermediate and CCI*. Eventing Students to Intermediate. Dressage Students to Third Level, USEA ICP Participant. USDF Bronze Medal
Training: Full, Half and Daily schooling to showing at competitions. Consistent approach with dressage emphasis for control, soundness as it relates to jumping.
Lessons: Available for lessons and clinics on premises, will travel and coaching at events
Facility: Located in Thompson, CT. Indoor arena to provide year-round training and lessons with variety of jumps. Truck Ins welcome. Winter in Aiken, SC.
Marisa Melby – Five Star Farm
1 Bluff View Drive
Guilford, CT 06437
518.821.4482
www.marisamelbyeventing.com
Instruction Offered: Eventing: elementary-training, Dressage: intro-second level
Lessons: At farm/will travel. Clinics: At farm/will travel. Coaching: At events.
Horses Trained: All levels
Facilities: Indoor and outdoor arena with jump course. Large galloping field and trails.
Experience: Marisa is a US Eventing Association Certified Instructor through training level. This gives her the ability to teach dressage, stadium jumping and cross country riding at the training level in the sport of eventing. Test assessors included Robin Walker, Eric Horgan, Phyllis Dawson, Mark Phillips and Karen O’Connor. Marisa graduated with a bachelors degree in Animal Science at the University of Massachusetts in 2009. While at UMass Marisa taught lessons to beginner level college students at the Hadley Farm, and was the president of the Umass Polo Team at Stone Pony Farm. Some other accomplishments have been instructing at the annual GMHA Junior Horsemanship clinic in Woodstock VT, grooming for Stephen Bradley, advanced eventer and olympian, in Leesburg VA and competing through second level in dressage while working in New York.
Heather Navarrete – Invictus Eventing
Mystic Valley Hunt Club
645 Long Cove Road, Gales Ferry, CT 06335
(925) 628 0181
invictuseventing@gmail.com
mvhchorse.com
Speciality: Heather received her B.S. in Animal Science and Management, Equine from UC Davis in 2006 and her M.S. in Forensic Science at the Henry Lee Institute in 2008. She has successfully ridden through the Intermediate level in Eventing and has been teaching and training for eighteen years. She believes in facilitating a safe and positive atmosphere where students can reach their goals, and is adept at training and working with young, challenging, or sensitive horses. Mystic Valley sits on 172 acres with two indoor arenas, a cross country course, and several outdoor rings with courses tailored to individual disciplines, and miles of trails. Trailer-ins are welcome, regular board and training board options available. Heather is available for lessons, XC schooling, show coaching, training rides, clinics, and XC course design. (certified through Training Level) Currently Heather trains with several Olympic caliber instructors and is committed to teaching and training horses and riders of all ages and disciplines.
Local Combined Training Associations:
Connecticut Dressage and CT Association (CDCTA)
We have an active volunteer-based club, and offer numerous clinics for both dressage and eventing, scholarships, schooling and recognized dressage shows, schooling CT and HT.
American Warmblood Society Combined Training
Connecticut Director: Cathy Leinert-Benoit
I hope to personally attend as many events as humanely possible to award prizes to AWS members who place at our events. I am working on this and stay tuned for more info. In order to qualify for our awards, you must be a current member in good standing, and have your horse qualify as an American Warmblood-which most will be. See our website at www.americanwarmblood.org for information. Your horse may qualify at one of our inspections, or through competition. Happy eventing!
Mid-Hudson Dressage & Combined Training Association (MHDCTA)
For information contact: carolynm@snet.net
Pony Clubs:
New York Upper Connecticut Region of the UNITED STATES PONY CLUBS
If you have special information about eventing in Connecticut, contact the webmaster to have it presented here.
