As a Junior/Young Rider growing up in Colorado, I had the privilege of training with Janet “Dolly” Hannon (USDF “S” judge) and Debbie Riehl-Rodriguez (USDF “S” judge), while clinicing regularly with Olympic bronze medalist Hilda Gurney. Before the end of high school I had earned my USDF Bronze medal and was schooling PSG through Grand Prix movements and showing at 4th level.
During these years I also received a rather extensive education on training a wide variety of horses for both dressage and eventing. Later, I expanded on my knowledge of training while starting colts using natural horsemanship methods as part of my duties as head horse trainer at a cattle ranch in Northern Colorado. After a move to the midwest, I put my skills to use as an instructor for the Hoofer Riding Club (HRC), the official riding club of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
During my graduate school years in Salt Lake City when horses were few and far between, I turned my attention to four-legged critters of the canine variety, and opened a dog adventure business to bring much needed outdoor activities to city pups (including my own). Although I sold Mountain Mutts before moving to Wisconsin, the business remains one of the busiest and most popular dog-related ventures in Utah.
In Wisconsin, I continued to pursue my interest in all things canine by working as a research assistant to renowned animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell. And with a house full of high-energy dogs, so few mountains to explore, and so many fields and forests fit for foraging, I turned my attention to learning the ins and outs of sporting dog training, a pursuit that continues to this day.