Background (Hunters & Jumpers):
I have been committed to competing nationally as well as internationally for the past thirteen years. I qualified and competed in the show jumper competitions at the North American Young Riders championships in 1985 and 1987 and qualified in 1986, 1988 and 1989 as well. In 1989 I was part of the gold medal show jumping "South" team which competed in the Olympic Sports Festival in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I've competed with hunters and jumpers at the Winter Equestrian Festival in West Palm Beach, Florida several years earning Amateur Owner jumper championships and reserve championships. I have competed in Mexico gaining top honors there with young inexperienced horses as well as Grand Prix jumpers. In 1990, two of my mounts earned the top two Open Jumper rankings in Northern Mexico with their wins throughout the season.

Horse Trials & Three-Day Events:
For the past five years, I have competed primarily with eventing horses. In the first year, I rode Mad Max to top honors in Area V and won the Preliminary Amateur rider award issued by the USCTA. The second year, two of my younger competition horses entered the preliminary level of competition. They both proved to be competitive horses having each won during 1996: Zartlich at the Meadow Creek Park Fall Horse Trials and the Las Colinas Horse Trials in June and Patent Pending at the Camino Real Seven Points Charity Horse Trials in October. Mad Max and I competed at and successfully completed the Radnor Hunt CCI** 3-Day Event in October of 1996. Zartlich and Patent Pending competed quite successfully at the Camino Real CCN* 3-Day Event in May of 1997 finishing 6th and 13th places respectively. A significant honor in 1997 was being selected to participate in the Developing Rider Program sponsored by the United States Equestrian Team.

1998 brought significant change during the competition year. My own horse, Patent Pending, competed successfully at the Camino Real CCI** 3-Day Event and went on to gain other awards in the intermediate horse trials divisions. In July of 1998, she was injured in an unfortunate accident and has been retired with a fracture in her knee. My two up-and-coming horses, Limited Edition and Showboat have taken over as my top line competition horses. Limited Edition currently competes at the Preliminary level having won twice already this year (1999) at the Sky Vista Ranch Horse Trials and the Las Colinas horse trials. Showboat is making the move to the Training level after having won last year at the Pegasus Horse Trials in Salt Lake City, Utah and placed at least 3rd in all other outings.

Goals & Ambitions:
My ultimate goal is to represent the United States in competition at the Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games and Badminton Horse Trials in England and any other international competitions. The next few years will focus on preparing Limited Edition and Showboat to compete at that level as well as bringing on any newly acquired mounts. The remainder of this year as well as into the year 2000, I have plans to train with Karen and David O'Connor in Middleburg, Virginia and compete at the various events in that area. The goal will be to prepare Limited Edition for the Kentucky 3-Day Event to take place at the Kentucky Horse Park in October 1999 and to prepare him to graduate to the intermediate level. Showboat will spend much of the autumn participating in horse trials and learning the skills necessary to compete at the preliminary level.

Education & Background:
Hunter/Jumper Training & Experience:
1986 - 1990 - Trained with Colonel John Russell and Russell Equestrian Center in San Antonio, Texas preparing horses for the hunter and jumper competitions. Also competed successfully in the equitation divisions winning awards in AHSA medal, ASPCA, and USET medal classes.

1988 - 1990 - Trained and competed with Margie Goldstein during the Winter Equestrian Festival in Palm Beach, Florida. I competed at the amateur-owner jumper level with my own horse, Texas and adult-amateur hunter level with other horses in Margie's care.

1990 - 1993 - Trained and competed with the Westfalen horses of Hacienda la Escondida - a farm located in Monterey, Mexico. I competed with young horses as well as Grand Prix jumpers and earned top honors with both.

1989 - Olympic Festival Gold medal Team and 5th place individual wins

Combined Training/Dressage:
** Currently training with Olympic silver medallists David & Karen O'Connor

** Regularly clinic with Sally O'Connor and Jim Graham

** 1997 named to the USET developing rider program
About The Horses

Limited Edition is an American bred Holstein gelding. He was found with his dark coat bleached blond and half starved displaying every bone in his small 15.3 hand frame. His new owners, Barbara and Mat Manson, took him in and gave him unlimited veterinary care before offering him to me to compete with. Eddie, as he is affectionately called, quickly worked his way into all of our hearts by being the "in your hip pocket" type of horse. He competed only a handful of times at the novice and training levels before making his debut in the preliminary division at the 1998 June Greenwood horse trials. He attacked the championship course in full force and finished 3rd. Since then, he has gone on to finish in the top 5 at over 90% of his outings. Eddie, the perfectionist, is not without a sense of humor. In fact, it is quite a dry sense of humor. He is never aggressive or obtrusive and loves people and any attention he can get. His personality gains strength with each day you know him. He enjoys a good back scratching and is always up for an affectionate rub behind the ears. His "free time" is something to be relished. He enjoys a good run and buck even if at the end of a long day. And so much the better if he has buddy to go out with.

Showboat is a 7 year old American Thoroughbred. Unlike Eddie, "Jake" tends to be more aloof but only until the crowds are gone and the stables are quiet. He was acquired through a race track trainer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He ran at the longer mile plus races through his 6-year-old year. In a foreclosure attempt, many horses were put on the market with the need to find homes within seven days. I had little intention of buying a horse when I arrived at the property, but at the end of the day, it was Jake that came home with me. I watched him trot half way around a small round pen and before I knew it, he was bought. Jake enjoys his job for the personal satisfaction of it! He loves the challenge of cross-country and the showmanship of stadium jumping and dressage. His talent surpasses most horses and things are easy for him. (He's the kid in school who stayed out partying all night and still aced his tests and then couldn't figure out what was wrong with everyone else!) To everyone that knows us, Jake is the one I call "my Badminton horse."

Each day I live I want to be
A day to give the best of me.
I'm only one, but not alone
My finest day is yet unknown.

Give me One Moment in Time
When I'm more than I thought I could be;
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me.

Then in that one moment of time, I will feel eternity.

I have established grant eligibility through The American Horse Trials Foundation, Inc. The Foundation is supporting me through competition grants but in order to continue their support they need help from people like you. Your donations to the AHTF are 100% tax deductible according to IRS Code Section 501(c)(3). To make a donation simply make a check payable to The American Horse Trials Foundation and mail to:
The American Horse Trials Foundation, Inc.
c/o Gayle K. Gessner
85 NE Loop 410, Suite 320
San Antonio, Texas 78216
Contributions of $50 or more will be acknowledged by letter and all donations are greatly appreciated.