Chapter Board Members:

Chapter Chair : Vivian Mevorah

I’ve been a member of the Foothills Chapter of CDS for so long, I can’t remember when I joined! I’ve been a show secretary with Katie Bjornson under Chair Cindy Cunningham, and a co-chair with Chair Nancy Fisher. I’ve ridden as part of a 12-person quadrille for the evening entertainment at the first ever Golden State Dressage Show at Rancho Murieta under the tutelage of David Jay, hosted by our own Foothills Chapter. I’ve been part of a group of Foothills members that decided to head for the trails at Point Reyes that started a yearly tradition of bed/bath/trail riding fun. I’ve met so many wonderful people as a member of this club, and plan to continue my membership till I can’t get my leg over the saddle any longer.
I started to learn dressage with my 8-year-old thoroughbred, Red, and made it through Third Level. It was slow going. When I semi-retired him at 20 years old, I went looking for a young prospect that could possibly take me further in my dressage education. Since my budget was pitifully low, I found a 3 ½-year-old completely unbroken, Taxateur offspring, and said, “Here we go.” Ten years later, we just rode our first test in competition at Intermediare I.
A little over six years ago, my husband, Joe and I bought a 5-acre parcel in Lincoln, and built a barn and covered arena on it. We call it Rosebud Equestrian Academy, Inc. With our resident trainers, Zakir and Nailia Abdoukadyrov, we have been able to realize mostly my dream ( good husband) of having a nice place to ride and train.

Treasurer: Peggy McGaw

I started riding horses long ago in Santa Cruz County and my first horse came from a woman who had discovered dressage and wanted a more suitable horse for the sport.  She gave me some dressage lessons, but I was too young to appreciate it. Sadly it took 25 years of riding before I was ready to fall in love with dressage. Since returning to CA I’ve been lucky to ride with and meet so many wonderful dressage trainers, all of whom have taught me something.  Additionally I’ve been blessed with 3 wonderful partners.  My first one, a Holsteiner named Tessa, taught me that dressage is more than the physical affinity for the sport.  She also gave me my current dressage partner, my homebred German Oldenburg, Marvel. Marvel came to his name because the wonder of the gift of a foal was a marvel to me.  My second partner was an invaluable and wise FEI schoolmaster, a DWB named Deja. After a lifetime of riding, Deja taught me to be a rider. I now spend my days working with horses and riders as a saddle fitter and rep for Trilogy dressage saddles instead of sitting behind a desk and I couldn’t be happier.  In appreciation for all that the sport has given to me I am happy to give back to it, both to our chapter and as a life member of CDS.

Secretary: Krista Christian

I come from a long line of horse-lovers. My grandfather was a polo player and my mom won the title of Junior Cowgirl during her youth. I got my first horse at age 12, a Quarter Arab cross that I did practically everything with from gymkhana to hunter/jumpers to competitive trail. He was awesome, took care of me despite my hair-brained ideas and antics, and was one of my closest companions growing up.

I started my dressage journey about 8 years ago. I took many lessons in both western and hunt seat as a kid, but I had gone many years without formal instruction and since I was entering my 40’s, I also had many asymmetries and postural problems that I was blissfully unaware of. Dressage is the French word that means training and I like to think the training is just as much for the rider as for the horse. Through my humbling experience as a dressage student, I have gained a deeper understanding of how control over my own body can have a profound effect on my horses. I own a small stable, give occasional lessons, and have 4 horses that range from Jesse, a 30-year old rescue mare that looks like 2 men in a horse suit to Dorado, my fancy Rheinlander gelding. Although they all don’t excel in dressage and I can’t dedicate enough time to ride them each consistently, they all have had great improvements in their condition, training, and gaits through dressage training.

My real job is for the state as a research manager of a unit that oversees the management and release of vital statistics. I’ve been on the Foothills board now for several years and being a board member has been a rewarding experience and has really opened up my eyes to all of the tasks and planning that goes into chapter activities.

Chapter Chairpersons:

Awards/Sponsorships: Christine Hendricks

Grew up in L.A. always wanting a horse and never got one until I was an adult and had moved to Wyoming.  My first horse was a little Quarter/Mustang off the range and was the best horse ever!  I barrel raced her then got interested in jumping and from there developed an interest in eventing and finally realized the benefits of dressage as I got older and more knowledgable.  Several horses later I earned my Bronze Medal in 1996 and have been striving for the Silver since then, but so far I keep running into roadblocks!  I currently own an older Grand Prix schoolmaster, Maxwell.  I will be retiring from the professional work world later this summer and am looking forward to having more time to spend with my husband, horse, dog and grandchildren.
www.chendricksjuiceplus.com
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Insurance/Grants: Michele Ng

Michele considers herself the “accidental Board Member/Chairperson.”  She was cajoled into organizing a freestyle clinic in 2003 and her efforts have morphed into organizing USDF ‘L’ judge education programs in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, and then a ‘r’ program for USEF in 2010.  Despite saying she was finished, she agreed to help a USDF ‘L’ program in October 2011, and to coordinating insurance and grants for Foothills activities.  Her day job working for the State in flood management also gives her access to detailed weather briefings from November through April. Consequently she is often asked “Can’t you DO something about this rain?” or “Should I drag my arena/blanket my horse/sign up for that show?”  She enjoys learning dressage, because while it is simple, it is not easy. In her quest for knowledge, she shows, scribes, and gets cajoled into organizing those educational clinics.  In her spare time, which is in the early morning hours before work, she rides her gelding, William (a.k.a Boca).   She enjoys trail rides on her mare, Bonfire; but those are deferred until she has more elusive spare time.

Media Coordinator: Becky Hayes

I am an avid equestrian, pet lover, and Mom of two boys. I am a Computer Science Professor at American River College in Sacramento, CA. I teach many web publishing, graphic and multimedia programs.  I have many equestrian web clients to “supplement” my horse habit. 
I board my show horses at PEC and have been a member of Foothills for a while now.  Currently I train/show two horses and have a retired senior and mini-horse at home. 
I grew up a 4-H’er in Sacramento County.  I showed western pleasure, stock, trail, gymkana,  and gave lessons to younger riders.  My dream was to be rodeo queen. 
My horse in college, would not be western, so I was introduced to combined eventing and was hooked.  I was a member of CA Ladies Mounted Patrol – drill team/reserve sheriff,  a 4-H leader, ran shows, was a judge for trail classes.  I soon learned that my greatest challenge was not jumping a field of barrels and big jumps, but this thing they called “dressage” -- every since, my nemesis and greatest challenge.
Becky, Rebecca, or Professor Hayes
www.professorhayes.com

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