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Kathy's Profile |
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Growing up in the dry horse country of
British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Kathy
began her life with horses at a young age
riding quiet and well trained trail horses.
She took every opportunity to ride, quickly
gaining experience and showing a genuine
talent and aptitude. It wasn’t long before
she found work as a guide, introducing
others to the pleasures of trail riding. A
few years later, Kathy and her family moved
to Princeton, BC, where she
rode borrowed ranch horses in
the pastures, on trails, and for long days
into the mountains. She also got her first
taste of competition, participating in
gymkhanas and getting involved in the
exciting and challenging sport of barrel
racing. She became well known to the local
ranchers, and frequently helped start and
train horses for them. |
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Following high
school, Kathy moved to Edmonton,
where she sought out an
equestrian facility and began
taking instruction in hunter,
dressage and western
disciplines. Initially, she
intended riding to simply be a
leisure activity. Progressing
rapidly in her lessons and
achieving early successes, Kathy
grew increasingly aware of her
natural abilities. When she was
presented with an offer to be a
working student, she seized the
opportunity and began both
living and working at the barn.
In her new capacity, Kathy
taught beginner riders, started
young horses and retrained
problem horses. She also began
serious competitive work,
showing in hunter and dressage,
along with western pleasure and
trail classes.
Fully
immersed and feeling completely
at home in the world of horses,
Kathy resolved to make them her
life’s work.
Having had her
fill of the harsh Alberta
winters, Kathy moved to Victoria
with a firm commitment to start
her own riding school. It took a
few years of hard work and
determination to become known
and develop a reputation in the
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equestrian
community but she was ultimately
rewarded with a thriving
operation that included
boarding, teaching students on
school horses as well as on
their own horses, breeding,
raising, and training of warmbloods, and employing
working students and apprentice
instructors. With up to 30
horses in her care, and numerous
staff, this was a significant
and demanding business to
operate. |
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At the same time,
Kathy continued to train and
advance through the dressage
ranks, and eventually needed to
acquire a horse to match her
abilities. With great
confidence, she invested in a
proven Trakehner stallion named
Blitzwind, and with him showed
successfully in high levels of
dressage competition. After
Blitzwind retired at the age of
20 she purchased the Trakehner
stallion Morgenstern on whom she
continued her dressage career.
Seeking a change
of pace, Kathy sold her school
and for the next several years
taught riding at various barns
in the Victoria area. In 2008,
she established Harrison School
of Horsemanship at Shannick Farm
in North Saanich. |
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Always seeking new
challenges, Kathy became interested in
miniature horses, and learned to drive after
purchasing a miniature gelding in 2006. She
enjoyed this new pursuit so much that she
acquired two additional minis and began
offering driving lessons, which are now a
significant and unique part of her school.
With over 30 years of
experience, and having met every conceivable
challenge that teaching riding can present,
Kathy is among the most highly respected
instructors in the area. She pays careful
attention to the capability and potential of
each student, and tailors each program to
suit the individual and give them the best
chance of success. With Kathy as your coach,
you are sure to do well! |
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