Hosts
Co-Host: Chris Stafford
Chris Stafford lives a few miles from the Kentucky Horse Park. She has been an equestrian journalist for over 30 years. Her reporting has included major events such as the Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals and European Championships for multiple print and broadcast outlets around the world and in several languages. Chris is also a presenter, reporter, producer, director and voice-over artist for TV and video. She produced daily coverage of the 2006 World Equestrian Games for HorseTV where she was VP Production & News Director. Chris broadcast live radio commentary from the Sydney Olympic Games for the BBC. She hosted the live daily video show, Here and Now, of the 2010 World Equestrian Games for the title sponsors Alltech.
Chris was a professional eventing, jumping and dressage rider and trainer in her former life working with many Olympians and notable international trainers. She grew up in England and traveled the world with horses before injury forced retirement and her career moved into the media.
- Equestrian Media Consultant to leading clients in the horse world Vice President, International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists
- Published three equestrian non-fiction books and recorded several equine audio books
- Photographic exhibitions and published work documenting horses and travel
- Equestrian Media Analyst to the IOC for the 2000 Sydney Olympics
- Christine E. Stafford Eventing Groom of the Year Award presented by the USEA
In her spare time Chris is an artist and also enjoys pottery. She is keen on several sports and can also be found walking miles each day with her two Irish Black & Tan Terriers. See Chris’s website at chrisestafford.com.
Follow Chris on Twitter
Chris is host of the Eventing Radio Show, Dressage Radio Show and Jumping Radio Show on the Horse Radio Network.
__________________________________________________
Rotating Co-Hosts:
Co-Host: Heather Blitz
Heather Blitz is an international Grand Prix rider who has been based in Europe for the past few years. She is also a popular and successful clinician with her ‘Mind Your Riding’ Tour which focuses on the effect of the rider’s body and aids on the horse at all levels and teaches a clear and easy to understand system of training to riders of all levels. Heather’s tours are held in Europe and throughout the U.S.
Heather competed the Danish Warmblood stallion Rambo DVE 373 at CDI level Grand Prix from the competitive circuit in south Florida to the prestigious Dressage at Devon where we were placed as high as 3rd. The scores she earned riding Rambo earned them a place on the USEF Long List an invitation to the USEF team training sessions.
The second horse that has made a huge impact in her career is Arabella, a daughter of Rambo DVE 373. Heather trained her from her first day under saddle all the way to the Grand Prix, getting as far as reserve for the World Equestrian Games 2006. Arabella was a winner in regional championships at age 4 and 5. At 6 years old, she won the FEI 6-year-old Young Horse Championship. At 8 years old they qualified for and competed in the USEF Intermediare championships in San Juan Capistrano, CA and finished in 5th place. They started in Grand Prix together when Arabella was 8 years old and by 10 had qualified for the USEF Grand Prix Championships at Gladstone where they came in fifth overall and were consequently invited to accompany the U.S. team to Germany training together leading up to the WEG in Aachen.
Heather’s next Grand Prix horse was Otto – who was also by also by Rambo. Heather trained and competed him from age 8 to 13 competing throughout Europe and Scandinavia including 3rd place in the Grand Prix Special at the Mondorf CDIO, Luxembourg against Germany’s top riders and even beating Isabell Werth.
Heather has been a guest judge and test rider at the Pavo Cup in Holland (National Championship for 4 and 5 year old horses) and for the Danish National Championships for 5 year olds.
You can see Heather’s website at www.heatherblitz.info
Follow Heather on Twitter at heatherblitz
Visit Heather’s Facebook Fan Page
Co-Host:Debbie McDonald
Debbie McDonald represented the U.S. for over a decade, most famously with her partner Brentina, bringing home medals at Olympic Games (2004 team bronze); World Equestrian Games (2002 team silver; 2006 team bronze); Pan American Games (1999 individual gold and team gold). Debbie now spends most of her time teaching around the country and is also involved in the Developing Riders Program alongside Steffen Peters and Guenter Seidel.
Co-Host: Brett Parbery
I have been riding Dressage since late 1998, where in the first year I was loaned Vicki Brydons wonderful mare Liebling. Vicki invested a lot of time and effort into me and gave me a fantastic foundation that is still with me today. Other great trainers such as Doug Green, Miguel Tavora, Barbara Shields and Clemens Dierks all had an input into my riding in the early days.
In 2000, I decided to move over to Holland and learn how to do it the European way. I stayed for the next three years and worked for some wonderful, but ’tough’, trainers. This was particularly hard as I went from being at the top of one sport, to the bottom of the next, which wasn’t easy on the ego. But I stuck it out and developed my riding to a point where I was confident that I could come home and start riding for clients.
Since 2003, I have been professionally riding/training and coaching. I have had a very successful time since returning home having now won 9 Australian Championships, competed on 3 Australian teams and having recently been in the final 5 for Olympic selection for Hong Kong. Of course, this can only be made possible by being associated with fantastic horses, and for that I am very grateful. I have been very lucky to have wonderful owners of some of Australia’s best horses that have assisted me in achieving my goals. In looking towards the future, one definite goal is to keep improving my riding and to keep searching for great horses. My goal to compete for Australia at a major international competition is still as strong as ever, but I have added another goal to my list.
Visit Brett’s website at www.bettparbery.com
Co-Host: Mary Bahniuk Lauritsen
Mary Bahniuk Lauritsen is an accomplished FEI Young Rider reigning from Cadence Farm of Harvard, Massachusetts where she is an assistant trainer at her family’s farm. Mary is currently on leave from Emmanuel College while pursuing her final year as an FEI Young Rider. Mary has been actively competing in dressage since she was nine years old and has successfully shown up to Prix St. George. Mary is active within the sport in and out of the saddle. She has served as the United States Dressage Federation’s Youth Executive Board President for two terms and now serves as the USDF Region 8 Representative for the Youth Advisory Subcomittee.
Mary truly enjoys giving back to young riders across the nation as well as promoting the sport of dressage. Along with committee work for the USDF Mary is also a member of the USEF Youth Council as the USDF representative. Mary is one of seven members on the Dressage Trainers network where members share a common interest in teaching and growing as individual equestrians.
Outside of riding Mary enjoys traveling, vegetarian cuisine, social networking, and modeling.
Visit Mary’s website at www.marybahniuklauritsen.com.
Visit her and Cadence Farm at www.cadencefarminc.com.
Follow Mary on Twitter at marydressage.
Co-Host: Catherine Haddad
Catherine has her own training business in Vechta, Germany, and represents the U.S. in national and international competitions throughout Europe. She has achieved numerous results from materials [Training] level through Grand Prix on various mounts since moving to Germany in 1993.
In 2006, Catherine was named as a reserve to the U.S. Dressage Team for the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. In 2007, she became the first American dressage rider to qualify for the World Cup by competing in the Western European League. With Maximus JSS, she finished seventh at the 2007 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.
In 2009, Catherine won eight grand prix with her top horse, Cadillac, a 13-year-old Danish Warmblood. Winyamaro, a 10-year-old Hanoverian, also established himself in the grand prix arena last year winning one national grand prix and placing third in the freestyle at the heavily visited Berlin Tempelhof CDN3* last October.
In 2010, Catherine is well underway with Winyamaro. After winning one national Grand Prix Special in April, Winyamaro began his international career at Hamburg CDI3* where he placed second in the freestyle, seventh/ fourth place at the Lipica CDI-W, sixth/sixth at the Achleiten CDI3*, fifth/sixth at the Fritzens CDI4*and fourth at the Falsterbo CDI5.Visit Catherine’s website at http://internationaldressage.com.
Follow Catherine on Twitter at CatherineHaddad
Past Co-Host: Lisa Wilcox
Lisa Wilcox was a member of the U.S. bronze medal team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and the U.S. silver team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games om Jerez, Spain. Lisa also earned an individual silver at the 2003 Open European Championships in Hickstead. After 12 years overseas, Lisa returned to teach and train in the United States. Based in Wellington, Florida, she trains out of Tuny Page’s Stillpoint Farms. Lisa is now competing Ingred Lin’s Lusitano stallions at Grand Prix (currently 3rd in the nation on Que Ba HM 69.043% USDF Preliminary Awards standings). She is also competing Highlife Farms’ Der Euro at I-2 and Diamond Stud and Der Dollar in the 6 year-old classes.
Visit Lisa’s website at www.lisa-wilcox.com
