Our Coaches:

SERGIO VELEZ:

FEI/FEP Certified Dressage Trainer

FEI/FEP Certified Dressage Trainer and Instructor with 20 years of experience.

Sérgio obtained his FEI recognition in his home country of Portugal at the selective Centro Militar de Educacao Fisica e Desportos under Portuguese and French philosophy.

The methods Sérgio mastered stem from centuries of experience and research that have proven to be kind, and reliable techniques for training horses through the levels. Sérgio has successfully competed in Portugal, the United States, and Canada. In 2007 Sérgio competed on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland earning several championships with a season high score of 81.66%.

Sérgio is capable of training horses to the Grand Prix level of dressage. His techniques can better any dressage mount, and the methods he teaches can be used at any level. Sérgio is available for clinics, lessons, training and sales.

Nancy Cunningham:

Hunter/Jumper Coach

Nan Cunningham, originally from St. Catharine’s, Ontario began her riding career at the age of six. For more than 35 years, she has been a rider, teacher and trainer. She started competing on ponies and than graduated to Hunters and Jumpers. As a Junior, she won the CHSA Medal five times. The top 15 Juniors in Canada are invited to compete at the Royal Winter Fair which Nan qualified for this four times while training with former Canadian Equestrian Team (C.E.T.) member Doug Hood. At age 17, she also competed in the Coca Cola Jumper Challenge which was open to professional and amateur riders, placing 13th overall.

In 1980, Nan trained with former C.E.T. member and the Chef d’Equippe Torchy Miller in Toronto. In 1981, she was the year-end Reserve Champion in the Amateur-Owner Hunter Division and fifth overall in the Open Working Hunter Division for Alberta while training with former C.E.T. member Frank Selinger in Calgary. She also qualified to compete at the Royal Winter Fair for the fifth time.

In 1982, Nan moved to California to work with former C.E.T. member Terry Liebel. There she was a working student and ultimately rode and showed for Terry and her customers as well as training junior and amateur riders. While working with Terry, she also gained experience in purchasing thoroughbreds from the track, training and selling them.

In 1986, Nan started her own business, Chaparral Farms in Carmel, California. She was responsible for approximately 20 riders and 30 horses showing on the “A” Circuit. Her students consistently won or placed in Junior and Adult Divisions. In 1988 her students won both Pony Working Hunter Division Champion and Reserve Champion at every show in which they competed. This included Monterey National, Pebble beach, Almaden Farms and the Murieta Equine Complex Spring, Summer and Fall Horse Shows. During this period, Nan also trained with Linda Allen, former member of the US Equestrian Team and an international Course Designer.

In 1990, Nan moved back to Ontario where she became trainer/instructor at WillowMar Farms. Here she trained and gave clinics for the children and adults for the Trillium “B” Circuit and the “A” Circuit. She also brought in several horses from racetracks, trained and sold them to trainers in Toronto, Florida and New York. Nan also trained with Walter Zettl, former member of the German Dressage Team and former coach of the Canadian Three-Day Team.

In 1995, Nan and several other trainers started a Local circuit called the Niagara Challenge Series which was designed to give riders experience and education showing in a circuit before advancing to the “B” and “A” levels. The series became very successful and is still running today.