Kirsten Gray, Owner & Head Trainer
Kirsten is the backbone to this program and you will see her out and about everyday at the farm. She was born and raised near Hamburg/Germany and came to the States in 1992. Her experience with horses reaches back to her cousin Bernd breeding Hanoverians and putting her on a horse as a 5 year old - from there, it was no turning back....
Kirsten has successfully imported a variety of horses, holds her German FN Bronze Driving Certification, German Trainer Certification for the Disabled, USDF Bronze and Silver medals, ASFA Pilates Certification and PEMF/Magnawave Practitioner Certification for Horses and Humans. She also organized many clinics with top German and local trainers.
Kirsten has competed her Friesian gelding, Jannus, at third level and is bringing up more horses every year. She is currentle showing her Andalusian Jannike Gray's Lusitano stallion Teimir at Inter 1 and is preparing for the 2023 show season with her new Lusitano gelding Adagio HH.
In 2017 she won the First Level East Coast Pony Cup on Anke Ott's 'Legolas', whom she worked with for only 16 months.
Being interested in the 'less-than-perfect' horse, she believes strongly that Dressage is FOR the horse, and that we learn from and about each of them.
Kirsten trains with Jannike Gray and lately rode in clinics with Laura Graves, Heather Mason, Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel and Frank Henning, Mastermind of the "Old Masters" Clinic Series. Among others, she has trained with David Collins, Sabine Schut-Kerry in 2006/2007, Lendon Gray and Fie Studnitz Andersen. How lucky is Kirsten to consider her daughter Jannike to be her main trainer!!!?
Aside from her German FN Bronze Driving Certification and her German Trainer Certification for the Disabled, Kirsten holds her USDF Bronze and Silver Medals and strongly believes in education on and off the horse in order to give her students the best lesson experience and knowledge possible.
Jannike & Teimir HB
Jannike Gray, Operator 7th Heaven Stables
Jannike is a 28 year old who inherited the horse lover gene from her mother! From the age of four Jannike has been hooked on horses. Despite her young age, Jannike has accomplished big goals in this sport: she has successfully competed at the FEI Junior levels and received her USDF Bronze Medal in 2011, her USDF Silver Medal in 2015 and her USDF Gold Medal in 2017. Jannike is starting her own operation out of our farm: 7th Heaven Stables, and is also giving Thursday afternoon clinics at Sonnenhof Equestrian Center.
More information at www.jannikegraydressage.com
May 2018
Kirsten Gray on Teimir HB with Laura Graves
at Avalon Farm, North Salem, NY
Kirsten Gray, Jorge, Hailey Schwartz, Jettke Gray, Beth Anne Voight-Jause
Chelsea Feola, Weekend Barn Manager
Chelsea is making sure all supplements are ordered by supervising the inventory of supplements and meds. She knows all the ins and outs of our farm and rides Hidde at SEC and Freedom at 7th Heaven Stables.
Kirsten Gray with Klaus Balkenhol (r)
and Frank Henning,
Old Masters Series at Avalon Farm, North Salem, NY
Hailey Schwartz, Part-Time Instructor
Hailey holds her Bachelor of Equine Science from the University of New Hampshire and enjoys everything around horses. She continues to learn and is also finalizing her certification of equine massage to round up her profile. Hailey is a positive and joyful force around the farm, and we are thrilled to have her on our team!
Jorge, Farm Manager
Jorge is our farm manager, making sure the rings are dragged for us all to enjoy, fences are fixed and safe, waters are clean and filled and so much more! He keeps improving our storage and organization and take pride in displaying the beauty our farm has to offer! Jorge also has a wicked sense of humor and has us in stiches often!
Beth Anne Voight-Jause, Weekend Instructor
Beth Anne has been riding horses for over 20 years. Starting as a little girl jumping and eventing, but Beth Anne realized that dressage was the discipline she was most passionate about and has since focused her showing and riding on that. She worked at Cricket Hill Farm in Ancramdale, NY for many summers while in school, and rode with them at the Youth Dressage Festival. At Cricket Hill, Beth Anne worked around the farm, exercised horses, and taught children's camps and lessons focusing on developing horsemanship and horse knowledge as well as riding skills.
A graduate of Fairfield University and Boston College, Beth Anne currently works in Residential Life at Sacred Heart University, and has been riding at Sonnenhof Equestrian Center with Kirsten Gray since she began at Sacred Heart 6 years ago. She is excited to begin teaching again and help riders achieve their goals, create a dynamic and harmonious partnership with their horse, and never lose sight of the joy of riding.
Our "Farm Family Team"
OUR TEAM
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