Trainers
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Dr. Gail Hoff-Carmona
Dr. Gail Hoff-Carmona is a USEF Senior ("S") dressage judge, a Registered ("r") Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Judge, FEI Grand Prix level trainer and coach as well as a retired competitor. She is also owner and director of the first school of dressage in the United States, Los Alamos Dressage Center, founded by her late husband, Major Hector Carmona, in N.J. and now relocated in Ojai, CA.
Outside of the horse world Gail is a Ph.D. immunologist who devoted much of her life to the research and development of several medical diagnostics such as the “Mono Test,” a quick diagnostic test for infectious mononucleosis, and immunologic pregnancy tests for people as well as horses. Gail, as owner and director of Los Alamos Dressage Center, received two Proclamation citations from the New Jersey State Assembly and Governor Whitman for civic work done to benefit both the community and equine research at the University of PA School of Veterinary Medicine. She is recorded in Who’s Who, Who's Who of American Women, American Men and Women of Science, Who's Who of Technology Today, American Biographical Institute, International Biographical Center and the National Registry of Who's Who. |
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Mallory Schneider
Mallory Schneider has an extensive background in dressage, jumping and eventing. As a teenager she competed heavily in jumping and eventing, and in 2007 she switched her focus towards riding dressage professionally. Mallory has been the assistant trainer to the legendary Gail Hoff-Carmona of Los Alamos Dressage Center for the past four years. She continues her education daily with Gail.
Mallory has her USDF bronze medal and in 2009 showed the five year old Lusitano gelding, Zambo and won the United States Dressage Federation All Breed Horse of the Year Award for Pure Andalusian and Lusitano Horses at Training Level (67.306%) and placed 2nd at First Level (64.369%). Mallory continues to compete in dressage competitions all over Southern California. In 2011 she showed the Arabian/ Fresian mare Bella, for the first time at Second Level and scored in the 70’s. In 2012, Mallory will be showing several horses for her clients through Third and Fourth level. She enjoys teaching and bringing riders up the levels in dressage, jumping, and eventing, and is available for training, lessons and sales. Please contact for rates and availability. |
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Shelley Bridges
Shelley Bridges is an International F.E.I. trainer and rider of endurance race horses and riding instructor for riders ranging from children to adults interested in trail riding, competitive trail and endurance racing. She was owner and operator of Trinity Training Center in Aubrey, Texas where she trained endurance race horses for HH Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum from Dubai, Sheik Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan from Abu Dhabi, as well as other clients from the Middle East, Japan, Guatemala, and Mexico as well as clients throughout the United States. She has an Animal Science degree from U.C. Davis where she combines a science background and over 40 years of practical horse experience to develop performance horses and riders from beginning to end.
She has trained and sold numerous 100 mile horses, many of which were Pan American FEI 100 mile competitors, Tevis Buckle winners, and National Champions. While in Texas, she was the largest broker and exporter of Arabian endurance race horses. She herself is a 2001 Pan American Silver Medalist, along with training the Bronze medal winner for Australia that year, and a multiple Tevis Buckle winner. She has trained numerous US National Champions including the 2000 IAHA US National Champion 100 Mile Best Condition winner, who was also the mount for the US IAHA National Champion Junior 100 mile rider that year. In 2003, she trained two of the youngest riders to ever make a Pan American Team, which included Shelley herself, and trained three of the four horse team for the Pan American Central Region. She has been short listed for the FEI World Cup multiple times, on multiple horses and trained the Number 2 ranking FEI Junior horse and rider in the world in early 2000.
Her lesson program is taught on her personal retired champion horses. The program is private or semiprivate only and is based on the balance riding techniques, stressing natural horsemanship, and using a dressage base. She not only teaches children to ride and love horses but also strives to build self-esteem, assertiveness, body mechanics and motion, setting one’s own goals and achieving those goals, and the relationship between the horse and rider. |
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Lisa Ciesniewski
Professional rider Lisa Ciesniewski is the owner/trainer of Dark Horse Farms. Her love for horses and riding began at the early age of six and has developed into a lifelong passion. As a junior she competed extensively on the west coast under the guidance of trainers Susan Holden, DiAnn Langer and Randy Durand. During which time she competed in the hunter, jumper and equitation divisions winning multiple championships and top medal finals placing. In 1992 Lisa received the LAHSA Sportsmanship of the Year Award.
Turning in 1999 to focus on college Lisa attended the University of San Diego and began working for Mike and Christa Endicott and their Pegasus Show Stables Inc. as Assistant Trainer and Financial Manager. Since graduating in May of 2001 with a BBA in Business Administration with a marketing and entrepreneurial emphasis. Lisa has remained involved in the hunter jumper industry as a catch rider and competitor, as well as, an equine sales agent, marketing consultant and website/media designer.
Dark Horse Farms has been established to enable Lisa to follow her true passion of developing and campaigning equine athletes. In the past years she has work alongside a long list of top show jumping professionals developing and promoting horses, riders and equine related businesses. Taking her experience and love of working with horses to the next level, Dark Horse Farms aims to develop and promote quality show jumpers and derby hunters. |