Meet our August Experts: Allison Springer and Stephen Bradley

//  by 

Join us at Waredaca on August 16th, 2023, for a jump clinic with international equestrian, 5* Eventer & top trainer Allison Springer! 

Springer is a veteran 5* event rider, accomplished trainer, and popular Young Rider coach who actively competes across the country as well as internationally. As an accomplished equestrian, she has been named multiple times to the United States Equestrian Team’s High Performance List and she was an alternate for both an Olympic and World Equestrian Games Team. 

Springer trains and shows horses for clients, and teaches professional and amateur riders. She is a Pony Club Graduate and a USEA ECP instructor. Her commitment to the sport of Eventing includes servings as a founding member and former President of the Professional Riders Organization and she has seen the organization’s evolution into the Event Riders Association of North America (ERAofNA.org). Read more about Allison Springer

Join Olympic equestrian and Burghley Horse Trials winner Stephen Bradley at Waredaca on August 22nd, 2023, for another one of Waredaca’s popular Expert Day jump clinics.

Bradley won England’s prestigious Land Rover Burghley CCI4*, becoming one of only two Americans to do so. His mentor, Bruce Davidson, won the title 23 years prior! Bradley also won Canada’s Checkmate International CCI3* an unprecedented three times in a row. He is a two-time Pan American Games Gold medalist and was named Equestrian Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee. He is a Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Champion, and Stephen has been named to one U.S. Olympic team, one World Equestrian Games (WEG) team, and has been short-listed for 3 out of 5 U.S. World Equestrian Games teams, and 4 out of 5 U.S. Olympic teams.

Bradley is not just a competitor. He brings a wealth of horsemanship to his students and his team and shares his expertise teaching all over the country. He has even shared his knowledge on television, first reaching the national airwaves when he was featured on TBS’ U.S. Olympic Gold and then on George Michael’s Sports Machine. Bradley went on to anchor twenty-six episodes of Horsing Around with Stephen Bradley, an informative equestrian show that aired on Outdoor Life Network. He has also been published in The Chronicle of the Horse, Eventing USA, and Practical Horseman. Read more about Stephen Bradley

 

Tim Bourke

//  by 

Named as the traveling reserve for Team Ireland for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, five-star eventer Tim Bourke is a popular clinician whose systematic approach leads to sustainable results for both horse and rider.

Raised in Ireland, Bourke rode in Pony Club and became interested in eventing while studying Equine Studies and Business at Gurteen Agricultural College. Upon graduation, Bourke moved stateside to work for Olympic gold and silver medalist Bruce Davidson. After two years in Davidson’s program, Bourke went on to work for five-star rider Sharon White until he and his wife, Advanced eventer Marley Stone Bourke, opened the doors of their own Stone’s Throw Farm in the heart of Area II.

Lauren Nicholson

//  by 

Lauren Nicholson (née Kieffer) began riding at the age of six and competed in her first horse trials at the age of 12. As a high school graduation present, Kieffer participated in a week-long eventing summer camp with Olympians David and Karen O’Connor, which led to a six-year working student position. Her talent and work ethic helped her reach the top levels of the sport and represent her country in international championships.

Nicholson was a member of the U.S. Eventing Team at the 2016 Olympic Games with the Dutch Warmblood mare, Veronica, and the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games with her Anglo-Arabian gelding, Vermiculus. In 2015, she won team gold at the Pan American Games in Toronto riding Meadowbrook’s Scarlett.

Nicholson won team bronze in 2005 and team silver in 2007 at the North American Youth Championship with her Anglo-Arabian gelding, Snooze Alarm, a full brother to her future WEG partner, Vermiculus. She made her debut at the CCI5*-L level in 2010, when she and Snooze Alarm completed the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Since then, Nicholson has had numerous top finishes at the five-star level, including finishing in second place overall and as the highest-placed U.S. athlete at the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2014 and 2016 with Veronica, where she won the title of USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Champion. The pair also had top-ten finishes at the CCI5*-L level at Pau in 2014 and in Badminton in 2018. With Vermiculus, Nicholson finished in the top ten in the CCI5* events at Kentucky in 2018 and 2019, Burghley in 2019, and at Lumühlen in 2022. She finished in the top ten with Landmark’s Monte Carlo at the inaugural Maryland 5 Star CCI5* in 2021.

Jennie Brannigan

//  by 

Jennie Brannigan is a successful alumna of the Young Riders program, having won team and individual gold at the 2008 NAYC for eventing with her KWPN gelding, Cooper. She had her first completion at the top level of the sport in 2015 at the Kentucky Three-Day Event with Cambalda. In 2021, she finished in fourth place overall at the Maryland 5 Star CCI5* with Stella Artois.

Brannigan has represented the U.S. Eventing Team at Boekelo, The Netherlands, competing in the CCIO3* in 2012 with Cambalda, the CCIO4-L with Stella Artois in 2019, and the CCIO4-L in 2021 with FE Lifestyle. Recent top results for Brannigan include a third-place finish in the CCI4-L at The Event at Rebecca Farm in 2021, a second place at the CCI4-S at Stable View in 2022, and a win in the CCI4*-L at Bromont in June of 2022, all with her own Thoroughbred gelding, Twilightslastgleam.

Allison Springer

//  by 

Allison Springer is a veteran fiver-star event rider, trainer, and coach who aspires to represent the United States in Olympic and International competitions. She has been named multiple times to the United States Equestrian Team’s High Performance List and she was an alternate for both an Olympic and World Equestrian Games Team. She is a Pony Club Graduate and an ICP Level IV instructor. Allison actively competes across the country and internationally, trains and shows horses for clients, and teaches professional and amateur riders. Allison’s commitment to the sport of Eventing is impressive as well. She is a founding member and former President of the Professional Riders Organization and saw the organization’s evolution into the Event Riders Association of North America (ERAofNA.org). Allison was a member of the USEA’s Board of Governors for many years and sits on numerous committees for both the USEF and USEA. Allison graduated from Bowdoin College in 1997. 

Stephen Bradley

//  by 

Stephen Bradley brings 35+ years of equestrian experience to his team and his students.

He started competing at age 13 with his local 4-H club…and later joined Loudoun Hunt Pony Club where he graduated with an “A” rating. During college, he decided to make a career of competitive eventing and he began competing internationally in 1989. Since then, Stephen has wins in the U.S., England, and Canada.

In 1991, ’92, and ‘93, Stephen won Canada’s Checkmate International CCI3* an unprecedented three times riding Sassy Reason. The two competed on the ’92 US Olympic team in Barcelona, Spain, and one year later, they won England’s Land Rover Burghley CCI4*.   Stephen and Sassy Reason were only the second American pair in history to ever win this prestigious competition. Stephen’s mentor, Bruce Davidson won the event on Irish Cap 23 years prior!

In 1993, the US Olympic Committee named Stephen Equestrian Athlete of the Year while Sassy was named The Chronicles’ Eventing and Overall Horse of the Year!

Throughout his career, Stephen has trained many horses up to the 4* level. Sassy Reason was his first superstar. Dr. DoLittle, Brandenburg’s Joshua, and From have all successfully partnered with Stephen. Between these wonderful 4 horses, they have been short-listed on 4 Olympic teams, 3 world equestrian teams, and placed in the top ten 5 times at Rolex Kentucky CCI4*. Dr. DoLittle won Kentucky in 1996. Joshua and From won gold medals with Stephen at the ‘03 & ‘07 Pan American Games.

Stephen has shared his experience and expertise with the media. He was featured on TBS’ US Olympic Gold and George Michael’s Sports Machine, and he anchored 26 informational episodes of Horsing Around with Stephen Bradley on Outdoor Life Network. He has also been published in The Chronicle of the Horse, Eventing USA, and Practical Horseman.

When teaching or training, Stephen focuses on putting together a methodical system between horse and rider. “It’s all about the basics and improving those basics.”

For more information please visit https://stephensbradley.com.

2023 Activities at Waredaca

//  by 

See below a full list of events coming your way in 2023 at Waredaca! From Recognized Events to Taproom Thursdays from May through September, and Expert Days with Stephen Bradley, and Guest Experts including Lauren Nicholson, Jennie Brannigan, Allison Springer, Tim Bourke, and more! There is something for everyone!

2023-At-a-Glance

Thank you to the sponsors that make all these events possible!

Carolyn DelGrosso

//  by 

Carolyn Del Grosso began a serious focus on dressage began in 1980 when the horse she was riding at the time proved not very athletic over fences.  She trained and competed him to the Prix St Georges level.  Shortly thereafter it became apparent that in order to move up in dressage she would need to have an imported horse as the ones being bred in the United States at the time were just beginning to improve.

With the import of Arklicht, a Hanoverian weanling, Carolyn began a journey that took her to the top levels of the sport.  She was able to get her USDF bronze, silver and gold medals on him and competed through the Grand Prix level.  They also did many demos over the years, sharing their love for dressage from the Cherry Blossom Parade to the Horse World Expo and beyond.

Carolyn has trained with Sally Swift, Kay Meredith, Ginna LaCroix, Walter Zettl, Linda Zang and Rebecca Langwost-Barlow. She loves taking clinics and continuing to learn!

Carolyn continues to teach students from all disciplines and levels with a couple that have made it to the FEI level.  She has a laid back approach to progressing up the levels or just getting the student where they want to go.