Kelly is a big favorite of the Pony Kids crowd! When she’s not teaching lessons, she can be seen taking a lesson on her horse, Nike, or hitting the trails around Waredaca with friends.
Abby Shade, Pony Kids Coordinator
Abby grew up riding at Waredaca every summer and is excited to be back to teach the next generation as the Pony Kids Coordinator. When not offering Pony Kids lessons, Abby can be found riding her horse, Slate, around the lake and on the trails.
Sarah Gonzalez
Sarah started riding in 1995 and has been teaching since 2003. In college, she rode in the open flat and over fences divisions on the University of Maryland Equestrian team and was the assistant trainer at Grace for Life Horse Rescue. Sarah also started eventing in college, and knew immediately that she had finally found the perfect fit. Sarah currently works full time as a rider, trainer, and instructor in the sports of eventing and dressage. She has competed through the CIC** level of eventing and 3rd level dressage. Sarah has a particular interest in retraining off the track thoroughbreds and has worked as an exercise rider at Laurel Racetrack. She is also a USEA ICP certified instructor, a ‘r’ Event Judge, and a USDF Bronze medalist. Sarah loves to watch her students learn new skills and support them in achieving their equestrian goals, whatever they may be!
Katherine Rizzo
I started riding when I was nine years old right here at Waredaca and moved up through the lesson program over the years. When I went to collage at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, I joined the school’s Intercollegiate Horse Show Association hunter team. I also started foxhunting while in school with De La Brooke Foxhounds W. I graduated with a BA in Studio Art and a second BA in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Studies and spent the summers teaching at Waredaca’s summer camp. I then moved to California where I received my graduate degree in Scientific Illustration from the University of California Santa Cruz. While there, I was the head coach of the school’s Intercollegiate Dressage Association team and the assistant coach of their IHSA hunter team. Upon returning to Maryland, I was hired by the Academy of the Holly Cross to run their Interschool Horse Show Series team, which practices at Waredaca, and was the team’s Varsity coach until retiring in 2014. Here at Waredaca, I am the Center Administrator for the Waredaca Pony Club. I still actively compete in eventing, continue to foxhunt, and timer race from time to time. I am currently CHA certified as a Level 4 English instructor and Level 2 Western. I also am a USEA ICP graduate at Level 1-Training and am a USEA/USEF certified course designer.
Katrina Dodd
Hi! My name is Katrina Dodd, Kat for short. I have been teaching at Waredaca since 2014, but have been teaching and riding for as long as I can remember. I love teaching and sharing my passion and knowledge with others. I am lucky to be able to do so – not many people can say their passion is also their job! Originally from Bergen, Norway I started my life with horses at a small barn for training harness racers. At that point, all I wanted to do was be near horses and loved every minute of it. I quickly figured out though that sitting behind them in a cart was not for me. I wanted to ride! So from there on it was trail riding for several years before I discovered show jumping and my first mare, Miss Scarlett. After formal training in the UK with ABRS, I moved to the US and began riding at a local barn, Reddemeade. There, I became an instructor, camp director, coach and started the JEL team (Junior Equitation League). I am a level 4 certified riding instructor through the Certified Horsemanship Association and also an Assistant Clinic Instructor with CHA. This takes me to North Carolina most years in May for a week to help certify new instructors. Since May 2016 I teach solely at Waredaca and I love every minute of it. I coach for the Waredaca Pony Club, teach private lessons and train several private horses. You will be hard pressed to find a more supportive, welcoming or positive place to ride. The community truly makes it a standout and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!
Liz Schroeder
Waredaca has been my “second home” for over 15 years as a student, volunteer, boarder and instructor. Ever the student myself, you can find me riding and/or auditing many of the vast number of clinics and educational opportunities right here at Waredaca. Join us!
I began teaching and training in college and then went on to work full time at one of the West Coast’s premier eventing barns, Goose Downs Farm, as head groom, travel barn manager, an instructor and a competitor of my own and the barn’s horses. It was during college that I began riding with Sally and David O’Connor as a working student. I am lucky enough to be Sally’s assistant at every Rolex 4* competition. We have the best seats in the house right behind “A” on the days of dressage and then right by the in gate on Sunday for stadium. Both Sally and David highly recommended Waredaca when I decided to move to the area and I have been here ever since. I have always loved teaching and working with horses and consider myself fortunate to be a part of the Waredaca team of instructors! In addition to teaching I am also the Waredaca Volunteer Coordinator and organizer for Waredaca Jimmy Wofford monthly clinics. I am a USEA ICP Level 1 – Training instructor. I currently compete my horses at Novice and Training Level and plan to compete at the Preliminary Level again.
Gayle Mahaney, Red Barn Manager
Gayle has been with Waredaca for over 20 years! Directing our very successful Recreational Riding program and Summer Day Camp, now shifting into the management and supervision of our Red Barn Stall Boarded and Field Boarded horses! Simply stated, Gayle is one of our ‘family’ and is well suited to this role!! The level of her background, experience, and professionalism is exceptional. And our horses will continue to have the stellar care that she, and Melanie who manages our White Barn, can provide!
Steph Butts Kohr, Head Trainer, Equine/Activities Operations Manager
Growing up at Waredaca, Steph has been around horses her whole life. She got her first pony for her 7th birthday and did her first event at age 8. It was around that time that she decided she wanted to compete at the upper levels of Eventing.
Steph had the perfect kids horse, Sir Maxwell, who taught her the ropes at Training level and gave her the skills she needed to bring along young horses.
When she was 14 Steph bought Bungee, a 4 year old Canadian horse. Steph and Bungee started out Novice and progressed all the way up to being on the North American Young Riders CCI** Gold Medal winning team in 2002 and finishing the Foxhall CCI*** in 2003.
After graduating from University of Delaware, where she was a working student for Phillip Dutton, Steph moved to England. She spent 2005 in England and Holland working and riding with top Eventers, Show Jumpers and Dressage Riders. Returning home in 2006, she was given the opportunity to ride her mom Gretchen’s Rolex horse Zydeco. This was a great experience and she was able to finish 2nd at the Ocala CCI**, win the Pine Top Advanced HT and finish a CIC*** before Zydeco unexpectedly was forced to retire.
Since then Steph has been based out of Waredaca. She has students of all levels in Dressage and Eventing as well as horses in training and sales. Over the past few years she has brought multiple horses up through the Preliminary and Intermediate levels, and helped many students further their riding careers.
Read more at Stephkequestrian.com
Gretchen Butts, Administrator
With a BS and MS in Nursing, as well as a MA in Management/Human Resources, Gretchen spent 25 years as a Nurse Practitioner while gaining her vast experience in Eventing. Her Equestrian Experience is broad: Eventing competitor at the International Four Star Level, Event Organizer-Waredaca since 1979, FEI International Event Technical Delegate, USA Equestrian Eventing R Technical Delegate, FEI International Eventing Judge, USA Equestrian Eventing R Judge, FEI Steward, past member of the Board of Governors and Vice President of Education–United States Eventing Association, Chief Jump Judge for the 1996 Olympic Three Day Event in Atlanta, International Technical Official at the 2008 Olympic Games, Assistant Technical Delegate for the 2010 World Equestrian Games, contributing author to the USEA Eventing magazine and past educational consultant to the Association. Gretchen is also a Level 3 ICP instructor and sits on several key United States Equestrian Federation and Eventing Association committees. She currently competes thru the preliminary level. Gretchen will tell you that managing the business with Robert at Waredaca has always been a welcomed opportunity for her. And marrying into a family business and being an instrumental part of its future is a unique challenge! Rarely are two days ever alike! And life on the farm is far from boring, as everyone works diligently to uphold the high standards of the business and enjoy the many faces who share Waredaca! In her spare time, she is a long distance runner and avid sailor with husband Robert on the Chesapeake. They have 2 daughters, Steph, a Biology grad, ICP Level 2 instructor and graduate A pony clubber with experience thru the 3 Star Level. She is part of the Waredaca staff and business team. Her younger sister, Devon, is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy, currently practicing in Asheville NC.