Hi There!

My name is Jes, I am 27 years old, I have been riding horses for over 20 years and teaching/training as a career for nearly 10 years!

Trixie was a fiery chestnut mare that gave me my passion for competing and training horses. She was my heart horse that we bought when I was in third grade, and she was not an easy ride! My biggest goal was to show her after growing out of my small pony; when I achieved that goal, we named her “Livin’ A Dream.” I saw it fit to name my business after her in honor of her memory.

As a rider I started off with a wonderful Hunter/Jumper trainer, Dan Hansen. Dan taught me how to feel what was going on underneath me and react wisely. The unconventional, but incredibly effective methods he taught me I often use today! He gave me the foundation to be the great rider I am now.

When I was 13, I met Jennifer Rousseau, an ICP level 3 Eventing trainer in Northern IL. After my first cross country lesson, I was hooked, and I became a three-day eventer! With her skills, I was able to finesse my riding. I rode in my first mini-event in 2012 and have since ridden to Intermediate and the CCI** levels.

With the help of my new dressage trainer, Ken Borden Jr., I have successfully competed Salty (my former CCI** OTTB) in both 3rd level and 4th level dressage. He has been a wonderful coach over the past years as Salty and I have received our Bronze Medal, and now I aim to achieve my Silver Medal. I currently have two qualifying scores at fourth level, and only need two more at Prix St. George to achieve this goal! I have since reinvested in my riding career with the purchase of my stunning Swedish Warmblood mare, Lady. Our goal is to build a solid foundation at the lower levels before advancing to the FEI levels in the next several years. I hope she will be the horse to get me my Silver Medal and perhaps my Gold Medal in the future.

In 2016, I was a working student for Peter Gray, a two-time Olympic Rider and Olympic Coach in Ocala, FL. I spent seven months training with him at his gorgeous facility. As a working student, I enhanced my riding skills as well as my horse management skills.

I have trained with Karen O’Connor, Frank Madden, Leslie Law, William Fox-Pitt, Allison Springer, Ken McGrath, Jon Holling, William Coleman III, and most recently, Lilo Fore, Rebecca Rigdon, Martin Arnold, and Jane Hamlin. In 2017, Salty and I also participated in a demonstration ride for Chris Burton as he taught a USEA ICP Symposium in Ocala, FL.

I fulfilled a HUGE lifetime goal of mine with Salty in 2017- we were fortunate enough to ride in front of THE George H. Morris. We received criticisms and praises from him during the three day clinic. One of my proudest moments as a rider is when we were doing a counter canter exercise and George H. Morris announced to the spectators, “See that girl right there: she is well schooled in dressage.” It was a wonderful opportunity that I am so grateful to have had.

Horses have always been my life and will forever be what my life revolves around. I enjoy working with kids, and I have trained many new-bees in my career. I have also had many opportunities to train thoroughbreds straight off of the track through Galloping Out. Two of my horses (Salty and Market) are ex-racehorses. I love a good thoroughbred!

I enjoy riding challenging horses and have had much success retraining horses with “problems.” I have aided in correcting bad behavioral issues such as horses that buck kids off, horses who refuse due to a lack of confidence, and horses who need a better foundation in dressage to strengthen them for over fences. “Finished” horses are not for me because it’s all about the journey, not the destination!

My professional goal is to expand my teaching and training program as I have moved into my own farm with a newly built indoor arena. I will continue to teach lessons and develop my students for the summertime show season this winter. I also strongly believe that even the best can get better, so I always strive to continue my equestrian knowledge through lessons and clinics with my own horses.

We are not a boarding facility as we have a very limited number of stalls. These stalls are reserved for horses who come in for training, personal horses, client horses, and project horses. However, I do offer private lessons, group lessons, training rides, and monthly training at my facility as well as travel training rides/lessons for those more local to me with the permission of the facility’s owners. Finally, I take pride in my farm management and horse care skills, and therefore, I am budgeting to build a shelter in our four-acre pasture to offer pasture board for older, retired horses who are ready to spend their last years being pampered at a quiet facility.