Can anyone tell me about dressage in Oklahoma? Hubby just told me they may relocate him there 
I know nothing about the dressage world up there… He is looking at the Guthrie area.
Please enlighten me!
Hi there. I can help answer your question since I live here. Are you strictly dressage?
In the Guthrie area, I can’t answer - but in the Tulsa area there are several barns that are dressage. We have several barns that are eventing barns also.
You can PM me at jksaltzman@msn.com if you need anything further. Jeri
I don’t jump. Used to, but don’t anymore. I do like to get out on trails and just ride. I have 2 possibly 3 geldings that I would bring with me. One is semi retired and the other two are dressage horses. I am looking for not only a barn but also a trainer. I am showing at Training level and schooling 1st level at home. I have a couple trainers that I work with here in East Texas that I love, but hubby just informed me they are looking at him taking a promotion and moving 
So I wanted to gather as much info about OK as I could before making any descisions.
Thanks.
Again, I know only around the Tulsa and surrounding area. In Claremore, OK and in Glenpool, OK there are two well known dressage instructors - but Guthrie is about 1.5 hour from the Tulsa area.
I will email my trainer and see who she knows. I do know there are numerous barns around the OKC area and Guthrie is not that far. Will you need a place to board also? If, so, I can check into that too and find recommendations if you would like.
The Lazy E arena is in Guthrie and they hold at least two recognized shows (one weekend - 2 shows) a year and maybe more. There are also a number of shows in Shawnee which is probably 1 - 1.5 hrs. from Guthrie (east of OKC vs. north).
Not sure about barns or trainers but ODS would be a great place to start. It’s been an active GMO for well over 20 years. Website is dressageoklahoma.org.
I can recommend Angel Ozer, she was in Edmond, but she’s moved since i left, not sure how close she is to Guthrie. I was south/west of OKC the 6 months i was in OK. I did go and watch a dressage show in Tulsa that was very well run with a good attendence, so i know the dressage scene is there, though i’ve heard most the barns are in the Tulsa area. Angel is the only “GOOD” trainer i found in the OKC area. There is one i HIGHLY would not recommend but do not feel comfortable saying her name here, she came recommended to me until i met a friend who she terribly screwed up her horse, not just raining wise, but turning him out with a horse that beat the crap out of him and turned him into a raging basket case. Took years to undo and put confidence in him again. She also created an issue so she could tell the owner to sell the horse at auction price to her, later finding she had a buyer lined up for 15k… Never have fixed his issue, you can not put a bridle on him correctly to this day without about getting killed from him slinging his face all over. Very nice horse before he went to that trainer… Sigh.
Anyway, Angel was great, i hauled over for lessons, the barn she worked out of was gorgeous, though i think she’s had a move. I’m not exactly sure where she is now. You can search for her. Think her farm is “Two Chestnuts Dressage” or something close, she’s got a website out there.
Angel Ozer
Here are some websites which can help you if you’re interested in shows:
http://www.showsecretary.com/
http://www.dressageoklahoma.org/
I also recommend Angel. I ride with her and she’s incredible. She’s a USDF Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalist and has earned her gold freestyle bar. I live in KS and she’s the only trainer I choose to work with (even though it’s a 6 hour drive for me one way). She currently is at a barn in the Edmond area west of Guthrie, but she lives in OKC.
Her website: http://www.twochestnutsdressage.com/
She’s lived on the east coast and shown for years in Wellington, FL, also, so her experience is extensive.
Hey There!
The best place you can go to find out about dressage is the Oklahoma Dressage Society website or if your hubby will be transferred to the Tulsa area, you can check out the Green County Chapter of ODS
I’m on the board for GCC and we have a wonderful dressage program in the state. Our chapter is supporting 10 schooling shows this season, 1 recognized show, 2 major clinics and lots of small educational opportunities.
I train with Kay Kamish in the Claremore area and she’s wonderful, but wouldn’t have boarding, she brings in James Shaw twice a year, and Kass Lockhart several times a year. Laurie Hedlund is well respected, and she’s also in Claremore. Both websites have links to trainers and boarding facilities.
Feel free to PM me for more information.
Laurie Hedlund I can definitely attest for. She is fabulous and works with some of the Woodridge Farm horses. Ann Weber is another one in Glenpool that is supposed to be good. Anthea Kin - she is at the same barn at Laurie Hedlund - Woodridge, but I’m not sure if she does lessons. I know Laurie will travel to give lessons. Absolutely fantastic Laurie is.
Good luck and welcome to Oklahoma!
[QUOTE=gooselover;3971011]
Laurie Hedlund I can definitely attest for. She is fabulous and works with some of the Woodridge Farm horses. Ann Weber is another one in Glenpool that is supposed to be good. Anthea Kin - she is at the same barn at Laurie Hedlund - Woodridge, but I’m not sure if she does lessons. I know Laurie will travel to give lessons. Absolutely fantastic Laurie is.
Good luck and welcome to Oklahoma![/QUOTE]
Anthea has her own farm in Mounds, OK, south of Tulsa.
Last I heard, Ann Weber was doing more foxhunting than dressage. I’m not sure if she’s still giving lessons. I haven’t heard much about her in the last 5-6 years.
Then who, if any, is the instructor at Woodridge besides Laurie? I don’t know why I tought it was Anthea. Hummm…old age I guess.
Alf Athenstat, Laurie’s husband was doing some instruction at Woodridge. Verene Stock was riding for Woodridge, but I’m not sure that she still is. You could probably check their website for an update on instructors.
Thanks Blkarab. Are you from Oklahoma also?
[QUOTE=Blkarab;3971420]
Alf Athenstat, Laurie’s husband was doing some instruction at Woodridge. Verene Stock was riding for Woodridge, but I’m not sure that she still is. You could probably check their website for an update on instructors.[/QUOTE]
Laurie Hedlund and Alf Athenstaedt have not been at Woodridge for a year. Alf teaches some clinics and Laurie is working for a private barn near Chelsea. She judges and teaches clinics. I believe she has a web site with her contact info.
Woodridge has a trainer who breaks the horses but not an instructor.
If you are going to be in the Guthrie area, you should contact some of the people in their local GMO chapter to get a good idea. Like with everything, sometimes things sound good but may not be the real deal…
The Club has a lot of very well ran events for serious riders, like Camp and some very good shows.
http://dressageoklahoma.org/redcarpetchapter/
All I can say is STAY AWAY from the shows at Lazy E. HORRID footing, terribly long walk from stabling to arenas that freaks horses out, and poorly laid out. Don’t go there if you want to have a good show experience.
That’s your opinion. There are a lot of folks who really enjoy the shows there. Yes, there is a hack from the stabling to the arenas on a bridle path, but IMO if your horse isn’t safe to hack maybe he’s not ready to be out at recognized shows with a lot of other horses. I also don’t agree that the footing is horrid. It is a sand, clay mix that will pack, much like many of the arenas in OK, and the staff works diligently to keep it dragged. At least it’s not 4" deep. Please keep from generalizing by saying that no one will have a good experience there. :no:
Um, the footing in the outdoor was well in excess of 4" deep. It was pushing 6 in areas, at least at GAIG last year. And they made NO effort to keep it dragged. The footing in the indoors was like concrete on the rail and was several inches deep in the middle. Made for very inconsistent tests.
And I’ll add that my horses hack out just fine but a 1/4+ mile hike along a narrow trail with a steep drop off on one side with not rail, does not make for a good walk experience. Also, there’s got to be a good reason that the Region 9 director told me they’d never hold regionals there again. I’m glad they’re going to be at Great Southwest this year.
Like I said…sorry your experience was bad, but don’t lump EVERYONE into your sad little story. Many people reported enjoying their experience there, and I’m sure there will be plenty of horses there at the 2009 shows. If you don’t want to come, by all means - DON’T. No one is holding a gun to your head.
