Oct. 31 – Nov. 1, 2026 – The Horse Park at Woodside
Tickets: www.sfpmasterclass.com
Susan Walker & Don Amour N
1. When did you start riding?
I started riding at age 6 after falling in love with horses at a YMCA summer camp.
2. How did you become interested in dressage?
I started out doing hunter/jumpers but after my pony bucked me off a few too many times, I decided I’d rather keep more feet on the ground and switched to dressage. I went through the FEI junior and young rider programs and was hooked for life.
3. Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding
Don Amour N, or Donnie for short, is a 12 year old Oldenburg gelding by Don Frederic out of a Donnerschlag mare, bred in California by Christiane Noelting. He’s an absolute ham, and can get a treat out of almost anyone who walks by his stall with his good looks and charm. He has a lot of opinions and he makes sure they’re known, but he tries hard and especially loves to show off in the show ring.
4. How did you come together as a team?
I bought Donnie as a 5 year old doing training level, when I was fresh off a hip surgery and a 3 1/2 year break from riding while I started my career as a lawyer. We’ve now shown quite successfully from first level to I-2, with hopes of earning the last scores at Grand Prix for my USDF Gold Medal next year. I’ve done most of the riding myself, but have been very lucky to have incredible support from a few trainers, especially Kelly Casey Mykrantz, my coach for the past 5 years who’s helped me bring Donnie up from second level.
5. What’s something fun or interesting about your partner?
After eating his favorite treats of peppermints or bananas, he likes to savor the flavor by sticking his tongue out and sucking on it.
6. What are your goals for taking part in the Masterclass?
As we look to make the jump to Grand Prix, I’m excited to learn from two amazing riders and trainers who can help me raise the bar on both quality of the work and harmony.
Sandy Savage & Eye Candy
1. When did you start riding?
I started riding seriously when I convinced my parents to give me riding lessons for my 9th birthday. My dad always joked that it was the most expensive birthday present he ever gave me. In the beginning my lessons focused on equitation and some jumping in each lesson.
2. How did you become interested in dressage?
The instructor who taught the kids lessons worked for Lilian Van Dahn, who was a Swedish dressage trainer based in Los Angeles. When I got a bit older, I was able to purchase her school master Monarch, who was trained up to the PSG level. I then focused on dressage and later was able to continue my education at Stromsholm, the Swedish National riding school.
3. Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding
I am riding Eye Candy, who is owned and bred by myself and Erika Pilimai. Together we purchased her mother Top Shelf who is a full sister to Top Gear. Top Shelf lives in the Netherlands and Eye Candy is our firstborn out of this mare, who is proving to be an excellent producer.
4. How did you come together as a team?
Eye Candy came over to the US just before she turned 2. I started her as a 3 year old and we have been together ever since.
5. What’s something fun or interesting about your partner?
Eye Candy sees every horse and every human as her very best friend. She is a social butterfly.
6. What are your goals for taking part in the Masterclass?
My goals are to develop the quality of her gaits, and to reach the full potential of what this talented girl can do.
Tatiana Harlan & Newton Barocca
1. When did you start riding?
I started riding when I was 6 years old.
2. How did you become interested in dressage?
I was introduced to dressage through my childhood pony, who was best suited for the sport, and my trainer at the time, who was passionate about dressage.
3. Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding
Newton Barocca, is an 11-year-old Oldenburg who is incredibly talented and athletic, with a personality that is just as big as his ability.
4.How did you come together as a team?
Newton came into my previous trainer’s barn and was eventually looking for a new home, and we ended up being a great match. Since then, we’ve developed a partnership that continues to grow both in and out of the arena.
5. What’s something fun or interesting about your partner?
Newton is a total clown who keeps every day interesting—he’s playful and always finds a way to make the people around him laugh.
6. What are your goals for taking part in the Masterclass?
I’m very excited to take part in the Masterclass to learn from some of the best in the industry, gain new perspectives, and see how the two trainers bring their different approaches together to influence the horse and our partnership.
Anke Herbert & Captain
1.When did you start riding?
I grew up at my parent’s riding school, where I developed a strong classical foundation in all disciplines of equestrian sport from an early age. This experience taught me to understand and develop each horse according to its individual abilities and talents.
2. How did you become interested in dressage?
As a certified Pferdewirtschaftsmeister, I have trained horses from young horses to Grand Prix, earning my Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. My professional career has given me the opportunity to train and work internationally across Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. I also had the opportunity to accompany and work with Monica Theodorescu at two Olympic games.
3. Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding
Captain was purchased by Claudia Deffenbaugh in 2019 at a cowboy select auction in Las Vegas. He wasn’t exactly the horse Claudia intended to buy, he was six years old and had primarily pulled a cart in Ohio! Since then he has proven himself talented beyond Claudia’s wildest dreams, winning CDS HOY titles at 1st and 4th level as well as the Fresian Horse Association Of North America HOY at 3rd and 4th level, among other awards.
4. How did you come together as a team?
I’ve been riding Captain since he was purchased by Claudia. My goal is to develop Captain to the FEI levels while keeping his daily work fun, interactive and engaging.
5. What’s something fun or interesting about your partner?
Captain is incredibly playful and clever. He’s a true escape artist who’s known to unlatch every stall door he can reach.
6. What are your goals for taking part in the Masterclass?
I want to deepen my understanding of liberty training so I can channel Captain’s natural intelligence and playfulness into positive, freedom-based communications that directly complement his upper-level dressage work.
Jackie Ahl-Eckhaus & News Man MVS
1. When did you start riding?
I started riding by myself at the age of three on our pony, Minka. I could ride her down our driveway almost to the end, and then suddenly she would turn around and trot back to the barn! I think I spent many mornings trying to convince her to go past the end of the driveway so I could make it to my friend Paul’s house across the road.
2. How did you become interested in dressage?
As a child, I watched The Miracle of the White Stallions, but I also watched The Horse with the Flying Tail. Jumping won out at that time, so I started riding English at 11 years old and began training toward eventing. Back then, dressage was something you had to do before you could jump!
Dressage became much more interesting to me in the early 1990s. Once I understood more about it, I realized what a great challenge and sport it was. There was never a dull moment trying to perfect those 20-meter circles!
3. Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding.
I am the breeder and owner of News Man MVS. He was foaled in Holland out of my Apache x San Remo mare, by the Grand Prix stallion Desperado. I brought him home as a three-year-old with 60 days of starting under saddle. He is one of the kindest and most willing horses I have ever owned and worked with.
4. How did you come together as a team?
I am very glad I decided not to sell him in Holland and brought him home for myself. We have grown and developed together ever since. There is something particularly special about developing a horse that you bred yourself, and News Man and I have learned a great deal together.
5. What’s something fun or interesting about your partner?
When News Man was three years old, he was only 15.1 hands. When he was four, he developed the habit of taking a nap every day after breakfast. By the time he turned five, he had grown another four inches! Then he started napping again—and grew another inch. News Man also absolutely loves his treats!
6. What are your goals for taking part in the Masterclass?
My goal is to gain more knowledge, insight, and tools that I can use to help News Man continue to become the best horse he can be. I’m excited for the opportunity to learn from Robert Dover, and Alizee Froment with their expert eyes for more development, and bring those tools home for our continued journey together.
Michele DeLuna & Klea MBH
1. When did you start riding?
I was 7 years old and my aunt gave me riding lessons for my birthday. One lesson and I was hooked.
2. How did you become interested in dressage?
I went to college and I brought my event horse with me. At the barn I rode at Leslie Morse was the dressage trainer and she inspired me to switch to dressage.
3. Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding.
Klea MBH is a 6 year old that I purchased as a 2 week old. My daughter-in-law, Bianca Deluna, had started her mother and said she was such a pleasure to start that I took a chance on her. She was bred by a farm in Austria that my other horse came from so I knew she would be raised well. We had her started in Austria and of course she was also a pleasure to start.
4. How did you come together as a team?
I brought her to Florida when she was coming 4 for Bianca to train. She had her until this January when I brought her home. She got off the plane and went to a show that same week. Not only winning but getting high point. I have enjoyed forming a partnership with her over the past few months.
5. What’s something fun or interesting about your partner?
She is very little but her ½ brother, my other horse is 17.3. She is very much a pet. She loves to be right with you and loves to give hugs, she hugs back!!
6. What are your goals for taking part in the Masterclass?
My goal for the Masterclass is to learn how to have as much harmony and elegance with Klea.
Marie Medosi & Favorite Song PS
1. When did you start riding?
I started riding when I was nine years old, growing up on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
2. How did you become interested in dressage?
I was fortunate to learn to ride at a dressage barn in Hawaii, so dressage was really my introduction to horses from the very beginning. I was immediately drawn to the detail and precision of the sport, which suited my naturally detail-oriented personality. I was on the women’s Polo and Jumping teams in Hawaii as a child and also spent many years riding barrels, poles, trail and many days galloping on the beach bareback in Hawaii but I always came back to the art of Dressage and eventually made it my life’s work.
3. Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding.
Favorite Song PS, or “Fynchy,” is a 2020 Oldenburg gelding owned by Monica Garner and The Palms Equestrian Center. He is by Fynch Hatton out of a Diamond Hit mare. We first competed at the Young Horse Championships in Chicago in 2024, when he was a four-year-old stallion. He was a total gentleman throughout the experience and finished ninth overall. We collected him a number of times before making the decision to geld him as a five-year-old so that he could enjoy a simpler, easier life. We returned to Chicago this year for the six-year-old division, where he again finished ninth overall after two very clean tests. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch him develop and mature over the past several years.
4. How did you come together as a team?
Monica has been an incredible supporter of me and my career, and we wanted to find a young horse that we could develop together from the very beginning. We actually traveled to a farm in Holland to look at a completely different horse. But when Monica saw Fynchy—all of his little 16-hand self standing in the crossties—it was love at first sight. We purchased him then and there as an exuberant three-year-old stallion, with the goal of loving him and developing him thoughtfully from the ground up. He has truly grown up with us, which makes our partnership especially meaningful.
5. What’s something fun or interesting about your partner?
Fynchy loves to travel. We have been to quite a few places together, and wherever we go, he gets off the trailer ready to explore. He will happily walk me around the showgrounds for hours, smelling everything and investigating every nook and cranny. Naturally, his favorite places to explore are always the places we aren’t supposed to go! If I let him, he would spend our entire stay wandering the grounds with me. We tease him and call him “Forrest Gump”—he just wants to keep going.
6. What are your goals for taking part in the Masterclass?
A couple of years ago, I brought Alizée to The Palms Equestrian Center for a private clinic, and the experience was phenomenal. We began simply by touching the horses in the barn and observing how their muscles responded to her incredibly educated, sensitive touch. From there, we progressed to working the horses in hand. The entire experience was transformative, and I left wishing I could have another decade to learn from her.
I have also had the privilege of working with Robert Dover in the past, and I will never forget his extraordinary approach to coaching. He encouraged riders to imagine and feel every single footfall of the horse, using incredibly clear imagery to help us understand exactly what we wanted to create. His energy, knowledge, and ability to inspire a rider have always stayed with me.
Over the last several years, I have worked to develop a more holistic approach to my own training program. I want to look beyond the day-to-day routine of riding and training and continue exploring different ways to understand the horse—physically, mentally, and emotionally. I honestly cannot imagine a more fascinating combination of coaches. Alizée brings such extraordinary feel, thoughtfulness, and a holistic understanding of the horse, while Robert brings an incredible depth of knowledge, bold energy, and an inspirational approach to coaching. My goal is to absorb as much as I possibly can from both of them and bring those ideas home to continue developing not only Fynchy, but myself as a rider and trainer and coach. I am so excited for the opportunity!