As a junior rider in Calgary, Stephanie was quick to ride anything she could, from the fiery school pony who needed someone to stick with it (or on it, as was sometimes the case), to the seasoned show horse who needed some exercise. That diversity of experience gave her a real leg-up in the NCAA Division I format, in which she competed for Kansas State University. She started helping her teammates outside of organized practice at school, where she developed her friendly and to-the-point coaching style. Upon graduation she returned to Calgary, where she started substitute coaching for local show barns, and catching rides on horses for trainers. She spent the next few years exploring different facets to the horse industry locally (including a fun year in the rodeo world), before deciding to use horses to see the world.
During her time in Ireland, she worked in a top showjumping barn before moving to Dublin where she worked at a busy and prosperous riding school. Between the two such different equine jobs abroad, Stephanie gained a wealth of experience and knowledge and has had the opportunity to teach all levels, from a first time rider mounting their pony, to an experienced rider wanting some help with finessing their transitions.
Having now returned to Canada, Stephanie has been certified as an Equine Canada Competition Coach, where she worked for Justine Annandale and Sperabo Stables, before transitioning to dressage, training with Andrea Taylor and Nancy Olson-Beaulieu in the lower mainland of British Columbia. Stephanie and her family relocated to Calgary, Alberta in March of 2022, where she immediately dove into volunteering with the Alberta Dressage Association, and continuing her training education by working with Tracey Skinner to start her young horse. She started Zed Equestrian as a freelance coaching business, aiming to help people achieve their goals with horses, both in and out of the show ring, no matter how big or small. During the previous competitions season, she worked with Chelsea Balcaen (Registered coach and FEI Rider) to bring along her hunter-jumper convert, successfully competing him in Second Level this season as either champion, or reserve champion of the shows they attended.
Zed Equestrian 