Clinicians
Steuart Pittman
Advanced Level Eventer
Certified Level II USEA Instructor
Steuart Pittman is based at Dodon
Farm in Davidsonville, MD where he competes his
stallion Salute the Truth at Advanced level. He also
trains and shows many young horses at the lower levels.
Steuart began riding as a child in the hunt field, in pony races and at local shows. He was introduced to eventing through Pony Club and learned the fundamentals of dressage as a teenager from his inspiration and mentor, Ellen Shepherd. In high school Steuart evented through Preliminary on his Thoroughbred mare Hurricane Hannah. After a ten-year absence from horses Steuart returned full force in 1990. Since then he has derived most of his income from training and selling horses for eventing, dressage, and jumpers. Steuart can be seen each year with a new crop of horses who usually compete to the preliminary level and are sold. Some he has shown in the preliminary jumper circuit, and one he has shown fourth level dressage. In Salute The Truth Steuart finally has a horse that is not for sale and is now competing at the Advanced level.
Steuart's instruction has come from a variety of trainers, including Bruce Davidson to whom he goes regularly with his stallion Salute The Truth, Jim Wofford, Gunnar Ostergaard, Hans Jurgen, Stuart Black, Becky Langwost, and most recently Linda Zang for dressage. He credits most of what he knows to the horses that he has worked with. He believes that all of us learn mostly from our horses, and in his teaching he attempts to speak from the viewpoint of the horse.In 2003 Steuart participated in the first training program and assessment of the US Eventing Association's Instructor Certification Program. After intensive coaching and practice teaching before Karen O'Connor, Eric Horgan, Don Sachey and others, Steuart went to Texas to be evaluated in the areas of dressage instruction, cross-country instruction, show jumping instruction, horse management, and safety. He passed in all areas and is now a part of the small group of trainers in the country certified to teach through the preliminary level. The program includes continuing education with the top trainers in the sport.
Deb Dean-Smith
Deb has been the trainer at Huntington Farm in Vermont since 1994. She is a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist who has received many top placings and high score awards in USDF shows on various horses.
Deb has trained many horses from youngsters through to the FEI levels. A former high level event rider, Deborah teaches many event and dressage students throughout the New England area. Deborah is currently competing her mare SPS Lady Liberty, at the Grand Prix level and trains regularly with Shelly Francis.
Hanneke Gerritsen
Hanneke began her career with horses at her father’s farm while continuing a career as an interior designer. Now she spends all her time coaching, judging and performing a number of executive functions in the Para-Equestrian (PE) disciplines. In addition to judging international qualifier competitions worldwide, Hanneke coached the Dutch Para-Equestrian Team from 2000 to 2004. From 2005 through 2010 she was a member of the ground jury at a number of international championships including the 2008 Paralympics in Hong Kong. She was the Technical Delegate at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. In addition to her Para-Equestrian pursuits, Hanneke is a Grand Prix judge and a selector and trainer for new dressage judges at all levels. She has bred several talented dressage horses and is a trainer and coach to several talented students in Holland. Hanneke gives clinics all over the world.
Paulien Alberts
Paulien is an advanced FEI dressage competitor, trainer and judge in both dressage and Para Dressage from Holland. Paulien is gifted with working with all types of horses and riders of all abilities. She is advancing in her studies to become a Para Equestrian Dressage Judge. She recently coached Mary Jordan, a para-dressage competitor from Wells Maine, at the European Championships in Norway, US Selection Trials in Chicago, the CPEDI3* in Toronto and the World Equestrian Games. She competes horses she has made herself to Grand Prix and is a successful competitor in Holland and Germany. In terms of musical freestyles, she has choreographed and produced award-winning freestyles at several major championships in North America and Europe.
Jackie Smith
Twenty-five years of experience and dedication have made Jackie into an FEI level rider and trainer with achievements including bronze, silver, and gold medals from the United States Dressage Federation and competing at the very highest level of the sport, Grand Prix. Jackie enjoys working with riders and horses of all levels, but particularly likes helping committed riders who want to develop their dressage skills.
Marlene Whitaker
Marlene Whitaker is a retired first grade teacher whose lifelong passions for music and the elegant equine led naturally to the creation of Custom Freestyle, Inc. Her music has been represented at the Olympics, Para Olympics, World Cup, Young Rider World Cup, Pan Am Games, World Equestrian Games, North American Young Rider Championships, European Young Rider Championships, and has won prestigious freestyle events as well as high score, regional, and national championships. Her client list reads like a Who’s Who in the world of dressage. An amateur rider herself, she has won regional and national USDF titles. Contributing to the Breast Cancer Research’s Challenge of the Americas exhibition in Wellington, Florida, Marlene’s music received a perfect 10! She also donates all the music for “Dancing Under the Stars”, a benefit for Therapeutic Riding of Tryon. She designed and donated an instructional DVD for USDF to use in their judging certification program. She is a past member of the USDF Freestyle Committee, and continues to speak, teach, and work at the all levels of the sport to promote understanding and development of the kur. With her husband of 45 years, she currently lives in Tryon, North Carolina where she devotes all day, every day to her music and 5 rambunctious grandsons under the age of 10!
Jenny R. Susser, Ph.D., International Clinical Sports Psychologist
Dr. Jenny Susser, an international level athlete in swimming, has a doctoral degree in Clinical Health Psychology, specializing in sports psychology. She has worked with national and international athletes of all sports and ages, both amateurs and professionals. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Jenny worked at the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. She has conducted research on athletic injury recovery, investigating the use of mental imagery on recovery. Her work with equestrians continues to grow following the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010. She was the Team Psychologist for the South African Para Dressage Team and worked individually with some of the American athletes. She remains active out of the pool these days by running and riding her horses.
