A passion for developing horses from the ground up
Gina is a Southern California Native, originally born in Los Angeles, CA.
She was first introduced to horses at the age of 7 when she accompanied her neighbor to a riding lesson. The obsession started there and she never looked back - quickly becoming a true barn rat who began her journey riding as a hunter/jumper. Gina was lucky enough to find Meghan Harris - a generous trainer who let her work off lessons by learning the ropes of horse care in a kind and supportive environment. The long days spent ponying horses bareback in the hills of Will Rogers State Park, bathing lesson horses and private clients' ponies, cleaning tack, and enthusiastically learning anything and everything she could soak up are some of the core memories that any horse girl can only be grateful to have.
Coming from a lower middle class background with no history of Equestrians, Gina was lucky enough to be scouted as a model while attending High School, and began working immediately to sustain her riding passion.
Still riding as a jumper, Gina worked for a while restarting OTTB's, often taking them directly from the racetrack and teaching them to jump, before finding them new homes.
A chance encounter riding a young dressage horse was the catalyst for the switch to dressage, and from there she began learning the ropes of backing and working with young dressage horses.
She made the move to begin working as a professional in her 20's, accepting a job as the Assistant Trainer for CDI Grand Prix rider Susan Martin, in Moorpark CA - a wonderful and supportive boss and friend who first gave Gina the push to pursue a more serious career in Dressage. From there, she was offered a working student position at the stable of US Team Olympian Guenter Seidel in San Diego CA, and made the move further south.
Being based in San Diego provided many opportunities and adventures, from continuing to ride young horses for other professionals, to eventually establishing her own small stable and training business specializing in young horses, problem horses, sale horses, and including a lovely group of training clients - many of which she is still in contact with today.
Gina's passion for developing young horses and making truly suitable and unhurried matches between riders and horses in her boutique training and sale program helped her establish a reputation of honesty and transparency with a keen eye for talented prospects, which transitioned perfectly into her move to Europe to pursue further opportunities with riding and sales.
Now based in Europe for several years, Gina has dedicated herself to her own riding education, and takes pride in continuing what she has always enjoyed on a bigger scale - selecting raw young horses and talented projects and developing them herself from the beginning, while broadening her experience and ability to train to the highest levels, with access to coaching from some of Europe's best riders.