Vanessa in the hunter ring.
Photo © Naismith Photography
and then the pleasure of eating what I have grown,” he says. “Yes, it’s a leased home but it is where we live and this is what I quite enjoy doing there that truly makes it more than a house we live in.” He is an avid golfer and at one point was at a 7 handicap. Any opportunity to play, with anyone who can swing a club, is immediately taken up when at all possible. The path for each of them to the horse industry was
very different which brings a well rounded approach to their business. Located at the beautiful Stanford Red Barn in Palo Alto, California, the diversity of their history and the com- bining into one system is unique. Buddy’s journey really started when he was fourteen years
Medalist at Aachen, Germany. As if that spectacular start of his career was not enough, he has gone on to win dozens of Grand Prix’s throughout the world. “My heroes growing up,” he says with a smile, “were Rod-
old with Bob Freels, catch riding as a Junior. In his last Ju- nior year (1973), George Morris stepped in and Buddy won the USEF (AHSA) Medal Finals riding Sandsablaze. Then moving on with that same horse, he rode for the United States Equestrian Team in Europe and at our Indoors Cir- cuit. His win in 1974 at the Grand Prix of Dublin set the stage for being on the Gold Medal USA Team for two Pan Am Games (1975 and 1979) and competed in Montreal in the 1976 Olympics. Riding Viscount in 1978, he was Bronze
ney Jenkins and Bernie Traurig…these were the people I tried to emulate in the saddle. I would stand and watch them for hours by the side of the ring to try to figure out how they were able to make horses go so well. Bert DeNemethy was probably the greatest influence on my system of riding and training. He was a master of flatwork and gymnastics/ cavaletti which really helped me understand how the horse’s body worked as an athlete.” Vanessa comes from Canada where she started riding as
a working student with Barbie Whitworth, then with Lindy Townley. A pretty intense Junior career included Canadian Equestrian Federation Champion Junior Hunter riding In- spired. She was yearend Equitation Champion a couple of those years, finishing off her last junior year with an un- defeated winning streak. Following that, finding her way through those tough beginning years as a professional, Vanessa worked for Eddie Connors, Larry Glefke and a private position with one of Peter Pletcher’s clients before
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