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Terry Sosa is an adult amateur who lives in Apex, NC with her husband Jeff and her daughter Robyn, who is totally into soccer (not horses!).
Terry has owned a few horses, including Doublet, her Grand Prix schoolmaster who has been retired for many years now; and Wereina, a Dutch warmblood mare by Diamond Hit, who she showed through 3rd Level, and retired to the breeding shed in 2016.
Since early 2017 Terry has been riding Lynn’s Grand Prix horse, d’Artagnan. Terry says that, “It has been quite a treat to get back in the saddle and ride such a well-trained horse, and be able to work on all the upper level movements again.” She and Lynn have been focusing on a combination of basic exercises, as well as upper level movements, to get Terry focused again and back in shape. |
| CLICK HERE to read Terry's experience training with Lynn. |
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Laurie Weiser, DVM is the owner of Pittsboro Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in Pittsboro, NC, and Blume Farm, a small Hanoverian breeding farm in Silk Hope, NC. Her breeding program descends from her imported Elite Hanoverian mare EM/SPA Dorfblume (Davignon-Matcho-Garibaldi).
Laurie began working with Lynn in 2010 with her homebred mare EM Roseblume (Rotspon-Davignon-Matcho). Together, the pair worked their way up to Third level, earning the USDF Bronze medal in 2014. “Rosie” is now retired to the breeding shed. |
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Laurie recently purchased a five-year old mare, Louisiana (Solos Landtinus-Don Schufro), bred by Oak Hill Ranch. |
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Liz Bromberg lives outside of Chapel Hill, just a few miles from North Star Training Center. She began taking lessons from Lynn Leath in 2005. With Lynn’s guidance, Liz and her Swedish-Trakehner mare, Magda, have learned about dressage together, and worked their way up to Intermediaire 1. Liz and Magda have won many awards together, including USDF Bronze and Silver Medals; and they are currently schooling the Grand Prix.
In December 2014, Liz purchased Vigoureux, a recently gelded and green-broke Trakehner. Under Lynn’s supervision, she has started the journey up the levels once again. Building on the experience gained with Magda, Liz and Viggy have won many awards at Training and First level at the State, Regional, and National levels, in both the regular and freestyle divisions. The pair is currently competing at Second level. |
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| CLICK HERE to read Liz’s experience training with Lynn |
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Greg & Lisa Sheets have a shared love for horses. Greg, an accomplished aviator, skier, and retired engineering executive, has been riding horses since he was a child, but only discovered dressage in 1986, after he purchased a “hot” off-the-track thoroughbred. Lisa works from home for a Quebec City-based software company as a sales executive. She has loved horses all her life but never had the opportunity to realize her dream until her mid-30’s, when she began riding in the hunter discipline and purchased her first horse, Foxy Flair (aka “Fred”). |
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Lisa and Greg met through their mutual love of horses, married, and raised two children (both now in college). Greg introduced Lisa to dressage when they moved to Massachusetts in 2009. It was there that the couple purchased Delirio, a 10-year old Lusitano gelding from Brazil. In 2017, the three of them moved to NC, began working with Lynn. They are currently enjoying the journey together – and look forward to expanding their “herd” in the future. |
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Lana Hall didn’t start riding until she was forty years old, but she is working hard to make up for lost time. She recently purchased Diamont, a 16.1 hand Polish warmblood, who is trained to Grand Prix. According to Lana, he is “a super schoolmaster and a blast to ride.” Her other horse, Albey, a 16.3 hand Dutch warmblood, is trained to Prix St. Georges. Lana moved her horses to North Star Training center in late 2017 in order to work with an established Grand Prix trainer and instructor.
Lana explains, “I have a lot of work to do to be able to ride these horses well and effectively! Although I'm not terribly interested in showing or competing (at the moment, anyway), I love training and learning, and Lynn is wonderful to work with. I enjoy the process!”
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Katherine began riding at the age of 4 on a Shetland pony named Teddy Bear.
Since then, she has learned not only to ride horses, but to care for them 24/7, feeding, mucking, grooming, and running the family farm in Bahama, NC.
Katherine's second pony was Snickers, a lovely chestnut mare, who taught her to event and fox hunt. Katherine first came to Lynn with her next pony, Joey, a 13-hand roan POA. Joey would not bend and he taught her the valuable lesson of the importance of riding every stride!!
After Joey, Katherine got her first horse, Lindy, a 12-year old OTTB mare. Despite Lindy’s sometimes unpleasant “mare-ish" nature, she was a very experienced event horse and took Katherine from Novice to Preliminary level during their time together. |
Katherine trains over fences with Holly Hudspeth, who has trained numerous horses to the 4* level.
Following in her mother's footsteps, Katherine works on dressage with Lynn. Katherine’s mom, Donna, began training with Lynn in 1995, and debuted at Prix St. Georges in 2012.
Thanks to Donna's support and Lynn's instruction, Katherine and her current mount, Fred, an OTTB, have become strong performers in the dressage phase, helping the pair to win many awards and top placings at CIC and CCI 1* events.
Katherine is now attending University of North Carolina at Wilmington and trailers her horse to NSTC for lessons by herself.
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| CLICK HERE to read about Katherine’s experience training with Lynn. |
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Northstar Training Center students get a 10% discount on tack shop products from M&M Tack Shop in Cary, NC
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Click M&M logo to visit their website
** certain exclusions apply
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Donna Christopher has been a student of Lynn's since 1995. When she is not riding, Donna manages three daughters, several horses, ponies, cats, dogs, and one husband at her home in Bahama; as well as two hundred+ employees at Almac Ltd. in Durham, NC.
Together with her Oldenburg gelding, Landor SB, Donna earned the USDF Bronze medal in 2010; moved up to Fourth level in 2011; and debuted at PSG in 2012.
Donna is currently on hiatus from riding, as she has taken on the role of Horse Show Mom, supporting her daughter, Katherine, in her eventing adventures. |
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CLICK HERE to read Donna's experience training with Lynn. |
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Jennifer Swanson, MD is a board certified emergency physician, serving as the Senior Medical Director for Duke Urgent Care since 2011. In that role, she is responsible for the medical oversight of nine clinics with over 150,000 patient visits per year.
Jen and her Andalusian-thoroughbred mare Corsana have been training with Lynn since late 2015. The pair enjoyed a successful 2016 show season, earning the final scores for the USDF Bronze medal, as well as USDF All Breeds Championship and Reserve Championship awards at Second and Third level MFS, respectively. In 2017, Jen and Corsana took time off from the show ring to focus on training. And for Christmas, Jen bought herself an “adorable” 14.1 hand, palomino, Welsh-Trakehner pony, named Glitterati. |
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| CLICK HERE for Jennifer's comments on her NSTC experience |
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Keni Kerin began riding with Lynn in 2018. But she has been riding dressage for more than ten years, and during that time trained her Trakehner mare, Idolace (aka “Laci”), from Training level to Grand Prix, earning her USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals. More recently, Keni began teaching, training, and showing clients’ horses out of her family’s Brookside Farm in Fuquay-Varina. Keni also trains and competes her newest mount, Belcanto’s Welt, at Fourth level; and looks forward to bringing along Laci’s yearling filly, Esperanza, in the coming years. |
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Ali Perkins grew up riding in Maine. She was a member of the United States Pony Club and evented through training level. Ali spent four years working for Lendon Gray's Winter Intensive Training Program in Wellington, Florida. She has also trained with Mica Marbrugana, Tuny Page, and Liz Austin. Ali is successfully competing Grand Prix on a Dressage4kids donation horse, Santé. Ali is starting her own business at Rouxtano Farm in Hillsborough, NC. She continues to further her education with Lynn Leath. |
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Jack LaTorre began riding when he was ten and immediately understood he loved learning dressage. His first pony was a paint named, Biggie, and they were quite successful together through first level. As Jack outgrew the pony’s size and abilities we had the wonderful privilege to purchase Benson S as his new partner. Jack was fourteen when they became a pair and quickly they progressed from first level to third level as Jack turned fifteen. They worked on the NAYC Juniors for two years though living in Texas prohibited the travel to New York to compete. They spent the Wellington season of 2018 in Lendon Gray’s WIT program for three months. It was a super learning experience for them. They showed in their first CDI in March for the Juniors competing very well, and even winning the freestyle competition. They recently moved with their family to a farm in Hillsborough, Rouxtano Farm, and now prepare to train Prix St. Georges. We are all excited to join the North Carolina family pursuing dressage! Jack plans to attend college when he finishes his homeschool studies and find a way to pursue riding and training as a career. |
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I am Tonya LaTorre, and I usually am known as “Jack’s Mom” as he is the beautiful rider in the family. However, we both sat on a horse for the first time in our lives at the same time. I was 44, and he was ten. To serve some humble pie to this mama Jack has been the star in dressage, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been learning and studying. It isn’t easy to learn to ride in your forties or be an adult amateur beginner but I am a determined woman and overcoming obstacles is my way of life. I am a mother of five and founder of a nonprofit to give orphaned children a home in Uganda, but the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life is learn to canter a dressage horse in my forties. My horse, Rouxtano, gave me the education I needed without being one bit generous! I had to work for his forward and his respect. But I persevered, took him to Wellington with me for the season in 2018 and worked with Mica Mabragana who helped me unleash his talents by developing my own talent. We moved from San Antonio, TX in late 2018 to NC to our own farm and I named it “Rouxtano Farm” thanks to him. At that time I was chosen to purchase the lovely German Riding Pony, Gigi, who is a dream horse. We are new in our relationship but I have hopes of seeing the Grand Prix ring with her and if we proceed correctly there will be no stopping us. As I mentioned before I am determined. Meanwhile, as Jack goes to college I will also claim his fabulous horse Benson to be my partner. Won’t I be a lucky girl to have both Gigi and Benson under my saddle? And my sweet Rouxtano remains my best friend and truest teacher about my position while daily suggesting he would like to become a trail horse. It won’t be long before his wish is granted.
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Tonya's picture
coming soon!! |
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Luna Barboza began riding when she was just ten-years old. Three years ago, the age of 11, she began working with Lynn. Luna now trains and competes on HRH Popstarr, KWPN gelding, and Donatus, a Wurttemberger. She has earned her USDF Bronze and Silver Medals, and has competed through Prix St Georges. Luna accomplishes all of this with the help of her mother, Penny – who began riding with Lynn long before Luna was born! |
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CLICK HERE to read about Luna’s experience training with Lynn. |
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Mary (VonWerne) Jones is the trainer at Cedar Hill Farm in Moncure, NC. Mary, who is primarily a hunter/jumper trainer, jumps at any opportunity to build up her dressage skills. So whenever a viable dressage prospect comes into her life, she goes to Lynn to hone her skills. With Lynn’s help, Mary has competed up to Intermediaire 1, and earned her USDF Bronze and Silver medals aboard a variety of wonderful horses, including Intact, Cameron, and Castello. Mary has recently brought her newest mount “Topica” to Lynn to begin their journey. |
CLICK HERE to read Mary’s experience training with Lynn |
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Jean DeVenny began catch riding eventers (and "anything that looked like a horse") when she was knee-high to a grasshopper. Later she switched to hunters, earning many national titles. In 2000, she took up dressage. A few years later, at the suggestion of one of her clients, Jean went to Lynn for pointers, and has been working with her ever since. Under Lynn’s guidance, Jean has earned her USDF Bronze and Silver medals, and has trained many horses up through the levels. She currently teaches and trains at Centric Farm in Stokesdale. |
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Melissa Deal, of Victory Land Dressage in Burgaw NC, is an ARIA Certified Instructor and Qualifying Connection Training Instructor. She began working with Lynn in 2017, and has the privilege of riding Lynn’s Grand Prix horse, d’Artagnan. Melissa earned her final scores for the USDF Bronze medal aboard d’Artagnan in October 2017. Reflecting upon her experience in the past year, she notes that: “Lynn is a superior horse show coach and a dedicated instructor, and I am grateful for her guidance and encouragement. d’Artagnan is an equally patient teacher and deserves endless accolades!”
CLICK HERE for Melissa's testimonial
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