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Riding Right® |
Hollie is a natural-born instructor. Put that together with her passion for horses and you have the perfect combination. |
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Andrea and Hollie coaching at Lendon Gray's Dressage for Kids 
Hollie recieving her Trainer's License from Chief Olympic Ground Judge Martin Plewa |
Hollie McNeil: Senior Instructor & Manager FEI Recognized Instructor
In connection with her German qualifications, Hollie has also been recognized as a certified instructor by the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale), the international body governing equestrian sports. Hollie received her equestrian passport, which entitled her to teach internationally as well. German Riding Medals Hollie has also been recognized as a rider (rather than as an instructor) by the German Equestrian Federation, which has awarded her the Small and Large Bronze Performance Medals (see right), after she passed comprehensive examinations on dressage, stadium, and cross-country riding, as well as extensive equestrian theory subjects. Balimo Instructor and Faculty Member Hollie is also a Graduate Riding Instructor and faculty member of the innovative Balimo Riding Program. (Balimo is the product of a collaboration between the head instructor of the German National Riding School, German Sports Physiologist and Olympic consultant Eckart Meyners, and a number of highly-regarded US instructors, including the late Jill Hassler-Scoop.) After completing the Balimo program, in recognition of her teaching excellence, Hollie was invited to join the Balimo faculty, where she focuses on teaching techniques. The Balimo program has also asked Hollie to produce and host an instructional video on Balimo teaching for presentation at instructors' seminars and elsewhere. With over thirty years of riding experience, Hollie has trained horses and shown in dressage through the FEI level and jumped competitively. She has coached riders who have competed at Pony Club Nationals and the Lendon Gray Dressage Festival. Hollie's horse-related studies also include work on equine physiology at Cornell University, natural horsemanship with Dan Sumerel, and many, many others. Her emphasis is on a strong rider-horse relationship. |
Andrea riding underneath the camera crane for a video shoot. |
Andrea Beukema: Instructor & Trainer Riding Right is unique in the United States in that we have two FEI recognized, German certified instructors. Andrea Beukema earned her German Trainer's C License at the same time as Hollie. Andrea also holds her Small and Large Bronze Riding Medals from the German FN. Andrea has her bronze medal from the United States Dressage Federation, and a B rating from the United States Pony Club. Immediately before joining Riding Right, Andrea spent several months in Denmark working as a rider for Danish Olympian Morten Thomsen. Andrea has also been a demo rider for symposia with Ernst Hoyos, Lisa Wilcox, and Christoph Hess, and ridden with Shannon Dueck, Mark Weissbecker, Kim Walness, and Martin Plewa. Andrea has competed in Dressage through Fourth Level, and at the lower levels in Eventing. |
Hollie holds a Trainer's C License from the German National Riding Federation, one of only a handful of Americans to earn this prestigious certification. The examination included written, oral, and practical testing on Dressage, Stadium Jumping, Cross Country, Stable Management, Equine Physiology and Behavior, and Sports Education. To earn her German License, Hollie took extensive training and testing at the German National Riding School, in Warendorf, Germany, and the Westfalen Riding School in Munster, Germany.