Biography of Sarah L. Jarvis

photo courtesy of Carol Walker photography

  Sarah Jarvis, born in Evergreen CO, began riding park Saddlebreds at the age of 8 at a local saddleseat barn under the instruction of Tom Marcos. By the age of 13 she entered the hunter/jumper world under the tutelage of Luise McConnell of Hillcroft Stables, mother of world hunter/jumper competitor John McConnell. From there, Sarah moved on to the beginnings of dressage at another local farm, Equinox Stables with instructor Mimi White. In 1997 she came to Fort Collins, CO to study equine science at Colorado State University. In her four years at CSU she assisted in teaching classes such as intermediate hunt seat, jumping, and dressage and received her riding instructor certification. Throughout her four years of college, Sarah rode with local dressage instructor Julie Haugen of Defiance Farm. She began competing in low-level eventing as well dressage with her 14.2 hand Appaloosa cross Bear. Sarah also began training and showing horses for clients.

  Upon graduation in 2001 Sarah went to work at Forrest Hill Farm in Indiana, a competitive FEI barn. There she learned much about high school dressage and more about the basic principles of classical dressage in training. Sarah than worked as an assistant trainer and caretaker for a private Morgan dressage farm in Parker, CO. There she applied her previous skills and started young horses and schooled the farm's older horses. At Janeway Farm she also began taking lessons with nationally recognized clinician, Cindy Spalding. Under Cindy's careful instruction, Sarah's dressage skills grew as did her training skills.

  From Parker CO, Sarah moved back to Fort Collins to work for Stove Prairie Ranch, a nationally famous Morgan show barn. There Sarah began to see the benefit of dressage on all aspects of training. After helping SPR to regional championships and national competition, Sarah moved on to taking public clients. "I am so excited at the possibility of showing other people the shear joy I have found in the world of the horse." Sarah's training focus' on using dressage principles in the training of all types of horses. Her horses run the gamut from english pleasure stallions to hunters, jumpers, and eventers to simply helping horses become great friends and family pets. "Dressage at it's basis is training of sound body and sound mind, that is my goal regardless of discipline."