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California Riding Magazine • March, 2010 Margaret Thomas & |
Margaret Thomas wasn’t looking for a training gig when she settled in at dressage professional Robin Garrett’s barn in North San Diego County. She planned to continue her lifelong interest in eventing and the hunter/jumper disciplines on a personal level. Not long after arriving last August, however, plans changed. “Robin offered me to ride a couple of her horses and things developed from there,” Thomas explains. “I worked first with some young horses, helping them with jumping. Robin believes that is good for a horse’s education, even if they are destined for dressage.” One of the horses Thomas worked with took to jumping so nicely she was soon sold as a hunter. Garrett and Thomas quickly realized that they shared a common training philosophy. “I think we both truly believe in developing the horse to be the best athlete that horse can be,” Thomas asserts. “That involves an open mind in terms of what sport that horse is going to excel in as they are developing their athletic potential. Neither of us believes in forcing square pegs into round holes.” Based in North San Diego County, Garrett and Thomas now have a working relationship that enables clients and their horses to develop and succeed in any of the english disciplines. “We complement each other very well and work from the same page as trainers,” Garrett comments. They welcome young horses and sale prospects. Garrett continues to work with many dressage students, and Thomas can work with a few hunter and/or eventing riders, although she has a “real job” that limits her time. On a recent weekend, Thomas rode and coached students at a Galway Downs hunter/jumper competition, then turned around and competed in an event at the same facility. Her main eventing ride at the moment is Coup d’Etat, a mare owned by San Diego sporthorse breeder Jenny McLaughlin. The for-sale mare recently won the Training Level division at Galway Downs, maintaining the strong position she established with her impressive dressage score. The result, Thomas enthuses, is a perfect example of the impact of Garrett’s influence and of their potential as professional partners. “Her work really complements what I am doing and she’s helped me a lot with dressage for all the horses I’m working with.” Garrett came highly recommended when Thomas began preparing for her move from the East Coast. She had grown up in Pony Club with Olympic silver medal eventer Gina Miles, who suggested Thomas consider Garrett’s program. Garrett worked with Miles and many of her students on several occasions. She is also proud to have helped last year’s USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year Maxance McManamy, an Area VI team and individual gold medal winner at last summer’s North American Young Riders Championship. After a working student assignment with international rider Tina Konyot, Garrett moved to California in the mid-90s. She credits dressage trainer Laurie Falvo-Doyle for giving her an entrée into the Southern California dressage community. Garrett, Falvo-Doyle and Nick Wagman had a successful training partnership for several years, then Garrett set up shop for herself. She has traveled to Europe many times and taken several horses to the FEI levels. Garrett’s Grand Prix mount Grand Ballerina is currently leased to Para-Equestrian dressage star Holly Bergay. After just five weeks together, the pair won the U.S. Para-Equestrian reserve championship last summer. They are on form to shine during the WEG Para-Equestrian qualifier at this month’s Dressage Affaire in Del Mar, where an Australian hopeful for the same event will compete on one of Garrett’s schoolmasters. Garrett is committed to sharing her knowledge and experience with her students so that they might experience true partnership with their horses. Her passion now is sharing that knowledge with eager, willing and dedicated students of any experience level. For most of her adult life, Thomas juggled her passion for horses into an interesting professional life that included law school and being a combat helicopter pilot in the military. Off-the-track Thoroughbreds and “problem” horses were a specialty through this phase of her equestrian life. Thomas was able to return to competition in 2006, and worked mostly with young and re-sale horses as their needs fit best with her deployment cycle. Stationed in North Carolina, she enjoyed the privilege of working with David O’Brien, Denny Emerson and Kristin Trainer, all highly regarded eventing professionals. “Robin and I have a great symbiotic relationship,” Thomas concludes. “We are focused on the complete development of the horse, not just thinking about dressage or jumping. We both have a very open minded approach to helping each horse reach its full potential.”
For more information on Robin Garrett and Margaret Thomas’ training partnership, contact Robin Garrett at 760-716-3401 or visit her website, www.rgdressage.com. To reach Margaret Thomas contact her at 910-548-5886 or visit www.thomaseventing.com. |
