A Southern California native, jumper trainer Kelley Fielder spent many years in New Jersey honing her craft with Frank and Stacia Madden. She returned to Rancho Santa Fe four years ago and began building her own training business. With a small but elite clientele, Kelley recently moved her business to Ridgemar Equestrian in Del Mar.



Kelley was in the midst of her college years when her dad died unexpectedly. “Dad’s death really brought home the fact that life is short and you have to do what you want to do,” she explains. So she packed up and moved back East. It was the best thing for her career, bringing her riding to a completely new level. And her achievements gave her the confidence to strike out on her own.
When she returned to the West Coast, Kelley felt incredible pressure to perform at an unrealistic level and was soon struggling under the strain. Enter sports psychologist Timmie Pollock who helped Kelley regain balance in her life. Kelley encourages her clients to work with Timmie as well. “About 90 percent of what we do at the higher competition levels is such a mental game,” Kelley explains. “Competing is about focus and knowing how you’re reacting to your nerves. The horses are the easy part. They want to do their job. I tell my clients to leave their ego in the tack trunk.”
A big believer in learning from others, Kelley surrounds herself with mentors she respects and learns from. One of those people is the veteran horse trainer Sandy Aston. Chance Arakelian and Mark Bone helped her start her business in Rancho Sante Fe. “Seeing people who have been through it all and are still going strong is great encouragement,” Kelley says. “If they can last then so can I.” Her positive attitude is strengthened by her recent marriage to Marc Davis, an ER doctor. “My life is truly blessed,” she enthuses.
Kelley has a great group of clients and “we have so much fun together,” she says with a grin. They each contribute something to the group dynamic. One of the benefits of teaching that took Kelley by surprise is how much she learns through the process, even about her own riding. “Sometimes I’ll be teaching something and I’ll get on and realize that I do that, too.” Her clients keep her humble and learning. Kelley realizes that she’s fortunate to have clients who are open to that kind of exchange of ideas. “Some people may want to believe their trainer is a god,” she says. “That’s not me.”
A major project that Kelley is focusing on at Ridegemar is substantially improving the footing on the Grand Prix field by adding additional material. This big open space is a great training tool as it mimics many of the competition fields so it’s good practice for both horse and rider.
For more information, contact Kelley Fielder at 818-522-5639 or via e-mail at surfsideshowjumping@yahoo.com.