Colleen Hoekstra Knox
Learning as at the heart of Colleen's passion for Dressage. Growing up, much of her education consisted of going to competitions with her parents and taking the judges' feedback on board. Because of where she lived in the USA, good Dressage instruction wasn't readily available, so she learned to take any training or feedback she got and build on it at home. Through varied personal experience, observation, research and reading, perseverance and support, she made progress and moved up the levels.
As the years went on, she began attending clinics with upper-level riders and international trainers, who always seemed happy to help those who really wanted to learn. This experience of successful people who were generous with their time and knowledge made a big impression on her. Those values are now the cornerstone of her teaching philosophy and sympathetic style. She loves to share her years of knowledge and experience to help others achieve their own goals for themselves and their horses. If you want to learn, she is always happy to help.
From young horses to Grand Prix, Colleen has trained several horses all the way up the levels, and has been riding FEI for over 20 years, giving her a comprehensive view of the entire process from start to finish. Because of this "in the trenches" understanding, as well as intensive study of biomechanics and equine behaviour, Colleen has a particular talent for being able to break complex concepts into smaller, easy-to-understand pieces to ensure her horses and her students have a genuine understanding of the basics and are able to problem-solve when schooling on their own.
Her teaching is classical in nature and follows the training scale, and yet her students are extremely successful in the competition ring. She has several students competing and winning at the regional and national level in both the UK and the USA.
- USDF Gold Medallist
- Competed Internationally Small and Big Tour
- BDCC Level 2 Coach
- Fully Insured
- Current First Aid Certification
- UK Safeguarding Certified
- Safesport USA Trained
- DBS Checked
- British Dressage registered trainer and BD Trainee judge
- Graduate of USDF "L" Judges program with honours, current "L" Judge
Biography
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Biography
Awards
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Biography
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Background
Colleen was fortunate enough to grow up on a Warmblood breeding farm owned by her parents. That early education gave her the advantage in learning about all aspects of the process from start to finish: bloodlines, genetics, foaling, stallion handling, biomechanics, nutrition, lameness, X-ray evaluation, reproductive handling and biology, communicable diseases, in-hand showmanship and the judging of horses' conformation, movement and free-jumping talent. Over the years she has also worked very hard to pursue learning about horse psychology and behaviour, including how they learn on their own as well as their interactions with their riders and handlers.
This study has taken her to all disciplines. Besides the traditional schooling in Dressage and Show Jumping, it has included the old training styles of the "cowboys," Native American horsemanship, natural horsemanship and the beautiful haute ecole training methods, rooted in Dressage – and each experience has an every-day influence in her training and teaching.
Seeing and experiencing the range of equestrian pursuits, while always exciting, has also reconfirmed time and again her love of Dressage. The connection the rider can build with their horse in any discipline starts there, and is an essential part of progress, and enjoyment of the sport. She is from the USA originally and has lived in the UK since 2006 after moving "across the pond" with her British husband.
Before moving to the UK, she owned a dressage training and breeding yard in the US, and was also the head trainer. She has competed through the Grand Prix CDI*** level of Dressage as well as lower-level Show Jumping as a teenager. She is a United States Dressage Federation Bronze, Silver and Gold medallist and a licensed Dressage judge through Medium Level. She competed in her first PSG at the age of 17, and also began competing on Knollwood Farm’s 4 year old Dutch stallion, Kevekko, the same year. She had the privilege of an 11-year partnership with him, and together they worked our way up through every level to Grand Prix enjoying many awards and fantastic experiences along the way. In the meantime she has trained 5 other horses to FEI level, and has successfully started over 200 young horses under saddle.
In 2003 she competed in her first Grand Prix and participated in the 2003 Pan-Am Games Selection Trials in California, after which she was ranked in the top 40 in the country. She also choreographed and designed the Intermediare-I freestyle for Jan Ebeling and his stallion Feliciano, which they used to secure the team gold at the Pan-Am Games that year. In 2005 she was selected as one of 30 participants out of over 400 professional applicants for the first Young Horse Trainers' Symposium held at Hilltop Farm, orchestrated by Scott Hassler and taught by young horse training giants Ulf Moeller and Ingo Pape.
In 2003, 2004 and 2005 she represented the USA at the invitational (top highest-scoring horse/rider combinations in the country) prestigious Dressage at Devon CDI***** at both the PSG/Int I and Grand Prix levels on two different horses.
Over the years she has had several successful students who have themselves competed from Intro level all the way to FEI with many regional championships and end-of-show, end of year and national awards to their credit. She loves to watch the process from start to finish and enjoys teaching the beginning stages just as much as the upper levels. While she has a busy life with her young family these days, she continues to ride her two mares, and to be very enthusiastic and passionate about teaching. She loves sharing all that she has been lucky enough to learn, and doesn’t believe there is a more satisfying experience than helping a horse and a rider progress and develop into a true and lasting partnership.