Mari Valceschini
I, Mari Valceschini, grew up here in Central Oregon. And as far back as I can remember, I was the textbook horse crazy kid. From the time I got my first horse, a pinto pony, if I could have slept in a stall with her I would have. I loved learning and succeeding with my horse. I learned balance, discipline, harmony and attention to detail and the joy of a well schooled horse. It was this passion that led me to compete and show my horses.
During high school, I was a working student at sale barn, a facility that imported and sold Hanoverians. I learned the basics of dressage, riding sport horses, how to prepare and present sale horses. But most importantly I fell in love with dressage; the balance and organization of dressage can benefit all types of horses, activity levels and disciplines. From Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses to Warmbloods and everything in between, horses in general can use the foundation of dressage to excel in riding.
While attending OSU in Corvallis and working towards a degree in Business Administration, I joined the OSU Eventing team, and became a working student for judge and trainer Kim Barker. At KB Dressage, I had the opportunity to compete with many challenging and talented horses. With these horses I began to gain success in the show arenas. I enjoy being in tune with my horse, and intuitively knowing how to communicate with him and how to elevate his performance in the arena. I earned my USDF Bronze medal, won many Jr. championships on the local, state and northwest regional level at this time.
After graduating from OSU, I returned to Bend, my hometown, to be close to my family. Inevitably I could not stay away for riding and immersed myself in my passion for dressage. I earned my Silver medal and became a professional, working at local barns. It is at this time that I began to work at Someday Farm. I have had the pleasure of working with many different horses and riders. I particularly enjoy incorporating dressage fundamentals into my teaching and riding. I find this cross training helps both the horse and rider excel in the hunter and jumper arenas and makes for a more athletic horse in general.