I have been training with Alana at Sunfire for 18 months now, and could not be happier. In a year and a half I have gone from jumping 3-4 18" cross-rails to doing12-20 question 2'6" jumper courses with confidence. Alana has a number of horses available for lease and lessons, and a great eye for human-horse dynamics so every rider is matched with a horse that fits his or her learning needs. As an instructor, Alana knows when and how to push a rider and does so with encouragement and absolute belief that you can do what she's asking. She is a solution-focused teacher who will help you make and stick to a plan to reach your goals, whether they be teaching your baby horse to canter right or going to your first three-day-event this year (two of mine!).
As a barn, Sunfire is free of drama and everyone is encouraging and happy to help you with anything you need, from giving buckets if you're out of town to helping you set jumps and critique your position. With two spacious arenas and plenty of field space there is always somewhere to ride, even when everyone shows up at the same time. Alana is happy to have students watch one anothers' lessons and helps observers understand the reasoning behind each of her instructions, which is a great way to train your eye and think about how to address all kinds of different problems when riding. For younger students there are plenty of lesson ponies, each with their own lesson-pony spunk to teach younger riders how to deal with all kinds of horses, but all of whom will take good care of kids.
Alana also provides plenty of opportunities for riders to get "extra-curricular" training. We go cross-country schooling every other month or so, weather permitting, and eventing trainer Yves Sauvignon and dressage coach Tina Steward each visit the barn a few times a year for clinics. I could not recommend Sunfire Eventing Center and Alana more highly, for riders of all ages and experience levels.
-Nicole Sharpe- Davis, CA
