Katy Barglow is a Grand Prix rider, trainer, and competitor. She holds USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals, as well as the Freestyle Bronze and Gold Bars. She graduated from the USDF “L” judges program with distinction and has been accepted into the “r” judges program, and she is a National Examiner for the United States Pony Clubs, prepping and testing candidates for the upper level knowledge and dressage specialty ratings.

Katy began riding at the age of 8, and talked her parents into buying her a horse at age 11. Shortly after, she became fascinated by the sport and art of dressage. She competed in hunters and eventing as well as dressage as a child, coming through the levels of Pony Club and ultimately graduating as an HA. Despite her intensive focus on dressage, Katy continued to expand her horse experiences, working with unbroken horses, horse camping, and playing polo in college, which has served her well in her dressage career. Through Pony Club, Katy began teaching others and realized she loved working with students. All through college and graduate school, Katy worked with the local pony clubs as an instructor, examiner, and horse management judge.

At age 16, Katy purchased a then three year old Hanoverian gelding, Le Mans (Leo). Together, Katy and Leo climbed the levels of dressage all the way to Grand Prix. Along the way, they won the CDS-San Diego Chapter FEI championship for 2 years in a row, and the CDS Horse of the Year award at Intermediare 2 as well as the USDF Region 7 Reserve Championship at I2, both in the open division. The following year, they led the nation in the amateur Grand Prix ranks, winning the USDF HOY award with a median score of over 65%. They also pioneered Intermediare and Grand Prix freestyles (including their signature one-handed one-tempis up centerline!) that earned over 70% and made Katy the 2^nd youngest person in the country to achieve her Freestyle Gold Bar. Leo, now age 17, is now a schoolmaster for Barglow Dressage. He has carried Katy’s students in the show ring through Intermediate II, to Bronze and Silver medals, and given many riders the wonderful feel of collection and upper level movements

Katy’s greatest joy is bringing horses and riders up the levels. With her young horse Uniek, she won the CDS Futurity, was selected for the Scott Hassler Young Horse Training program and as a demo rider for the CDS Ingrid Klimke Clinic, and competed successfully in the FEI 6-year old classes. With another young horse she was bringing along, Phantom, Katy won high-point awards at several large southern California shows, including the Del Mar National, at training through 2^nd level. With Donna Richardson’s talented gelding Domino, Katy scored consistently in the mid-high 60’s at Prix St. George all over the state, including a top 5 finish at the CDS Championships. With her current up-and-coming horse, the 8 year old Danish WB Relic, Katy won the 2008 high score award for the CDS-East Bay Chapter, and the pair is currently pushing 70% at 3^rd level and schooling 4^th/PSG. In 2009, Katy and Relic were the USDF All-Breeds Horse of the Year for Danish WB at Open 3^rd level. They also finished 7^th in the nation for the Musical Freestyle Challenge at 3^rd level. Katy is also training Relic’s younger brother, the 4-year old Rimrock, whom she purchased as a 2-year old. Rocky and Katy scored consistently in the 70s at training level in 2010 and are schooling 1^st and 2^nd level, aiming for the FEI young horse classes in 2011. Click here for a list of Katy’s major awards and achievements.

As satisfying as training horses is training students. Katy’s students come from all over the bay area (including people who travel from Half Moon Bay, Morgan Hill, San Francisco, and Woodside to work with her), and range widely in age and skill level. Katy’s students have competed successfully from training level through Grand Prix, and through Intermediate level eventing. They have been successful at the CDS Jr Championships and qualified for the NAJRYC teams, have achieved USDF Bronze and Silver medals and US Pony Club ratings through the A level. More importantly, Katy’s students learn to have secure, independent seats and effective aids that allow them to develop their own horses and experience the joy of the training process.

Katy graduated from Stanford University with a degree in chemistry and biology in 2002, and promptly moved herself and her horses to San Diego to enter the PhD program at the Scripps Research Institute. There, she met “S” judge and Pan American Games Gold Medalist Donna Richardson, who had long been one of Katy’s heroes for her ability to balance riding internationally with a full time job as an emergency room doctor. Donna took Katy under her wing, helped her to train Leo to Grand Prix, gave her the opportunity to train and compete on many horses, and later mentored her in the judges training program. Donna also introduced Katy to FEI “O” judge Axel Steiner, another riding and judging mentor for Katy with whom she still clinics regularly. Upon the completion of her PhD, Katy returned to the Bay Area in 2008. She now works with USDF Instructor Certification Faculty Member Rachel Saavedra, who continues to expand Katy’s education and give her more tools for training, teaching, competing, lunging, and work in hand. Katy also clinics consistently with “S” judge and “L” faculty member Tracey Lert, and with piaffe/passage specialist Alfredo Hernendez.

In her “other life”, Katy is a PhD level researcher, a Staff Scientist at a biotech startup in South San Francisco. Prior, she was a fellow of the American Cancer Society, in biochemistry at UC Berkeley. (Click here for more info on Katy’s postdoctoral research, here for a summary aimed at a more general audience, or here for her CV). Her own experiences juggling her career and her riding make her particularly sympathetic to adult amateur riders trying to move up the levels in dressage!

About Katy