Sponsored Riders
Canter Culture is proud to sponsor a variety of riders, from professional to working student to adult amateur, around the country. If you would like to apply for our Sponsored Rider program, please complete this form.
Ashley Bertell is an FEI dressage trainer, instructor, coach, and active competitor native to the PNW with her USDF Bronze & Silver Medal and is on the road to win her Gold medal with the goal of International Competition. Paired with her love of riding is a passion for coaching, and she has helped many students develop and meet their own riding goals in & out of the show ring. Ashley enjoys working with horses and riders at all levels, with a soft spot for mares and nontraditional dressage horses. Her recipe for success is focused on a balance of hard work and harmony to bring out the best in every athlete. You will find Ashley, along with her husband and son, in Oakville, WA, which is located in the South Sound area of Washington State. There they run Rail Stone Farms, a home-based boarding & training facility offering high quality care & tailored programs for the dressage horse & rider in a boutique environment. Ashley is excited about partnering with Canter Culture because she feels their athletic breech delivers fashion and function in equal parts. They stand up to every role in life and easily take her from daily barn duties to the show ring and even school pick up. They’re a must have in your closet!
IG: @HerronDressage FB: @Herron Dressage LLC / Rail Stone Farm
Jessica O’Donnell is a Bronze, Silver & Gold USDF Medalist and currently the head trainer and manager of Lady Bug Stables in Westport, MA with a stable of 15 horses. She enjoys training and competing many different breeds from Warmbloods, Friesians, Fell Ponies and the Spanish breeds PRE and Lusitanos. She is currently competing with her Westphalian gelding Fizau in I1 finishing 3rd at Region 8 Championship and also finishing 5th in PSG Region 8 Championship in 2022. Jessica aims for Grand Prix for the 2023 show season! Jessica has been a NEDA Spring and Fall symposium demo rider for Carol Lavell/Michael Poulin and Carl Hester. Jessica is excited to work with Canter Culture as she loves supporting small businesses, and she loves the quality & style of the CC Athletic Breech!
@lady_bugstables
Kylee McKereghan is a USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist and 3rd Generation horsewoman born & raised on SpringSong Welsh Pony and Cob farm. She started riding at age 3, and has taken her ponies & cobs to any Regional & National Championships. Kylee began training at age 8 and became the co-trainer and rider for SpringSong. She started riding dressage at 10 and with her Section C Welsh Pony had many wins, including the USDF All Breed Award. She joined Dressage4 Kids and had the privilege of riding with dressage trainer Lendon Gray. She was invited to participate in the Robert Dover Horsemastership Clinic in Wellington and was nominated for The USDF Shining Star. An opportunity in the summer of 2018 took Kylee to Germany to ride at the Hanoverian Verband and train youngstock at a GRP farm. Kylee has had the honor to ride with many great teachers including Robert Dover, Courtney King Dye, Jeremy Steinberg, and Christophe Theallet. Kylee was a working student through middle & high school and is now based in South Carolina where she is the Assistant Trainer at Indarra Dressage with Head Trainer Justine Wilson. Her current horse is a Hanoverian mare named Red Riding Hood. Her goals for this year include qualifying for the US Dressage Finals and the FEI 4 Year Olds, competing in the FEI Ring and U25. With her hard work and dedication, Kylee is a rising star in the Dressage arena! She is excited to partner with Canter Culture as she loves The Athletic Breech’s fit and fun colors. They are her favorite schooling wear!
@kyleedressage
CLAIRE DARNELL
Winner of the 2022 Markel/USEF Developing Grand Prix National Championship and member of the USEF Dressage Development Program, Claire Darnell is a USDF Bronze, Silver & Gold Medalist with Distinction and recipient of the USDF Bronze, Silver & Gold Freestyle Bars and Diamond Award. She has competed in 12 USEF National Dressage Championships and has won USDF Regional Championship titles through Grand Prix, in addition to numerous USDF Horse of the Year titles. With extensive experience training horses & riders through the FEI levels, Claire provides a goal-oriented training system for horses and riders of all levels, in-person or online, in addition to offering a collection of quality sales horses. Claire wanted to partner with Canter Culture because she loves the flattering & comfortable fit of our Athletic Breech, as well as the grippiness of the seat & compression of the fabric. She is also excited to partner with a women-owned small business based in Texas, her home state for many years!
@clairedarnell
ASHLEIGH RAUEN
Ardent FEI Event rider Ashleigh Rauen doesn’t let the rainy Pacific Northwest cramp her style. With a passion for developing young horses, she has trained several from scratch to Winners at Preliminary level Eventing. Her well established program in the heart of the Puget Sound also boasts a bustling Sales Program – she loves to play match-maker! One of the rare Event riders that actually enjoys Dressage, she spent years as a globe-trotting Working Student for top professionals. She is a USDF Bronze Medalist, with her Silver written in permanent marker on her bucket list. With a big love of outdoor life, she is also an avid member of the Woodbrook Hunt Club (a drag hunt). As a totally self-made Trainer / woman in sports / woman business owner, she is proud to partner with a female owned brand. Canter Culture breeches are fashionable, functional, and BOLD to boot!
@VashonRainRiders
MEGAN PUGH
Megan Pugh is the Head Trainer at Awake Ranch and Retreat Center, located in Mulino, OR. Awake Ranch is a private, boutique-style dressage barn that also hosts retreats, which are team building events that use the power of horses to bring people together. Megan is a Grand Prix dressage rider who has engaged in multiple other disciplines, dressage being her main emphasis, as it is the greatest foundation. She is also an L Program graduate and active clinician. Megan’s training motto is “ride well and find the exhale”. This entails setting firm boundaries but finding a soft place between those boundaries. The ultimate goal of dressage is to find an elastic partnership that promotes self-carriage in the horse. Megan achieves this by understanding what every individual needs and then finding a toolset that works well for each partnership. She emphasizes the rider's position to be clear, independent and correct, which better allows the horse to find its balance and relaxation. Megan brings a sense of cohesive community that promotes a true love for the horse and the sport. “CC breeches have officially become my favorite. I don’t even want to wear any other brands. From the amazing compression fit that doesn’t gap, bunch up or slouch, to the fun colors and prints, they are absolutely my go to!”
TARYN ANDERSON
Taryn is trainer/owner at Lake View Equestrian in Boulder, Co. She is a USDF bronze & silver medalist, with distinction. She also has her freestyle bronze & silver. She has brought several young horses up thru the FEI levels and is currently working towards her gold. She has an extensive show record, including multiple regional USDF championships, national championships at the US dressage finals in Kentucky, has competed several times in CDI’s in Florida and most recently took 2 horses to Lamplight. Taryn is passionate about riding and continuing her education in Florida over the winter and then attending many clinics while here in Colorado. Her goal is to continue competing in the CDIs and see where that takes her. She currently has one horse Figardo on the USEF Emerging young horse program who went to Lamplight for the 5YO his first year competing in the US. Furst Romanov is 10 and has competed in CDIs in FL as well as the Developing PSG at Lamplight, with hopes to also compete in the Developing Grand Prix. Taryn was drawn to Canter Culture breeches for the cool designs and high waist, but then fell in love when she put them on and felt the grippy seat and stretch material!
@tarynandersondressage
SOPHIA HAND
Sophia Hand is a passionate 3-Day Eventer currently training with Team Geven and WR Sport Horses. Her equestrian journey began with hunters before transitioning to eventing in 2019, a decision that solidified her love for the sport. Sophia has since earned numerous honors, including a Pegasus Award from the United States Eventing Association and national recognition as an Intercollegiate National Champion. As a member of the Auburn Eventing Intercollegiate Team, Sophia competed in the Intercollegiate Championships with her talented 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Fernhill the Wild Card (“Wilder”), achieving team National champion honors. Currently competing at the novice level, Sophia and Wilder aim to progress up the levels while fostering a strong partnership. Beyond competition, Sophia balances her equestrian pursuits with academic excellence as a Business Marketing major at Auburn University, where she also minors in Animal Science. With her dedication to horsemanship and continuous growth, Sophia is excited to inspire others in the equestrian community and beyond.
@sophia_hand_eventing_