Meet your trainers
Trainer Debbi Long
Debbi Long has been an avid equestrian since she was 4 years old, growing up in the Pasadena, California area with horses in the backyard. She rode under the umbrella of Jimmy Williams at Flintridge for a portion of her junior years. The college years include a degree in Early Childhood Education and an Elementary Teaching Certificate. Later equestrian opportunities include working three years for Rudy Leone and Dusty Blackwood in northern California where the focus was the importation and development of Dutch Warmbloods.
Patty Ball of Penryn CA put an equitation polish to her ride. Since moving to Idaho in 1992, she works with Bob McDonald, as well as nationally respected clinicians such as George Morris and Frank Selinger. As a mom of 3 grown sons and a grandmother of 6, Debbi values the importance of family and relationships. The Long family owns and operates Cascade Raft and Kayak in Idaho during the summer months, and conducts adventure travel trips to Chile in the winter.
Trainer: Laura DeCesari
Trainer: Midori Bennet
Midori started showing at age 4 in Connecticut in the pony ring under the instruction of Emerson Burr. Her family moved to Boise for a brief time in the early eighties where she learned about Pony Club and the local circuits and then moved on to Seattle under the wings of Brad Laird and Mike Crooks. Midori then spent her last junior year back at the Fairfield County Hunt Club under the instruction of Bruce and Sari Burr and Brian and Leslie (Burr) Lenehan, where she qualified for Indoors and the medal finals.
After successfully teaching hunters, equitation and jumpers in the Seattle area for 6 years, she and her son moved to Boise to be closer to family. With all her experiences, Midori is confident and comfortable teaching beginners with their first pony up through Grand Prix.

Trainer: Matias Fernandez
Matias Fernández is a professional jumping rider from Chile. Since he was young he always knew that he wanted to work with horses. He travelled to Europe as soon as he finished studying in order to work and improve his riding skills. In Europe he worked, amongst others, at the famous Belgian stud “Zangersheide” from Leon Melchior and trained with John Whitaker in England.
When he returned to Chile he continued his successful career as a show-jumper, winning several Grand Prix at the national and international level including the famous international Grand Prix at the CSI “Sol the Mayo” in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For several years he was part of the Chilean Equipe representing Chile at several international competitions, such as the Pan-American Games and the South American Championships.

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