Heidi Basler

USDF Bronze, Silver & Gold Medalist
NAYRC Team Bronze Medalist
Grand Prix Competitor & Trainer

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Heidi has been training and competing at the FEI levels of dressage for over 15 years. She began riding at age 6 at Lowell Boomer's Great Plains Equestrian Center and participated in pony club for many years. Most recently, Heidi and her Grand Prix Danish mare, Mon Cheri, spent 7 months training with Danish Olympian Lars Petersen at Legacy Farms in Florida. She has also worked with Grand Prix riders Hokan Thorn, Jan Ebeling, Jesper Baek, Shannon Dueck and Alison Sader Larson, and ridden in clinics with top dressage trainers including Rudolph Zeilinger, Conrad Schumacher, Scott Hassler, Kathy Connelly, Betsy Steiner, Robert Dover, Lisa Wilcox, Neil Ishoy, Volker Brommann and Lilo Fore.

Heidi has recently had success in the FEI ring with two horses, the Danish mare, Mon Cheri, and the Rheinlander stallion, Le Mode. In 2007, Heidi and Cheri had 3 Top Ten finishes in High Performance classes in Florida, aiming for the Pan Am Games Selection Trials. In 2008, Heidi and Cheri moved up to Grand Prix and Heidi quickly earned her USDF Gold Medal.

Heidi began training the Rheinland Pfalz Saar (RPSI) stallion, Le Mode, for Solomon Farm in 2006. Le Mode and former junior rider, Laura Vonk, had competed successfully at Training And First Level. In 2008, Heidi and Le Mode made their FEI debut at Dressage at Equestrian Estates in Florida and finished the year as RPSI Prix St. Georges Champions.

Heidi had a successful advanced young rider career, qualifying for the North American Young Riders Championships five times on three different horses. She finished in the top 12 twice and was a member of the bronze medal team in 1996. Heidi was the Young Rider Reserve Champion at the 1997 USET Festival of Champions in Gladstone, NJ, and also won the YR Team Test at the 1997 CDI-Raleigh. In 1998, Heidi and the Friesian mare, Bold Contender, ranked third in the USDF Year End Awards for Junior/Young Riders at Intermediaire I. During this time, Heidi was also selected to ride in the Advanced Young Rider Clinics with Conrad Schumacher.

After Young Riders, Heidi's focus turned to training young horses, including the Oldenburg mare, Donna Karan. Heidi and Donna placed seventh in the 2002 US Young Horse Central Selection Trials for the World Breeding Championships and ranked 8th in the 2003 USDF Year-End Awards for FEI Six-Year-Olds. Also in 2003, Heidi was selected to be a demo rider for the USDF Adult Clinic Series with Walter Zettl.

For the past 5 years Heidi has been invited to attend the Young Dressage Horse Trainers Symposium led by US Young Horse Coach, Scott Hassler. In 2010, Heidi was also selected to ride in the USEF Young Horse Training Sessions with Scott, with her 5-year-old Rheinlander mare, Celeste.

In 2004, Heidi attended the USDF Instructor Certification workshops as a participating instructor. Heidi has trained numerous horses to FEI and her students have successfully competed through Intermediaire I, earning USDF medals and winning regional and national awards. Heidi has a positive and relaxed approach to teaching and she strives to help her students reach their goals through classical dressage training.

Heidi trains year-round in the Wellingon, FL area. She is available for lessons, training and day clinics, and can travel to your barn. She also offers weekend clinics throughout the US and coaching at regional and national competitions.

Photos by Sharon Packer and Lightsource Images