Board of Directors
Heather Boyer
Member at Large (Sponsorship)
Heather Hamilton Boyer has been an NCDCTA member for many years. She and her students have earned HOY Awards and she uses HOY to give herself and students a direction for the year. She is excited to be a new member of the board and hopes to provide versatile viewpoints and help keep the NCDCTA members full and inspired. She is always working towards furthering her education and believes knowledge and growth is open ended and we are only limited by our imagination and willingness to work for what we want. She is currently an l Graduate with Distinction working towards her USEF "r" in Traditional Dressage. Her exam is in July of 2025. She is also currently a USEF "r" Western Dressage judge working towards her USEF "R" in Western Dressage. Horses have always been in her life and there have been some special ones to help her achieve riding goals such as earning her USDF Bronze and Silver medals with and without distinction.These special horses have taught her many lessons and were more than just a means to an end, but a part of shaping her into the horse woman and dressage judge she is today. She also helps her mom run Heather Ridge Farm and is an advocate for trying to keep our sport and horses in general accessible to all.
Ellie Balakrishnan
Member at Large (Gala)
Ellie Balakrishnan recently graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in Biostatistics. She’s been riding since middle school and recently purchased her first horse after leasing him for over three years. She competes and trains in both dressage and eventing with Amy Brumbach at Gaitway Stables. Ellie is newly involved with the NCDCTA as Member at Large/Gala Chair and is super excited to be working with a nonprofit organization that she is so passionate about!
Amanda (Mandi) Martyn
Junior/Young Rider Chair
A Canadian native, Amanda (Mandi) Martyn currently resides in Burlington, NC with her husband Steve, children Logan and Jane and two dogs, Rocket and Maple. Owner of ACM Dressage, LLC, Mandi is a professional dressage rider, USDF bronze and silver medalist, trainer and coach. In her (other) professional life, Mandi earned her PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph in 2010 and is currently a Visiting Professor of Biology at Wake Forest University. She is excited to be a part of the NCDCTA Board and hopes to bring fresh perspective and ideas to the organization.
Ali LaTorre
Dressage Chair
Ali Perkins LaTorre is a USDF gold medalist and certified instructor. She runs a dressage training business in Hillsborough, NC. She also has an equine-assisted after school reading program called Rearing2Read. Ali is currently working on a Masters in Education at Elon University. Ali is excited to organize some educational opportunities for NCDCTA members in 2023!
About NCDCTA
The North Carolina Dressage & Combined Training Association (NCDCTA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the equestrian sports of dressage and combined training (eventing). Run by volunteers, the association and its members regularly organize and sponsor various activities designed to heighten its members’ and the general public’s knowledge of and appreciation for dressage and combined training.
NCDCTA is a Region 1 Group Member Organization of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF). NCDCTA is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the United States, boasting over 700 members. NCDCTA members range from first-time riders to Olympians.