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Lynn Kerin

President

Lynn and her Husband Jon own and operate, Brookside Farm, a small dressage farm in Fuquay Varina, NC.  Lynn has  been on the NCDCTA board for many years.  Lynn rides her 16 year old Dutch warmblood Wicarla.  In her professional life she worked in HR for a Fortune 500 company.

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Helen Ingersoll

Vice President

Helen Ingersoll is an educator of both horses and humans based out of Cedar Grove, NC. She comes to the board with a 25 year career in entrepreneurship and well over a decade of non profit experience. She is excited to take this experience and help serve the NCDCTA organization and its membership.

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Heather Turner

Treasurer

Heather is originally from Asheville, NC, and now lives in Durham, NC with her husband and two daughters.  Heather is an enthusiastic supporter of both girls’ passions for dressage and eventing.  In her professional life, Heather works in Human Resources and attended UNC-Chapel Hill receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  As Treasurer, Heather is excited to work with the NCDCTA Board to add value and serve all current and future members.

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Tonya Bruno

Recording Secretary

Tonya Bruno lives in Hillsborough, NC with her Husband Ralph and her 5 Homebred Foundation Morgans on their Felicity Farm. Tonya is an AA Dressage Competitor and lifelong learner. Before retiring to be a full time Farm Worker, Tonya worked in a variety of Sales and Marketing senior roles in the Building Materials Industry. She served on the Boards of the National Association of Remodeling Industry, Washington, DC (Past President), the Morgan Dressage Association and Cornerstone Foundation Morgan Horses. 

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Charlotte Meli

Member at Large

Charlotte Meli currently resides in Raleigh, NC with her husband Taylor. She is an AA dressage rider currently training with Susie Wiedman of Encore Sporthorse with the goal of achieving her USDF Bronze Medal. Charlotte currently teaches in the Animal Science Department at North Carolina State University, where she earned her PhD in 2019. She is very excited to be given the opportunity to participate in the NCDCTA as a member at large.

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Jessica Brown

Member at Large

Jessica, an AA aspiring eventer lives in Chatham county on a working farm with their collection of sporthorses and quarter horses. Living the adult amature life she balances teaching full time at a local community college, raising two active kids and helping manage a family farm. 

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Sarah Bookner

Member at Large (Gala)

Sarah Bookner is originally from northern Ohio, but has lived in NC for years. She is an AA eventer with her Swedish Warmblood, based out of Heather Ridge Farm in Raeford, working with multiple trainers of different disciplines to feed her appetite for a broad riding education.

She works for Merck Animal Health as a national account manager, traveling across the country focusing on large fleet and ecommerce accounts in the livestock and equine industries.

She can be found volunteering at the Carolina Horse Park or setting up at shows with M&M Tack Shop. 

Sarah is looking forward to a great partnership with the NCDCTA as a Member-at-Large!

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Erica Pawlak

Competition Chair

Erica is a Michigan native based in Hillsborough.  She grew up a barn rat which turned into a BS and PhD in Animal Science.  Her research included the impacts of stress on the immune system and the molecular biology of laminitis.  In the past several years she has pursued education in natural horsemanship, biomechanics, and dressage.  Erica has served in a variety of equestrian volunteer positions, including CANTER of Michigan, MSU Intercollegiate Polo, and the Heart of the Carolinas Classic 3 Day Event.  While her primary riding focus is dressage, she also enjoys dressing up in everything Spartan green and jumping the smallest jumps available.  Erica is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve, learn, and grow with the 2023 NCDCTA board.

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Becca Swann

Eventing Chair

Becca Swann, owner of Swann CT, LLC, lives and is based out of Sanford, NC. Becca has been riding since she was a young girl, and teaching for over ten years, specializing in starting young horses. She loves helping riders build partnerships with their horses, and watching them grow as a team. Becca and her husband Rob have recently welcomed their son Jameson "JJ" to the world and are loving the new journey as parents. She is excited to join the board, and hopes to add some spunk to the eventing side of the NCDCTA.

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Donna Orr

Communication Chair

Coming Soon

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Jennifer Flowers

Junior/Young Rider Chair

Jennifer Flowers is a USEF Para-Dressage Coach, USDF L Graduate, and USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist. She also owns and operates her Training and Riding Academy, out of her family farm in Statesville, NC. Mother of two children, Jennifer is looking forward to give back and encourage new and current NCDCTA 's JR/YR through it's wonderful opportunities in 2022!

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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! 

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Amy Brumbach

Junior/Young Rider Eventing Chair

Amy Brumbach is originally from Pennsylvania,but moved to the Triangle Area in 1992 with her mom and brother.  Amy stuck around the Triangle Area since then and now resides in Mebane, NC.  While an avid animal lover growing up, Amy did not have the opportunity to start riding until in college.  While attending NC State (majoring in Animal Science), Amy rode at at a local hunter/jumper barn that also had dressage lessons.  After a summer equine breeding internship at Horizon Farms in Barrington, IL, Amy decided she wanted to become a breeding manager and someday own her own breeding farm.  Then, after college, in 2002, Amy took a job as Breeding Barn Manager at Rougemont Sport Horses (now Pura Vida Farm) with Ellen Ziemer.  After a few years in the breeding business, Amy decided it was time to get some experience teaching, which she did at several Stables over the next 15 years.  In 2018, Amy and her business partner, Suzan Hamilton, opened GaitWay Stables.  Originally residing in Durham, GaitWay Stables is a medium sized teaching/training business that focuses on eventing and a fusion of classical dressage meets natural horsemanship.  GaitWay has outgrown their Durham location, so they will be moving to Hillsborough in April 2022. From the beginning of Amy's teaching career, she has been passionate about continuing education and regularly attends and/or audits workshops and clinics. Amy is excited to serve as Dressage Education Co-Chair to help offer educational opportunities to NCDCTA members. 

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.

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