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The Equestrian Program
Fountain Valley School's beautiful setting on the rolling prairie of Colorado Springs offers a great backdrop for the School's equestrian program. Both boarding and day students can take advantage of training in both English and Western riding, regardless of experience level.
While Western riding has been offered for more than 75 years, the School’s English riding program was started in 2003 by Riding Director Ann Hanna, creating one of the more comprehensive riding programs of its kind in the Western region. Hanna has now experienced the ultimate success with the English program, as the team has won the national title at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association Championships twice in the last four years (2007 and 2010).
The equestrian program is offered as a part of the afternoon program in fall, winter and spring and is geared toward riders of all levels and experience. Similar to any athletic team, FVS riders practice on weekdays from 3:30-5:15 p.m. The program prides itself in teaching highly experienced students as well as those new to the sport. The School maintains a herd of 40 horses that are available to riders who do not board their horses at the School.
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 Ann HannaDirector of Riding Program (719) 390-7035 x 378 University of Denver - B.A. This is Ann’s
fifth year at FVS. She is the manager of Hanna Ranch, Inc., where she
raises cattle, trains horses and gives riding lessons. She gained her
early foundation in dressage, jumping and work ethic from two Prussian
cavalry officers in Chicago. Last year, Ann coached the competitive
team for the English riding program to a national championship in the
Interscholastic Equestrian Association finals. She lives in Hanover,
Colo., and is a member of the Hanover School Board and Hanover Park and
Projects Board. Her daughter, Emy ’09, is a student at Fountain Valley
School, and Maggie is a 2007 graduate.
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 Sorrel DivisAssistant Director of Riding/Head of Western Riding Program (719) 337-9153 Sorrel Divis is in her first year at Fountain Valley School. She began riding horses in the mountains of California at the age of 3 and has been going nonstop since then. For 21 years she has maintained a clientele of equestrian students from the ages of 6 to 68 as the owner and operator of Educated Horses LLC (previously known as Horse Sense). She organized and taught her first youth summer riding camps in 1989 and begin teaching western equitation at Montana State University in 1997. While at MSU, she was an equine manager, riding instructor and ranch head. She also managed more than 100 horses and 2,000 cattle while working every aspect of ranching to some extent.
As a youngster she competed in the California State High School Rodeo Association and junior rodeo events and won awards in gymkhanas and rodeo parades. She has continued to compete and win awards on a regular basis. Most recently she competed in the Latigo Winter Buckle Series, the Elbert (Colo.) Open Horse Show Series, the Tuttle Benefit Ranch Sorting and LCF, and won numerous ribbons and awards. |
 Mark Williams |
| | Equestrian Program Podcast | 1 Audio Clip 868 Views Published: 12/17/2008 |  |
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