About Melodye Sweetin
Melodye has worked with elite Sport Horses at Prestigous Farms all across the country: West Coast, East Coast and Midwest. Among them is Iron Spring Farm where she worked with "ISF Par Favour" by Rampal at Dressage at Devon where he was Champion in the three & four year old colt & gelding Dressage Suitability Class.
While at Iron Spring Farm, she made contacts and trips to Sweden, Denmark, & Holland where dressage horses were selected and imported for clients. Trained & managed these horses upon their arrival in the U.S.
Melodye is an effective, confidence building dressage instructor & trainer. She began her intensive dressage training when she retired from a career as a ballet dancer. She brings the discipline, knowledge of physiology, kinesiology, & the aesthetic eye of a classically trained artist to the dressage arena to help her students improve through a well balanced seat.
Melodye Sweetin continues her education under the instruction of David Collins, author of "Dressage Masters". David is a graduate of the Swedish national riding school system, and has lived, trained, & shown in Europe & the United States through Grand Prix. Most recently spending time writing his book with Klaus Balkenhol, Ernst Hoyas, Dr. Schulten-Baumer, & Georg Theodorescu.
Theodorescu, better known as “Mister Dressage” needs no introduction. He trained the U.S.A. Team for the 1984 Olympics, the Canadian Team in 1986, and the French Team in 1996. Mr. Theodorescu has poured out his finest into his daughter Monica at their farm in Germany. She is a member of the German Team and has been awarded numerous Gold Medals.
As a sporthorse breeder herself, Melodye Sweetin has developed award winning Oldenburgs who are winning in recognized dressage classes. In 2002 Meloye's 4 year Oldenburg, won the Materiale Class at Dressage at Devon. She has been an active participant in warmblood breeding organizations & has been a guest speaker with numerous breed registries concerning the preparation of young horses for performance tests.
Training Influences:
- Michael Beining
- Gerhard Politz
- David Collins
- Alexa Schulten-Baumer
- Carol Grant
- Jerry Schwartz
- Magnus Hamilton
- Col. Axel Steiner
- Manfred Lewis
- Hokan Thorn
- Jaap Pott
- Nicole Uphoff
- Henke Van Bergen
- Isabel von Neumann-Cosul
Overview.
2007
Manage & operate a training/teaching/breeding facility in Frederick, Maryland area.
Continuing education riding with David Collins, author of "Dressage Masters". David is a graduate of the Swedish national riding school system, and has lived, trained, & shown in Europe & the United States through Grand Prix. Most recently spending time writing his book with Klaus Balkenhol, Ernst Hoyas, Dr. Schulten-Baumer, & Georg Theodorescu.
Prepared Junior-Young Rider Team for Team Championships at Morven Park, Leesburg, Virginia. Team won Stable Management Award & finished in the ribbons.
Continue training & showing project horse, "Davidson".
Safely delivered numerous foals, including first foal crop from my former stallion.
2006
Manage & operate a training/teaching/breeding facility in Frederick, Maryland area.
Continuing education with David Collins, & also with Isabel von-Neumann Cosul, co author of "Balance in Motion", a book dedicated to finding your perfect classical riding seat.
Acquired new project horse, "Davidson", after the loss of my beloved angel horse, "Capital Gains".
Begin training & showing "Davidson".
2005
Relocate to Frederick, Marland area. Freelance dressage training & instruction in Frederick, area. SCDCTA guest clinician. Consistent clinician in Camden, South Carolina where students were consistently winning at second & third level in recognized competition.
Continue sport horse breeding program.
2004
Manage & operate a training/teaching /breeding facility in Northern Virginia.
Founding member of the "Equine Wellness Consortium" dedicated to advocacy for the equine species 21st century emerging health issues and the perpetuation of the craft of classical horsemanship.
Popular clinician in Camden, South Carolina.
Acquired 6 year old Oldenburg, "Capital Gains", for dressage prospect.
2003
Manage & operate a training/teaching/breeding facility in Northern Virginia.
Attended USDF National Trainer Symposium. Served as Educational Committee Chairman for the Mid-Atlantic Hanoverian Society.
Continuing education with Gerhard Politz.
Continue sport horse breeding program.
Said farewell to my beloved teacher & horse, "Rainier".
2002
Manage & operate a training/teaching/breeding facility in Northern Virginia. Trained & presented home bred Oldenburg gelding at Dressage at Devon where he was Materiale Champion with a score of 75.9%.
Paticipated in USDF/Vada/Nova clinics with Gerhard Politz.
2001
Freelance dressage instruction and training in Chester County, Pa.
Elected to board of directors of the Large Animal Protection Society.
2000
Trained 5 three year old Dutch Warmbloods for Iron Spring Farm. Trained &exhibited "ISF Par Favour" by Rampal at Dressage at Devon where he was Champion in the three & four year old colt & gelding Dressage Suitability Class.
Made contacts and trip to Sweden, Denmark, & Holland where dressage horses were selected & imported for clients. Trained & managed these horses upon their arrival in the U.S.
1999
Employed by private farms in Chester County, Pa. where responsibilities included training & management of numerous dressage horses, green through Grand Prix.
1998
Manage & operate a training/teaching/breeding facility in North Carolina. Trained & qualified "Dalliance" for BLM's at third level. My working student won the BLM Firsl Leve Junior Championship in a large competitive class.
1995-1997
Apprenticeship with Hokan Thorn. Responsible for all aspects of care for up to 24 horses in training. Interface with vets, farriers, & owners. Rode up to 10 horses per day, green through Grand Prix.
Instructed clients on their horses & coached at horse shows.
Prepared young horses for performance tests.
1995
Apprenticeship with Manfred Lewis. Responsible for all aspects of care for up to 12 horses in training. Rode numerous young horses.
1995-1996
Director of Dressage Instruction at Victoria Station Farm, a 60 stall sport horse training facility in St. Paul, Minnesota.
1995-1997
Schooled the Grand Prix movements on "Asterix" an imported Hanoverian trained at Warrendorf & exhibited at Aachen, and "Parvenue Two", an imported Wesfalen by "Paradox" that competed in the USET selections for the 1996 Olympics.
1985-1995
Intensive dressage & jumping training. Purchased young horse, trained, exhibited & sold. Began riding horses for others.
Started breeding warmblood horses.
Prior to 1985
Professional ballet dancer. Long time student of John Kriza, American Ballet Theatre's former Artistic Director. Mr. Kriza remains primary inspiration & influence as instructor.
Danced in ballets including "Swan Lake", "Giselle", "Sleeping Beauty", & "Nutcracker", and in musical theatre productions such as "West Side Story"
Performed with dance groups such as The American Ballet Theatre, The Stuttgart Ballet, & The Chicago Lyric Opera. Between 1980-1985 studied & performed with Lirena Branitski who emigrated from the USSR where she had been a soloist with the Kiev Ballet.
Taught many ballet sudents, some that went on to dance in companies such as The Joffrey Ballet, The American Ballet Theatre, The San Francisco Ballet, & The Boston Ballet.
