About Tahquitz
Tahquitz Equestrian Facility is a private horse boarding facility located on 40 acres overlooking the Santa Rosa mountains in Southern California’s beautiful Coachella Valley, owned and operated by Laurie and Scott Cunningham. Tahquitz offers two riding rings, a mile long track and plenty of room to enjoy the Facility’s pastures, horses and spectacular desert scenery. Tahquitz provides service for beginners through advanced “AA” Circuit hunters, jumpers, dressage and eventing. Tahquitz is also an accredited United States Pony Club Riding Center.
Tahquitz is within 3 miles driving distance of the HITS Thermal Desert Horse Park, the largest “AA” show facility in the Western United States, home of the HITS Desert Circuit, now offering 6+ weeks of world-class hunter/jumper competition from January through March of each year, and is equally close to the famed Eldorado and Empire Polo Clubs, the winter home of polo in the Western United States.
Laurie Cunningham is Tahquitz’s head trainer. Raised on her family’s Strang Ranch in Colorado, Laurie grew up with horses from a young age. Her lifetime show experience spans most of the top horse shows in North America, including Spruce Meadows in Calgary and the Indio Desert Circuit. A consummate horsewoman, she combines training, horse care, nutrition and environment to help develop strong, capable horses and riders.
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| Vanessa Carter | Meg Schulman |
| Associate trainer Vanessa Carter’s riding career began at age 10 at H2J Riding School in Colorado where she worked to buy her first pony and became an H2J junior counselor. She left Colorado for Hollins College in Roanoke VA, where she earned a BA in environmental science, and rode under veteran Riding Director Nancy Peterson and trainer Sandy Gerald on the Hollins Intercollegiate Equestrian Team, where she took third place for three years at the Intercollegiate National Horse Show. This started her career in the horse world at training facilities including Full Circle Farm, Glenwillow Farm in Ocala, The Strang Ranch in Colorado, and Seabreeze Farm, which took her to horse shows around the USA and Canada, before coming to Tahquitz Equestrian Facility in October 2008. When she is not training during the hot desert summer at Tahquitz, Vanessa returns as one of the advanced riding instructors at H2J Riding School for the camp season in the cool mountains of Colorado. | Tahquitz is also proud to host veteran trainer and USEF hunter/jumper judge, Meg Schulman, throughout the year. Meg provides a correct, classical approach to equitation which is indispensable as riders move through their career. Meg’s experience as a judge in top shows throughout the United States gives riders an invaluable perspective on riding in competition. Please check the Tahquitz calendar for the latest updates on Meg’s next visit. |
We look forward to seeing you and your horse at Tahquitz soon.
