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Jill is a graduate with Distinction from the US Dressage Federation “L” Education Program which is the first step in the Judge’s certification process. She is therefore authorized to judge dressage schooling shows. Jill has been involved with horses since the age of twelve. She began riding with Debbie Adams at Flora Lea Farm in Medford, New Jersey. She credits her time with Debbie with having laid a solid foundation on which to build as an adult. While at Flora Lea, Jill rode many horses of various breeds, types and training levels. One of the most valuable experiences Jill gained from riding with Debbie was the ability to help train many of the green horses that came into the barn so that they could become good lesson horses. Jill competed in Training Level Dressage and Baby Novice Eventing during this time. While at Flora Lea, Jill and her mother bought their first horse, a Quarter Horse cross named Tigger Too! In college, Jill moved to Florida for a short time and had the opportunity to own an off-the-track Thoroughbred named Red Power while she trained with Greta Wrigley. Power had been trained to 3rd Level Dressage and Jill showed him at 1st and 2nd Level. A move back up to New Jersey to finish college and get married forced the sale of Power and a hiatus from riding. She graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Mathematics and taught High School math for three years before beginning her family. Several years ago, Jill bought a Hanoverian gelding named Grande I Am who she has trained from an unruly 5-year-old through 3rd Level dressage, earning numerous awards along the way. They are currently schooling the 4th level movements. She and Grande have also fulfilled a lifetime dream of Jill’s which is to ride Musical Freestyles. This combination of dressage movements and individual choreography to music is the ultimate dance with a horse. Together they have been ESDCTA Champion at 1st Level Musical Freestyle in 2003, ESDCTA Champion at 2nd Level Musical Freestyle in 2004 and ESDCTA Champion at 2nd Level in 2004. Jill and Grande represented ESDCTA as members of the 1st Level Team at the Region One Adult Team Competition in 2003 where their team finished in 1st Place and Jill and Grande were the individual Champions for the level. Jill is also busy with her Dutch Warmblood gelding, Ultimate who she has trained through 1st Level dressage. They are currently schooling the 2nd Level movements. Uli was imported by Jill’s trainer, Heather Mason of Flying Change Farm, from Holland in 2004 as a 3-year-old. Jill plans to begin showing Ultimate at Musical Freestyles in 2007.
Jill and Ultimate Since returning to competition and training with Heather, Jill has earned numerous awards. She is an ESDCTA Bronze and Silver Medalist and has earned the USDF Rider Performance Awards for Training, 1st and 2nd Levels. Her horse, Grande I Am, has earned the USDF Performance Certificate for Training, 1st and 2nd Levels and her horse, Ultimate, has earned the USDF Performance Certificate for 1st Level. Grande was the Reserve Champion in 2003 for the USDF All-Breeds Awards from the American Hanoverian Society for 1st Level Musical Freestyle and placed Fourth in 2004 for 2nd Level Musical Freestyle.
Ed Kuc -
Owner
Ed is a natural resource biologist by profession and has worked throughout the country with wildlife species including black bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions and mountain goats. Ed now owns an environmental consulting company which keeps him out in the woods. Although Ed began riding formally only a few years ago, his experience with horses dates back to his college days. When on an internship with the US Forest Service out west, Ed found it exciting to ride the horses that hadn’t been ridden in years! He liked earning extra spending money by winning bets with people for how long he could stay on these horses. Ed began his “formal” riding a few years ago when a good friend, Aileen (O’Connor) Brown, offered him to go for a ride on one of her Clydesdales named Regina. From his first gallop on Regina through the fields that first day, he has been hooked ever since.
Shortly thereafter, the family bought and almost 3-year-old Quarter Horse who they named “Just Takin’ Chances.” Chance was supposed to be trained into being a family horse, but it didn’t take long to realize that Chance’s mentality best matched Ed’s and Chance became Ed’s personal horse. Although the green horse – green rider combination is not normally a good idea, Chance and Ed have become inseparably and they are even accused by many of sharing the same brain! For a few years, they competed at team penning, but now Ed has found his true calling in Eventing. They made their eventing debut in 2007, and despite a few interesting cross-country rounds, they ended the season winning their last event.
Ed has also evented on his Holsteiner mare, Dark Keioki, coming in 3rd in 2006 at Elementary in the ESDCTA year end awards. They also were Champion in 2006 in W/T/C! Ed has also been competing Jessie's warmblood gelding Thunder at Beginner Novice with great results.
Jessie Kuc – Trainer
2008:
Becky
Kuc – Junior Trainer Becky began riding at the age of seven. In 2003 she and Jessie got their pony, Ranger, and they both competed him at Intro Dressage. At the end of that show season, she purchased a Quarter Horse gelding named Redfords Big Mac. Mac and Becky have been inseparable since then, with many successes in dressage. One of her most recent accomplishments with Mac include Reserve Champion at 1st level for 2008 year end awards. Becky and Mac have competed at various shows on the east coast including Lendon's Youth Dressage Festival in 2006 and 2007, the Region One Junior Team Championships in 2005 and 2007 (Being on the third place team both times), and the BLM Championships in 2007. 2007 was also exciting for Becky as she did a musical freestyle for the first time, getting scores up to a 72% and winning Reserve Champion for Hidden Creek's freestyle award. Becky is also an ESDCTA bronze medalist.
In addition to Mac, Becky has been the official owner of our school horse Rufus since winning a bet with Ed; if she could get a 70% on Rufus, he was her's. Since then they've scored in the 70's at Intro and Training Level and in the 60's at their first show competing at First Level.
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