Isler Dressage

Kathy Connelly

Kathy Connelly and Zoe
Photo Credit: Brigitte Voelk

Kathy Connelly is one of the leading international riders, trainers and coaches in the United States. She has won National titles at all FEI levels, including the United States Grand Prix Champion and the United States World Cup Champion. She has represented the United States Dressage Team at the World Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden and was the highest placed member of the Grand Prix bronze medal team at the North American Championships. Kathy has trained extensively in Europe with the late Herbert Rehbein from Germany and also trained in Austria with Ernst Bachinger who is the current Director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Kathy has also trained and coached successfully abroad and has trained many successful Grand Prix riders and horses. Among those riders are the 1999 Individual Silver Medalist at the Pan American Games and the 2003 Canadian World Cup Champion. Kathy also coached and chef dequiped in Australia the 2003 Silver Medal United States Young Rider Team and the 1995 NAYRC United States Young Rider Champion. Kathy has also co-chef dequiped the United States Team in Hickstead, England. Kathy currently trains and coaches many Young Riders and top professional riders, among them George Williams and Reese Koffler Stanfield.

Kathy is also known for her expertise in training piaffe-passage in long lines, as well as under saddle. She has done clinics in Holland and Germany and she is a popular clinician throughout the United States.

Kathy has partnered for 10 years with Toine Hoefs of the Netherlands to create one of the leading dressage horse finding services in the world. Many of the most successful horses currently competing in the United States come from Kathy Connelly and Toine Hoefs. For more information please see their website, www.Connelly-Hoefs.com.

Kathy has served for many years in the USEF and USDF organizations in many capacities to help promote Dressage in the United States. She is a longtime member of the High Performance Dressage Committee for the United States Equestrian Team. She is an S judge and a member of the USEF Licensed Officials Committee.

Kathy resides and trains in Concord, Massachusetts spring, summer and fall and Wellington Florida for the winter circuit.