Stephanie Gustafson » Contact Us

A native of California, Stephanie began riding at the age of five. She has worked her way through a variety of equestrian disciplines, including Western, barrel racing, hunters, and eventing. Stephanie currently combines her training as a historian and her love for horses by focusing on classical dressage, an art form conceived during the Italian Renaissance, both in her reading and daily practice. She works closely with acclaimed author and classical dressage clinician Paul Belasik, and organizes his Southern California clinic series, as well as with Don Sachey, who represented the United States as a member of the USET in international Three-Day Event competition and is often a guest instructor at OVS. She also organizes and rides in clinics with Spanish Riding School Bereiter, Herbert Sieberl. Recently, she participated in an intensive study program with Rafael Soto, Olympic silver medalist and director of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, in Carmona, Spain. At OVS, Stephanie directs the equestrian program and instructs riders at both campuses.

Stephanie lives in Ojai with her husband, John, their children, Alexandra, Matthew and Emma, and a menagerie of pets. Their son, Matthew, graduated from the Upper Campus in 2015 and attends the University of Redlands. Their daughter, Emma, is a sophomore at the Upper Campus.