Barn Life - Working Students
WORKING STUDENT PROGRAM
Rebecca knows well the value of working student programs, having logged over ten years in that role as a developing young rider herself. In turn, her barns have now launched several riders onto high performance careers. The Fork & Rebecca offer a substantive working student opportunity for learning, training and likely working harder & longer than you have ever done before !
Feb 2012: There are no working student positions available at this time.
Katie Shiplett (Carbondale, IL)
Katie has been at the Fork since August 2011. She competes at the training level with her 6 year old thoroughbred Gabrie,l and is an active C3 level member of the Boskydell Pony Club . This is her first experience as a working student and reports loving “every minute of it”!
Joelle Baskerville (Calgary, Alberta)
Joelle headed to the Fork in April to prepare for this years North American Young Riders Championships. She competes at the intermediate level on Malibu, a 10 yr old Hungarian warmblood/TB cross. In the 2010 season, Malibu successfully competed at the intermediate level as well as the CCI** at Jersey Fresh and the CCI** for team Canada at NAYRC.
Jessica Meckes (N.Carolina)
Jessica arrived at the Fork June 2011. She is active in Pony Club - achieving her HA rating and currently competes her mount Karma’s Shadow (Beckham) at the preliminary level. She previously trained with Holly Hudspeth and will graduate from East Carolina University with a Public Relations and Communications degree this fall (2011).
Dana Cooke (Merritt, BC)
Dana succumbed to the Fork's "gravitational pull" in August 2008, arriving with her mount Santino. Prior to this she had acheived her "A" level Pony Club and had competed at the Preliminary level under the guidance of Lynne Larsen back in BC. Dana spent the year as a working student for Rebecca then a year employeed at Dream Catcher Equestrian in Charlotte NC. After the purchase her current mount -World Premiere Dana returned to the Fork...stepping into rebecca Von Schweinitz's shoes as Rebecca's right hand, with 2 star goals for herself & World Premiere in 2011.
Ashley Kriegel (South Carolina)
Ashley is a 22 year old event rider who had competed at The Fork Horse Trials several times before becoming a working student for Rebecca in March 2011. She competes her horse Maybelline Cover Girl at the Intermediate level and is planning on the CIC** at Jersey Fresh in May and CCI** at Bromont in June. Prior to her arrival at The Fork, Ashley trained with four star rider Holly Hudspeth, attained her C-3 rating in Pony Club and had graduated from Clemson University.
Rebecca von Schweinitz (South Carolina)
Little rebecca (aka "LR") was first introduced to the Fork through a riding clinic in August 2007. Leaving her horse in training with Rebecca, she returned as an official Fork working student in July 2008, and was functioning as Rebecca's primary groom and superintendent by 2009. Throughout her tenure at the Fork, LR advanced to the preliminary levels (winning that division at Souther Pines II 2010) with her mare Bombay Sapphire. Her management of the barn was essential to Rebecca's recovery from injury during the spring of 2010, as well as Rupert's health & well being at the World Equestrian Games later that season. In part, these events led to the establishing of her own business LR Equestrian which includes sales of Hit Air Vests and HayGain product lines.
Stephanie Rhodes Bosch (Summerland BC)
Stephanie and her horse Port Authority now familiar names in International Eventing, gained introduction to the High Performance event world at The Fork. Steph arrived as a working student in March 2007, in preparation for the 2008 NAYRC's. Making her Intermediate debut in August 2007, she continued onto top Canadian finishes at the Florida CCI**International, and individual bronze at NAYRC 2008, her three star debut in 2009, top Canadian finishes at Rolex (5th) and the World Equestrian Games (9th) in 2010, and Badminton for 2011. Stephanie & Ollie have trained full time with Canadian team coach David O'Connor since 2009.
Danica Moore (Salmon Arm,BC)
April 2005 thru May 2006. Dunlavin working student and BC Young Rider from Salmon Arm BC, Danica completed her first one star competition at the Morven Park 3 Day Event in Leesburg Virginia on her 9 yr old TB - Astrix. Her current mount Dunlavin Token is a 2000 Belgium warmblood imported from Argentina by Rebecca in 2005. She currently lives in Middleburg, VA and is long listed with the Canadian Eventing Team with the 2011 Pan Am’s in view.
Melissa Moore (Salmon Arm, BC).
Melissa worked for Rebecca starting in August 2004. She was a major contributor to the Dunlavin Barn in Virginia, and then headed to The Fork in March 2007. November of that year, Melissa and her Argentine import Noble Dunlavin were 4th place finishers in the 1/2 star at the Florida International Florida. Melissa has since returned to Canada to pursue a career in Nursing, which is excellent because every barn needs at least one Nurse in it !
Cassidy Sitton (Cobden, Illinois)
Cassidy Sitton began riding as a Hunter/Jumper before moving on to Eventing. She arrived at the Dunlavin Barn in Virginia December 2006 taking over the ride of Canadian mount Balladeer Ted. She has herH-A rating in Pony Club and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Ball State University with an Honors Degree in Marketing, riding for the BSU Equestrian Team. After her working student tenure with Dunlavin Eventing she took on the marketing program at The Fork. Cassidy is now based out of Raleigh, North Carolina where she trains and teaches clients and competes with her horse Subway Prophet.