About Janna
Janna has had the privilage to study with some of the world's top classical dressage trainers. A protegé of Hans Rieger, chief rider at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Janna began working as an apprentice for Herr Riegler in 1997 at his private stables in Austria, and has continued to train with him since then. She has also studied in Switzerland with Herr Riegler's own mentor, Georg Wahl, and Herr Wahl's protegé Christine Stückelberger, six-time Olympian and individual gold medalist. In the upper mid-west, Janna has studied with several noted FEI riders, including her first mentor, Anne McKay, Anita Adams, and Bill Solytjes. She has also attended clinics with internationally reputed clinicians such as Karl Mikolka and Conrad Schumacher, as well as hosted yearly clinics with Herr Riegler in MN.
Since 2000, when Janna graduated from Macalester College with degrees in German and Music, she has provided dressage lessons and training in a variety of settings. During four years of graduate school at the Eastman School of Music in New York, she helped establish a dressage training program at a Swedish Warmblood breeding farm, and worked as an assistant trainer to FEI rider Debbie Lockemeyer, as well as working with private clients. Additionally, she made several trips to Austria to train with Herr Riegler during these years, including a whole year spent there in 2005-06.
Janna returned to her native Minnesota in 2006, where she now resides and trains a dedicated group of riders and horses at Chinnock Farms. In 2008 she purchased the Dutch Warmblood mare Godiva, then already 19 years old, and trained and competed her through the FEI levels all the way to a Grand Prix debut when Godiva was 23 years old! While earning her USDF silver medal and part of a gold, Janna demonstrated that classical methods can really keep a horse sound and performing enthusiastically, even at the highest levels, up to an advanced age. Janna also holds the USDF bronze medal award, earned on horses that she trained and showed for her clients.
Janna got her start as a young equestrian at the Windy Ridge Ranch in Minnesota under the guidance of Mark Ward. While learning to safely enjoy riding horses on the flat, over fences, on the trail, and playing games, Janna developed a passion for dressage riding, which she pursued further with the help of grand prix trainer Anne McKay of Aux Chevaux Dressage Center. Working as an apprentice at Aux Chevaux through high school and college, as well as training with Anne down in Florida during the competition season, Janna gained experience riding everything from green young horses to advanced school-masters, as well as insight into the operation of a successful dressage breeding and training facility.
During a college study abroad trip to Austria, Janna established a connection with Hans Riegler, and had her first opportunity to spend a summer as a working student at his private stables. With over 40 high quality sport horses stabled at his facility, including Olympic horses and several Lipizzaner stallions from the Spanish Riding School, Janna learned a great deal about European methods of training and horse care. Through daily lessons with Herr Riegler on advanced school-masters and working privately owned horses at the stable under his guidance, Janna gained firsthand experience in the classical principles of riding and training. She has since returned for several additional summers of training with Herr Riegler, and spent the entirety of 2005-06 in Vienna training with him on privately owned horses. In recent years, she has also brought him to Minnesota for clinics to work with Janna and her clients on their horses.
At the recommendation of Herr Riegler, Janna traveled to Switzerland in 2010 to train with Christine Stückelberger and Georg Wahl on Frau Stückelberger's horses. Herr Wahl was one of Herr Riegler's primary teachers at the Spanish Riding School, and also coached his partner, Frau Stückelberger, through six Olympics and five medals, including an individual gold medal on the legendary Granat. Janna now represents Frau Stückelberger's high quality warmbloods for sale in the USA.
