CPI Florida Hire-A-Coach

The CPI Horse Show requires participants to be coached by a trainer during the horse show competition. If an athlete’s trainer is not available to coach the participant, the CPI provides experienced coaching services for a fee of $80 per participant. Each participant will be coached in the flat class and the over fences class by a CPI trainer.

All CPI Hire-a-Coach fees are NON REFUNDABLE

Meet the CPI Trainers

HEATHER CLARK

CENTENARY UNIVERSITY

Clark joined Centenary’s faculty in 2007 as an Instructor of Equine Studies, and co-coach of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) hunter seat team. Since joining Centenary, she has helped coach the IHSA team to three national championship titles, a reserve champion title, and three Cacchione Cup champions.

In 2003, Heather coached the Lafayette College IHSA Team and was named Coach of the Year in 2005 for IHSA Zone 3 Region 4. In 2002, she formed HCL Stables in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, where she trains beginners through advanced riders, in all aspects of hunters, jumpers, and equitation. Her students compete in shows throughout the Northeast including finals in all three rings.

Earlier in her career, Clark was a show and sale barn rider/trainer in the Alan Waldman in the Netherlands. She was the assistant rider, trainer, and road manager for Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm, and the assistant rider/trainer for Olympian, Nona Garson. As a junior, she worked with trainers Leslie Burr Howard, Linda Kossick Langmeier, Sarah Dalton-Morris, and Jenny Martin.

During her own intercollegiate riding career, as a senior at the University of Massachusetts, she had a top-10 finish in the Cacchione Cup at the IHSA Nationals.

RANDI GARDNER

ALBION COLLEGE

Gardner joined the Albion College – Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center staff in October of 2011. Previously an instructor, stable manager, and team coach at YMCA Camp Letts Equestrian Center just outside of Washington, D.C., Gardner has a wealth of experience working with horses and riders in multiple disciplines, including hunt seat, western, eventing, dressage, and even polocrosse. Prior to her work at Camp Letts, she was the barn manager and head riding instructor at Reverie Acres Riding Academy, the first United States Pony Club-approved riding center in Maryland. Gardner was also the center administrator for the USPC program at Reverie Acres, as well as the leader for the stable’s 4-H club.

Gardner’s role as director of equestrian operations includes full responsibility for all facets of daily life at the Held Center, including herd and facility management, oversight of stable managers and staff, oversight of lesson instruction and scheduling, event development and coordination, and working with various other campus departments to make the equestrian program a seamless part of Albion’s campus.

She is also the coach of the varsity hunt seat team. Since coming on board as a coach in 2011, Coach Gardner has had many individuals and the team compete at the IHSA regional, zone and national levels. The Albion College hunt seat team was the champion regional team in 2013 and 2014, and Gardner coached the team’s first individual rider to IHSA Nationals in 2014.

If you would like to use the CPI Hire-a-Coach program, please click here.