Ila Handy will be doing a dressage demonstration on Wednesday June 6 at the Germantown Charity Horse Show for the Delta Dressage Association. Ila will be riding her 14 year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, Ruffino ("Roo"), who she has competed through Intermediare I. She will be riding a freestyle to tango music.
Ila is a United States Dressage Association (USDF) Bronze and Silver Medalist, and is the recipient of the Silver Freestyle Bar. She is a trainer and instructor at the Mid-south Dressage Academy (MDA) in Hernando, MS.
Ila has lived in the Memphis area for 6 years, with her husband Nick Handy, who is also a dressage trainer, and a part-time elephant keeper at the Memphis Zoo.
Ila grew up riding her family’s horses in Northern California and in New England, trying a variety of disciplines (western pleasure, jumping, 4-H horse activities). She discovered dressage through eventing and was immediately drawn to the elegance of the sport and the emphasis on harmony between horse and rider.
She rode with Sue Roberto as a working student and became her assistant trainer, and then went on to ride with Christopher Hickey, Volker Bromman and Tom Noone. Her passions for performance and dressage led her to perform with the World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions and then Cavalia for three years. Since landing in the Memphis area she's worked again with Volker and Tom, and with Karl Mikolka and Debbie Hill, among others.
She is a yoga enthusiast and her experience of practicing yoga for six years has greatly influenced her riding. She advocates the use of breath, awareness, and balance with her students.
For more information, visit MDA’s website: www.midsouthdressageacademy.org/
Ila is a United States Dressage Association (USDF) Bronze and Silver Medalist, and is the recipient of the Silver Freestyle Bar. She is a trainer and instructor at the Mid-south Dressage Academy (MDA) in Hernando, MS.
Ila has lived in the Memphis area for 6 years, with her husband Nick Handy, who is also a dressage trainer, and a part-time elephant keeper at the Memphis Zoo.
Ila grew up riding her family’s horses in Northern California and in New England, trying a variety of disciplines (western pleasure, jumping, 4-H horse activities). She discovered dressage through eventing and was immediately drawn to the elegance of the sport and the emphasis on harmony between horse and rider.
She rode with Sue Roberto as a working student and became her assistant trainer, and then went on to ride with Christopher Hickey, Volker Bromman and Tom Noone. Her passions for performance and dressage led her to perform with the World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions and then Cavalia for three years. Since landing in the Memphis area she's worked again with Volker and Tom, and with Karl Mikolka and Debbie Hill, among others.
She is a yoga enthusiast and her experience of practicing yoga for six years has greatly influenced her riding. She advocates the use of breath, awareness, and balance with her students.
For more information, visit MDA’s website: www.midsouthdressageacademy.org/
