Many children start riding saying they want to be professional horsemen and ride in the Olympics. However the dream of riding internationally and the reality of ascending the professional ranks are quite different. This did not discourage dressage instructor and trainer, Ricardo Amaya, from following his boyhood dream.
A three-time Gold Medal winner for best horse and rider team in the Colombian Federation, a reserve rider for the Pan American Games and an FEI qualified judge in his home country Colombia, Ricardo has steadily been making his mark in the dressage world and on Southern California.


“It’s a passion,” says Ricardo. “I have always been around horses. My father put me on a horse before I could walk. I grew up jumping, but I found myself doing a lot of dressage training while I was working my jumping horses. I think dressage requires more patience, dedication and a stronger relationship with your horse. That idea really made me move toward dressage. I was always interested in the relationship between communication and results; how I could influence the horse and get more out of him.”
Growing up in Colombia, South America, Ricardo and his four brothers were all trained by his father, Guillermo Amaya, an international rider and avid horseman. In 2000, Ricardo and his wife, María, left Colombia and came to California. Now they have two little boys, Claudio and Martín.
“I studied business administration and in Colombia I had my own company and riding was my hobby,” explains Ricardo. “When I was working in the office, I felt like I was in the wrong place. I would look out the window and think: I want to be out with the horses. We came to the U.S. because my wife wanted to study graphic design. I took the opportunity to start working with horses more seriously while she finished her degree.”
Ricardo spent four years helping at Far West Farms in Calabasas, schooling their jumpers. He slowly began taking on his own students and clients. In 2002, he founded Ricardo Amaya Dressage.
Since venturing out on his own, Ricardo has found success in and out of the show ring; winning the Dressage Association of Southern California’s 2004 Perpetual Highpoint Championship Trophy and capturing top scoring honors in 2005 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, Santa Barbara, Mission Pacific, the EPC, White Birch and The Paddock. This year he qualified for the California Dressage Society Championships in four different levels and again captured the Dressage Association of Southern California’s 2006 Perpetual Highpoint Championship Trophy.

New Home, Same Philosophy

This month Ricardo Amaya Dressage relocated to Hidden Valley Ranch, situated in Ventura County’s Thousand Oaks. A top class equestrian facility, it is surrounded by beautiful mountain trails and breathtaking views.
“This is a very competitive sport and many riders become caught up in the pursuit of perfection that it requires,” explains Ricardo. “Above all, I want happy horses and happy riders. This doesn’t mean that I don’t want them to work hard. I want my students constantly improving so they can accomplish their specific goals.”
When Ricardo began his equine business in California he had only the two horses he brought with him from Colombia. He now instructs a handful of students and has 16 horses in training. Many of the young horses he started three or four years ago are now preparing to move into the higher levels. While he continues to take on green horses, his goal is to have one of the horses he began training four years ago prepared for the Pan American Game trials next year.


“I take my time and I want my students to take their time,” says Ricardo. “I teach my students how to ride properly using the classic school of riding. I want my clients to feel confident with their horse. It takes a long time to learn to ride well and you always need help to get stronger and more accurate. Everyone can ride and I want my students to feel that they can accomplish whatever they want.”
Recently, Ricardo began working with Olympic medalist, Hilda Gurney, and has been working for over a year on the piaffe and passage with Alfredo Hernández. Though Ricardo is largely self-trained, he has attended many clinics and takes clients regularly to Germany and other parts of Europe on buying and training trips.
“I believe horses need to be trained with a lot of patience, kindness and confidence,” says Ricardo. “They have to trust the rider to become more submissive and responsive. I want people to come here and have fun riding and enjoy the horses. I don’t want my students to feel tense or the horses to feel restricted. With happy horses, and happy riders, we can achieve the highest levels of training and competition.”
For more information about Ricardo Amaya Dressage call 310-930-8791, email ricardo@amayafarms.com or visit his website at www.amayafarms.com.