Breed best to best and give them wings to fly
Winter Circuit Amateur Owner Hunter
Woodside Show
Menlo Charity Horse Show
The Owner
For Fentress, it started with the first birthday party pony ride as a child. A career in high tech made possible fulfilling the dream of competing at the top level in Hunters, Medals and Jumpers after "learning the hard way as an older amateur". Twenty years later she found the sweet spot to build her own stable. Now she helps pass on her knowledge to the next generation of jumpers, handles most of the healthcare, and plans the breeding activities.
Mary Fentress Hall
The Trainer
A gifted and experienced trainer, rider and coach, Malcolm has ridden since four in his native New Zealand and brings a wealth of experience rarely found in the USA. His resume includes upper level Eventing, breeding, training and competing his own line of showjumpers. The breadth of skills riding polo ponies in Australia, galloping race horses in Japan, fox hunting, training halter Arabians and learning every aspect of horse care including farriery, presents as a total horseman in the best sense.
Malcolm Barnwell
The Coach
OMR is fortunate to have Anthony D'Ambrosio consulting with us for; assessment of our horses and program, coaching and facility design. A former International show jumper, and current Level 4 FEI course designer, Anthony is an invaluable resource to keep us focused on what it takes to identify and produce equine jumping stars.
He recently commented :
<< It was a pleasure to conduct a training session at Oak Meadow Ranch. Fentress, Malcolm and Delphine are enthusiastic, competent and comprehensive in their approach to developing the horses' potential >>
Anthony D'Ambrosio
Link to Anthony website
The Health Care Professionals
Philippe Benoit, DVM
Veterinarian for the French team 1992-2000, French Olympic team in 2004 and 2012 Saudi Arabian Olympic Team, Dr. Benoit is well known for his ability to blend medicine, biomechanics and shoeing techiniques to improve performance. A world renowned diagnostician, he takes a holistic approach. His desired goal is career longevity for intenational jumpers.
As part of our Team, Dr. Benoit directs our healthcare program.
Kelly Zeytoonian DVM
Dr. Kelly's philosophy is to work as a team with owners, riders, trainers and other equine specialists, to optimize performance, prevent injury and maintain overall wellness. Kelly is an active rider who understands the demands of the sport and specializes in state of the art diagnostic imaging and therapies. Kelly has her own practice, Starwood Equine, lives in Woodside, and we are fortunate to have her help whenever needed, 24/7!
Jerrod Kennell,
With a strong history in training and shoeing for equine sports horses, he supplies hands on magic to horses across the USA, taking a whole horse view of body alignment, limb and gait imbalances, hoof abnormalities and compensatory adaptations.
Emmanuel Defossez
While working with Phillippe Benoit DVM as a Vet Tech he learned in depth the internal and external manifestations of normal and abnormal conditions of the feet. This interest became a career in shoeing competitive jumpers for the USA team contenders.
Katarzyna Żukiewicz, DVM
After beginning her career in Poland, she now practices internationally and specializes in the fields of equine physiotherapy, accupuncture and supportive therapies. She is highly skilled at both diagnostic and theapeutic bodywork.
The Riders
Our Show rider Mandy Porter - Wings to fly
It is an honor to have Mandy introducing our young horses to select California shows as they develop their competitive skills. Her years in Europe, many Grand Prix, her Nations Cup Team and World Cup Finalist appearances provide unequalled experience to guide our future jumping stars.
The OMR family includes some dedicated and smart women who help to run the barn, manage nutrition, ride the horses, coordinate and monitor all those extra services that top horses need, and dig us out of the pile of paperwork that is breeding contracts, semen shipments, transporting horses, registrations, shows and billing.
Sigourney Jellins has a degree from UC Berkeley in Political Science, and is currently pursuing her passion for horses as an eventing and dressage rider. She utilizes her dressage background to help condition the jumpers at Oak Meadow ranch correctly and classically on the flat. She enjoys seeing the individual development of each horse, and her enthusiasm is infectious.
Favorite OMR horses : Orlando and Star
Your Photo Could Be Here
We thank Delphine Billebaut, our French working student for her year of enthusiasm, hard work and dedication to our horses. We welcome new applications for USA or International working students. Qualified individuals may obtain a J1 visa through our excellent relationship with Experience International.
Donna Poy has managed her own barn, and ours, when folks are away. She has a science background (BA in Biological Sciences emphasis on Physiology & Behavioral Biology from California State University San Francisco), that brings precision with it, and that has engaged her enthusiastically in new breeding technology. She is behind the scenes in a lot of the contracts and registrations and will track down anything anywhere and organize it. And she loves Nemo!
Erick, Luis, and Mariano are the men behind the horses and the riders, who see that every single horse gets personal attention and is cared for to the best of all of our abilities. They are efficient yet compassionate, on even the busiest days. More than anyone, they help keep the smiles on the faces of all of our horses.