​  Sarah Silva

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     S​arah Silva began her formal equine career in dressage riding, training and instructing, with a one year internship at Forrest Hill Farm, a prestigious dressage facility in Lafayette, Indiana. There she was responsible for the care of more than ninety horses along with assisting in the training of these sport horses. Breeding management, farm management, starting young horses and training more advanced horses were part of the internship program and provided exceptional knowledge and experience in those diciplines. In the summer of 2000 she showed one of Forresst Hills young warmbloods at training level and placed fifth in the Regional championships at Paxton Farms.  The following winter Sarah purchased this warmblood mare with the hope of training her to Grand Prix.

            The next step for Sarah was to intern with Kim and Yvonne Barteau at their facility in Gilberts Il for three summers while attending college at Purdue University. This internship program provided the opportunity to increase skills in the care and training of show horses, and again starting youngsters. While at this facility Sarah rode some highly trained horses to develop her skills at the upper levels. Sarah contiued to train her mare Camilla from training level up through third level while working with Barteaus. In 2003 Sarah continued to show at multiple dressage shows and earned her bronze medal on Camilla. She placed in the top eight at the Region 2 Champiuonships at Lamplight Equestrian Center at both second and third level.

       After graduating from Purdue University in 2004 Sarah moved to Winnemucca, Nevada and began training and teaching at Avanti Farms. She earned high point awards with several of her young horses. In 2007 her business partner moved and Sarah purchased Avanti Farms. As sole owner and operater she expanded the lesson program and began to develop a show team. Meanwhile Sarah contiued training Camilla to Prix St George. In 2010 she won a high point year end award from the Sierra-Nevada chapter of the California Dressage society and earned her Silver Medal from USDF.

       In 2008 Sarah was awarded a scholarship to participate in the USDF "L" judge program. This program enhanced Sarah's teaching skills, increased her knowledge of both horse and rider biomechanics and provided valuable insight to understanding the perpective of  a dressage judge. After graduating from this program Sarah had the opportunity to judge several schooling shows.

     In the past few years Sarah has been able to move Camilla up through the FEI levels showing I1 and I2. Sarah showed Camilla at Grand Prix for 2 seasons finishing with a CDI and then retired Camilla to be a schoolmaster and broodmare. Sarah is now working with Camillas son Micah moving towards Prix St George in 2017. 

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