Darcy Drije

Currently teaching and training horses as well as riders in southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, with “homebase” at Sunflower Farms in Bristol, WI. Darcy’s students range in age from nine years old to 50+ years young! Darcy works with and competes all breeds of horses, from green as grass to intermediate, with many state, regional, and national awards. Darcy has completed the criteria to receive the coveted USDF gold medal, and for many years her mount, The Challenger, was the National Champion Grand Prix Quarter Horse.

Darcy’s history with horses began in the hunter ring at age seven, later moving up to dressage at age fourteen. Her past instructors include Natalie Lamping, Bodo Hangen, Michael and Tom Poulin, as well as many international clinicians. For the past sixteen years to the present day, Darcy works with Karl Mikolka, who has helped her achieve the following:

1979 & 1980 United States Young Rider of the Year

1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 “long listed” by the Olympic screening committee

1982 & 1983 Individual Gold Medal at the National Sports Festival

2nd Alternate for the world Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland

All this was accomplished on one horse, a thoroughbred gelding purchased for Darcy by her parents when he was three years old. Nobody’s Ruler a.k.a. “Herbie” was with Darcy until his passing at the age of twenty-eight years.