Cedar Ridge Farm

Sandy Dolan

Sandy Dolan is the owner/operator/instructor of Cedar Ridge Farm and has over forty years of common sense all around horse experience and thoroughly enjoys teaching children.  Sandy got her first pony at the age of 6, riding that pony EVERYWHERE! Sandy showed horses and did a lot of trailriding.  She trained the young horses under saddle that were bought by the farm and shown by her daughters, and later rode by lesson students. Later after her daughters joined Mini 4H,  she became the Mini 4-H Horse and Pony Leader for a number of years growing this club of under third grade age kids to 20 members.  Once her daughters went on to the regular 4H Horse and Pony Club, she became the 4H Horse & Pony Leader and was voted Floyd County's 4H Leader of the Year in her first year for her efforts.  As leader she revitalized the club and it grew from around ten members up to over forty members with the emphasis on education and fun, bringing in farriers, vets, equine chiropractors, and dentists, experienced and accomplished horse people to talk/teach/discuss different aspects of horse care and training methods. She also expanded the english class offerings in the club's completion show. Under her helm as the 4H Horse & Pony leader the club continued to send 4H teams to the Hoosier Horse Fair 4H Competitions with 1st place state wins and other top placing in Hippology/Horse Bowl and Groom & Clean competitions. As the lesson program here at Cedar Ridge Farm continued to grow Mrs. Dolan could no longer devote the amount of time needed to continue leading the 4H club in a manner it deserved so she handed the club over to new leaders. Mrs. Dolan has such a strong student following because of her conviction of teaching students not only how to ride well, but also good horsemanship and safety. Many of her students have placed well at horse shows but she is most proud of the fact that her students become well rounded horse lovers that are capable of safely and competently handling, tacking up, and riding their mounts independently after the time they have spent here with the emphasis on safety and taking good care of the horse.

Anna Dolan

Anna Dolan is a music student at the University of Louisville.  She has been riding horses as long as she can remember.  Anna was a ten year member of the Mini 4-H and Silver Spurs 4H Horse and Pony Club where she qualified for the state fair every year she was a member.  In 1998 she won 3rd place in Jr. Reining, in 1999 she won 2nd place for Hunter Over Fences ponies under 56", in 2000 she won 1st place for Hunter Over Fences ponies under 56", in 2002 3rd place in Hunter Over Fences horses over 56" all ages and 9th place in English Showmanship and Halter 8th and 9th grade, in 2003 she placed 5th in Hunt Seat Equitation Over Fences Sr. exhibitors all sizes, in 2004 she placed 1st in Hunt Seat Equitation Over Fences Sr. exhibitor all sizes, in 2005 she won 1st place in Hunter Over Fences horses over 56" on a different horse. In 1999 she also won the Pekin Saddle Club high point rider which included western pleasure and contesting.  Her times averaged around 16 seconds for barrels and 23 seconds in poles, not bad for an eleven year old.  Anna Dolan has also been an United States Pony Club member.  She rated up through her C3 rating, before they made the specialty rating changes.  While in USPC, Anna qualified for National Rally in Training Levels 1 and 2 Dressage.  Anna also competed in eventing a substantial amount before going to college.  She qualified for the Beginner Novice USEA Championships and has competed through Training Level.  Anna is a member of the University of Louisville Equestrian Team showing in hunter - jumper shows. Anna also teaches violin lessons to many children in the Southern Indiana area and also does the violin sectional coaching for Floyd Central High School's orchestra program. Anna was taught by her mom and later trained with Tammy Fifer and certified national centered riding clinician Betty Lindquist.    

Carly Dolan

Carly is our contesting guru. She trains and competes her own horses in barrels, pole bending, and flag race. She has successfully competed and won money in NBHA/IBRA shows with her thoroughbred Catch Me If U Can and appendix quarter horse Torn On Tiny. She qualified for the IBRA Eastern Finals in Murfreesboro, TN in 2008 and has a wild card for the IBRA Eastern Finals for 2009. Her goal when training her barrel horses is a horse who can turn tight at speed without knocking a barrel over and has no gate issues! She has been very successful with this as she gives her horses the time they need to get their turns down before asking for more speed and she does not over pattern her horses to keep them from becoming ring sour. She also was her 4H Club's senior high point winner in contesting and english in 2007 and 2008, and 2009, and junior high point winner in english in 2006 at the club's completion shows. Carly is in her tenth year as a 4H horse & pony club member, she was a mini 4H horse & pony member since the age of 5 prior to that. Carly has many first places in open shows, as well, in both contesting and english events. One of Carly's accomplishments that she is very proud of is the 1st place special memorial trophy she won in flag race at the Blue River Saddle Club's very first annual memorial show held in 2008 in honor of the late flag racer Scott Bement who taught her his successful technique that made her a successful winner in that event. She is also an accomplished rider in hunter-jumper and eventing disciplines where she shows her 17 hand thoroughbred Aviator, a former steeplechaser, and her 16.2 hand shire/thoroughbred sporthorse Gladiator, both of whom she trained. Besides her mom, Carly has trained with Kelly Carr, a top ranked PRCA barrel racer, the late Scott Bement who helped her in flag race technique, and Tammy Fifer. Carly is a member of NBHA, IBRA, USEA, 4H, and a former USPC member. If you are wanting instruction in barrels, poles, flags Carly is the person to help you reach your goals.