Coaching Staff

Vanessa Bartsch, Head Coach

As the Executive Director of Equestrian and Head Coach of the Equestrian Team, Bartsch has led the team to sixteen Regional and Zone Championships, as well as over a dozen Top-Ten National Championship Finishes (8 in the Top-Five), including 28 individual National Championships and Res. Championships. A former student athlete at Stanford, Bartsch returned to the Red Barn full time during the 2004 season to lead the renovation and reopening of the stables under the management of Stanford Athletics. Bartsch was awarded the IHSA Coaches Award in 2006.

Tina Davey, Coach

Davey joined Stanford’s team in 2016, bringing extensive experience as a trainer and coach, helping Stanford to several successful post seasons during her time on The Farm. Prior to Stanford, Davey served as the as the Director of Equestrian Programs at Mississippi College, maintained a boutique show barn, and ran Elvenstar’s Orange County training barn, where one of her roles was coaching the University of California, Irvine’s IHSA team. A former student athlete (and co-captain) on the University of California, Santa Cruz Equestrian Team, Davey helps teach and mentor Stanford’s IHSA and IEA Teams, in addition to serving as a program director to the Riding Academy.

Katie Steiner, Coach

Steiner joined the Stanford coaching staff in 2018, and works closely with both the IHSA and IEA teams, including serving as the Head Coach of Stanford’s successful Red Barn and Woodside IEA Teams. In addition to coaching the Red Barn IEA Team to a National Championship in 2021, Steiner has helped coach Stanford’s IHSA team and riders to multiple postseason. As an undergraduate, Steiner won the coveted Cacchione Cup in 2017 at the IHSA National Finals for Centenary College. In addition to her coaching experience, Steiner has worked for Denize Borges, Scott Stewart, and studied under equitation legend, Karen Healey.

Kate Douglas, Dressage Coach

Douglas began competing in dressage in 2005 under the tutelage of Katie Hoefs Martin. She won the 2013 Region 7 Second Level Jr/Yr Champion on Fein Style, the 2014 Reserve Champion Silver Stirrup National Award on Don Marco, and was top 20 Third Level Open at the 2015 US Dressage Finals on Don Marco. Kate has consistently placed top three in Year-End Awards from USEF, USDF, CDS, Performance Horse Registry, and the American Hanoverian Society. She has ridden in multiple clinics with US Olympian Lisa Wilcox as well Former FEI 5* Judge Axel Steiner. She has trained multiple horses up from prospect to successful upper level dressage horses and uses her training and show experience to guide the Stanford Dressage team.

Logan Hehn, Western Coach

Hehn joined the Western coaching staff in 2021 after a vast and varied background in equestrian and theatrical pursuits. Hehn’s strength is in fundamentals and position work thanks to his background as a competitor, as well as a vaulter. During his undergraduate career at Stanford, Hehn served as Captain of the Western Team and competed at the Regional, Semi-Finals and National Finals (with two trips to the post season).

Gwyn Gordon, Hunt Seat Coach

Gordon, a co-founder of the Stanford Equestrian Team, spent stints working for Richard Spooner, Patty Ball, Constance Kilmartin, Lucie Wharton, and Steve & Jenny Newell. Gordon served as the Head Coach of the Team in the 90′s, a volunteer position at the time, after starting Cardinal Farms in 1993. In addition to being a co-collaborator with Coach Bartsch, and former Wester Coach, Jana Cain in the efforts to renovate the Red Barn in 2004 (she still serves on the Red Barn Advisory Board), Gordon returned to the coaching staff where she has served as a clinician and coach for the Hunt Seat Team for the past dozen years, helping coach riders to the Zone and National Finals.

Stephanie Simmonds, Hunt Seat Coach

A top trainer and grand prix rider, Stephanie Simmonds has spent the last three decades coaching riders from the IEA all the way up to the international FEI Grand Prix’s, including top ribbons at NAYRC, and the USET, Medal, and Maclay Finals. A current member of the Zone 10 USHJA Committee, who has served on the Zone 10 Jumper Committee and NorCal Hunter Jumper Board, Simmonds has been published in Practical Horseman, and served multiple times as the Chef d’ Equipe for the Zone 10 Prix de States, North American Young Rider Championships, and Spruce Meadows Prix de Nations NorCal Jumper Teams. Simmonds credits her desire to teach at the highest level to years working for, and alongside, equestrian greats including Julie Winkel, Karen Healey, her former student Andrew Ramsay, and her mentor Linda Hough.

Jennifer Cameron, Western Coach

Cameron joined the coaching staff for the 2015-16 season. With a diverse equestrian background showing on the AQHA, AMHA, and A circuit with National Championships in Trail in Western Pleasure, Jennifer brings her Western experience to the team. Under her coaching, the Western team has taken home Regional Championships, Top Five placings at the IHSA Western Semi-Finals, and athletes have gone on to the National Finals. Cameron holds a B.S. and Post-Bac in Equine Science and she is currently completing a MSc in Clinical Animal Behavior

Rachel Williamson, Coach

Williamson is USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist, currently working on earning her USDF Gold Medal and USDF “L” program participant. Rachel was the 2010 SFP CDS Open Intermediare I and II Annual Rider award recipient. She has trained with Heidi Gaian & Pam Nelson of Villa Rosa Dressage for the last 20 years. Rachel was instrumental in founding the Stanford Dressage Team and has dedicated herself to coaching team members. In addition to coaching the Team’s dressage riders, Rachel often coaches the team’s Hunt Seat riders. Her unfailing ability to help a rider get the best out of her horse makes her an invaluable set of eyes on the ground for riders in both disciplines

Jim Hagman, Hunt Seat Clinician

Hagman is the founder of Elvenstar Riding Academy and Show Stables with locations in Morepark and Orange County, CA. His riders have achieved success at the top levels of the sport, including top finishes at the Medal and Maclay Finals.

Jim partnered with Stanford during the initial concept phase of the barn’s redevelopment using his vast experience to help provide a vision of the new facility. After recognizing his talent as an instructor, Stanford asked Jim to work with the Stanford Team as a Clinician. He makes the trip up to Palo Alto as often as he can around Elvenstar’s busy show schedule to do intensive clinics with the team. Jim works with all levels on their riding and presentation in the show arena and the team appreciates Jim’s focus, energy and never-ending sense of humor.

Taylor Singmaster, Western Clinician

Singmaster has an extensive show career that includes championships at AQHA Congress and the NSBA World Championship Show, multiple year end top ten finishes on the AQHA and NSBA circuit, competing for the University of South Carolina’s NCEA Equestrian team and becoming a PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor.
She coaches Stanford’s Western team, as well as the Red Barn’s AEL team and Stanford PE classes. She also teaches therapeutic and adaptive riding at BOK Ranch where she is also the Volunteer Coordinator. She has her BFA and MFA in Photography/Videography which remains an important pass-time for her.