We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire Gordon-Neff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“Horses teach you a lot. Very little of it actually has to do with horses.” -Anthony Lothian

I love this quote. I have a rather large print of it in my barn. I reference it in my teaching. I believe it fully. At Front Range Show Stables, in addition to riding, our students learn many aspects of horsemanship and hippology. I also believe that horses are a perfect medium for instilling responsibility, empathy, perseverance in the face of adversity, commitment to a team, true partnership, and dedication and care of another living being. Riding teaches you to listen to the unspoken and to trust your instincts. Horses do teach you a lot… in my experience, they can teach you most about yourself.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m the Owner and Trainer at Front Range Show Stables, a state-of-the-art show jumping facility located in Erie, Colorado – just 30 minutes from Boulder and Denver. Front Range Show Stables provides outstanding hunter/jumper training for the horse and rider from the advanced-beginner level through the Grand Prix, the pinnacle of our sport. I spent my formative years as a young professional in New England and those experiences allow me to bring a breadth of knowledge and a new perspective to the horse community of Colorado. My expertise and passion is for developing young horses and honing a rider’s equitation talent. I’m excited to instill in my customers a deep love for the horses and a passion for understanding of their learning process.

I have built this business in the image of what I would want if I were the customer in my program. Ours is a high-end and competitive training program, that encourages fun and learning, without pretense or judgment. I develop each rider/horse pair with individually tailored goals and objectives. Front Range Show Stables is a uniquely positive program where fun, equine education, success and professionalism exist hand in hand.

Front Range Show Stables recently relocated our forever home at a beautiful equestrian center in Erie. The timing and serendipity of this acquisition feels very relevant in the current moment. While the world is responding to the chaos of the time, Front Range Show Stables is staking out a safe, happy space for our customers to enjoy their horses. Our new facility allows us to provide the best possible infrastructure, amenities, and care to competitive hunter/jumper clientele along the Front Range. Our team works hard to help our customers meet and achieve their riding goals while creating community, and connecting with these incredible animals.

It has been a long-time dream of mine to own and operate a farm like this – with a mission like ours. I’m excited by the opportunities that our new farm presents and I look forward to sharing them with our community of awesome riders and horses!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to acknowledge my mentors, collaborators, and support team! Michael & Asher Neff, Morrie Trautman & Kathy Atwood, Alex & Kathy Heimann, Ricky & Valerie Neff, Tom Gordon & Lisa Kalfas, Alicia & Christina Adamson, Bobby Lou Boylan, Abbi Ferrigno, Donna Braschler, Marissa Sylvester, Pam Friedman, Jennifer Mosquera, Simone Nieto. To my staff, customers and horses – THANK YOU!

Website: http://www.frontrangeshowstables.com/
Instagram: @clairegordonneff
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontrangeshowstables

Image Credits
Phyllis Burchett & Rachel K McNurlen Photography

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