WINDURRA USA, LLC PRESENTS
Silva Martin Dressage
It has not taken long for Silva Martin to establish herself in the U.S. dressage and eventing scene. She and her husband, four-star event rider Boyd Martin, relocated their business, Windurra LLC, from Australia to the United States in early 2007 and are located at U.S. Olympic eventer Phillip Dutton’s True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pennsylvania.
Silva and Boyd have quickly become some of the most sought-after trainers in the country. Tall, athletic and elegant, Silva may be a tough, hardworking competitor but she is also easygoing and approachable, making her a superb coach. She has a solid education in dressage training and is happy to impart her knowledge to her students and horses.
Silva spent the past couple of winters training with Olympian Oded Shimoni and showing in Wellington, FL. Currently she is training with 2009 USEF Lifetime Achievement Award winner Jessica Ransehausen in Pennsylvania.
In addition to her dressage students Silva’s expertise has attracted the attention of the eventing crowd, including world-class competitors Phillip Dutton and Jan Byyny. Though her talent extends to these upper level riders, Silva is just as happy to teach a child on a pony or an adult amateur on an Off-the-track Thoroughbred as she is the experts.
Silva spent many years working hard to follow her chosen career path with horses, and it was not always easy. She says, “One of the biggest difficulties was not to give up during my years of training in Germany. Looking back it seemed easy but I remember there were times where I was about to quit. It was a tough seven years with no money, working seven days a week with long, long hours. The job includes a lot more than just riding, especially when you are just learning. You have to earn the riding part. But at the end I’m so glad I never gave up. You have to remember it’s not just riding.”
Having taken over one of the barns at True Prospect Farm, Silva currently has a fabulous string of horses to train and compete, as well as top-quality sales horses. She had a Grand Prix horse, Theopolis Thisla, that she trained herself and sold after moving to the United States.
Her current mount Jeff the Chef W is a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by by Jazz/ Frueling out of a Salute mare. Silva purchased him as a yearling and he has been competing very successfully in the small tour, with plans to move up to Grand Prix. Eventually Silva hopes to ride for the United States and hopes that Jeff the Chef will help her achieve this goal.
Silva is appreciative of her supporters and says, “I am very lucky to have great owners like Meg Williams, Polly Mitchell, Margo Merano, Shannon Stimson, Janet Mudge, and Cayla Kitayama. All these guys are great supporters of mine and also dear friends. I also would like to thank Faye, Dave and Eliza Woolf for being good friends and great supporters of Boyd and myself. We would not be able to do what we do without all these guys.”
Competition Highlights:
Since moving to the US Silva has enjoyed continuing competitive success. She and Meg Williams’ FS Tiger Lily won the Championship for Four-year-old Horses at Dressage at Devon in 2007, then came back and took the reserve championship in 2008 in the Championship for Five-year-old horses.
In 2008 Silva and Jeff the Chef W won the Fourth Level Championship at the CBLM Finals, where Silva and Wasabi Rosa claimed the reserve championship at Training level.
In the spring of 2009 Silva and Prosecco won the Prix St. Georges at the Wellington Classic. Jeff The Chef placed third in the Developing Horse Class at the Palm Beach Derby.
Silva and Sea Lord placed second and third in fourth level at Dressage at Devon in 2009.
In October 2009 Silva and Comet V won the reserve championship at the CBLM dressage championships, and she placed third with Jeff the Chef in the Intermediaire championship.
Written Content by Amber Heintzberger
Photo Credit Susan Stickle
