Pamela T. Pentz • Owner/Trainer/Manager:

Since 1980 Pam Pentz has owned and operated Derby Farms, a full service training and breeding facility with an emphasis on dressage. Pam has ridden most of her life and began her professional career when she graduated from the Potomac Horse Center’s Horsemasters course in 1975 with honors in instruction. She began her teaching and show career at the Evergreen Equestrian Center in Kirkland, Washington in 1976. Klaus Albin provided her with her earliest guidance in dressage. Since then she has studied with Melle van Bruggen,
Steffen Peters and is currently coached by Jan Ebeling who clinics regularly at the farm.

In 1982 Pam was licensed by the United States Equestrian Federation as a dressage judge.
She is currently a “R” dressage judge with the USEF as well as being an FEI “C” judge in Para Equestrian which over sees disabled riding for the Special Olympics. Pam is also a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist with the United States Dressage Federation. As an active breeder of Oldenburg horse she is a member of the Verband der Züchter des Oldenburger Pferdes and the International Sporthorse Registry/Oldenburg North America and is a part owner of the Oldenburg stallion Rodioso who she competes at the FEI level and stands at her farm.

Ms. Pentz lives at Derby Farms in Woodinville, Washington with her husband Peter and together they run the farm and an antique business that specializes in early American furniture. Her husband Peter is an accomplished woodworker and not only specializes in American antiques but also in their restoration and repair. They like to joke that his hobby is horses and her hobby is antiques.

Pam has a busy teaching schedule, specializing in the amateur rider and many of her students have received USDF recognition by receiving Bronze and Silver medals and a junior rider Margaret Odom placed 9th in the nation in 2008 and was a member of the USDF Region 6 Junior Team! Pam’ greatest passion is starting young horses and being a breeder she is hands on from birth. She has a staff of excellent young adult riders who help with the riding and training duties and all work as a team for Derby Farms. Read on to meet some of the team.

Nadia Martin • Assistant Trainer:

Nadia has been a part of Derby Farms since 2006 when she arrived as a student with her young Hanoverian gelding, Beau. Her skills were very accomplished and her tact and sensitivity with the horses were such that she was put to work! Nadia grew up in the Chico
area of California and has ridden her whole life starting out in 4-H and doing equitation and hunter/jumper riding.

Lexi Barker and Juli Simon • Our Working Students:

Lexi Barker: Lexi Barker is a first year law student at the Seattle University School of Law. She has been an accomplished rider since she was a child. She has previously worked for Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, riding and training horses in the therapy program and long lining horses during hippotherapy sessions. She has ridden at Derby Farms since spring of 2010, and has owned and shown her Rodioso gelding, Reno, since then. In 2011, she and Reno made their FEI debut in the FEI 5-Year-Old division with an impressive 72%! She is a regular rider in the Jan Ebeling Clinics and is a valued working student at Derby Farms, doing everything from helping with young horses, feeding, and grooming, to general barn help.

Juli Simon: Juli Simon is a PHD candidate at the University of Washington in Bioengineering. She came to Derby Farms in 2010 with her ex eventer Tiny. Due to an injury Tiny needed to focus on her dressage career and Derby Farms’ proximity to the University as well as its emphasis on dressage was a perfect match. Juli has an excellent background in 3-Day Eventing and her skills over fences have helped with the education of several horses that needed to “branch out.” Juli began as an active 4-H Club rider in the Wenatchee area of Washington. She has competed in many different disciplines and was very involved in the high school equestrian team. She has won numerous state titles and in just one year took her Dutch cross mare Tiny from first level to their 4th level debut in 2011. They hope to debut at Prix St. Georges in 2012 and complete their USDF Silver medal. Juli plans on returning to 3-Day when she completes her education and has the time to bring a youngster along. Juli is a regular rider in the Jan Ebeling Clinics and is a valuable asset to Derby Farms as she is excellent with the young horses and a most reliable care giver to the horses.

Veterinarian Care & Farrier Services

John Short • Farrier Services:

John Short has been a part of the Derby Farms Team since 1980! He shoes over 90% of the horses here at the stable. John graduated from the Oregon State University (OSU) Farrier School in the late 60’s and began shoeing for the next 8 years for the old Central Park Stables owned by Bill Boeing Jr. He also had a small training barn where he rode, trained and competed on Tennessee Walking Horses. In the mid 90’s he began working for Longacres Race track and later Emerald Downs. He can often be seen in the sales barn area as the head farrier for the Select and Mid Winter Sales for the Washington State Thoroughbred Breeders Association. For the past 10 years he has been the head farrier for El Dorado Farms, the largest thoroughbred breeding farm in the state as well has farrier for Griffin Place a leading breeder of race horses in Washington State. He is the founder of Iron Horse Enterprises, Inc. A small company that makes farrier supplies related to hoof health. John is here on a weekly basis and if a client chooses John is happy to tend to any of their horses farrier needs.