Nancy Lewis-Stanton began her riding career like most -- at the age of five.

She convinced her parents, Bob and Bernie Lewis, to let her take riding lessons when she was barely tall enough to reach a stirrup. After a few years of hunter/jumper lessons, Bob and Bernie purchased Nancy her first horse, an Anglo/Arab named Carrousel.

The family moved to Illinois in 1980 and Nancy quickly picked up an interest for eventing. However, with the help of her instructor Beverly Rogers, and regular clinics with such powerhouses as Karl Milkolka, Christolot Boylen, Natalie Lamping and the late Bodo Hangen, her true talent for dressage began to emerge.

After thousands of hours in the saddle, Nancy's natural feel and genius for dressage won her six seats on North American Young Rider teams. Because she had trained Carrousel to Prix St. Georges by the age of 15, she won her first Young Rider Team Gold Medal in 1985.

With Carrousel, Nancy was awarded her USDF Bronze and Silver medals, and she competed him at Grand Prix before her 20th birthday. However, her constant yearning for knowledge and success didn't end there. She trained her next horse Izaiah through Grand Prix, and the pair was nearly unstoppable from the very beginning.

Nancy and Izaiah were placed on the USET Developmental List in 1992, which gave the pair a chance to work with some of the best trainers in the world, including Gunter Seidel, Robert Dover, George Williams, Jessica Ransenhousen, Harry Boldt and Team Coach Klaus Bakenhol. In Germany, Nancy also trained with the great Col. Von Ziegner.

Nancy and Izaiah won the USET Intermediare National Championships in 1993, they were the first alternate for the 1995 Pan Am Team, and were 17th in the country for the 1996 Olympics. Nancy also earned her USDF Gold Medal aboard Izaiah.

With her strong Classical German training, a passion to succeed and a positive approach, Nancy has coached her many students to victory. Nancy attended numerous clinics with the master Conrad Schumacher, which helped her train her younger sister Sharon. With Nancy's help, Sharon received her USDF Bronze and Silver medals, and won an Individual and Team Gold Medal at the 1991 Young Rider Championships and another Team Gold Medal at the 1993 Young Rider Championships.

Nancy and her family moved to Ohio and purchased SendonWay Equestrian Center in 1996. Hard work and dedication has helped to make SendonWay one of Ohio's premier dressage training facilities. Nancy's current students are proof that her gentle encouragement and positive training methods work.

She has trained Courtney Yeager aboard Shammer Jake, who won the 2004 Fourth Level Junior/Young Rider Region 1 Championships and was named the 2004 Connemara Pony of the Year. Mary Armstrong was another successful student at SendonWay. Mary and her horse The Great Gatsby were named Reserve Champion at Fourth Level Adult/Amateur Region 1 Championships in 2004.

To supplement her students' training, Nancy has brought clinicians, like Walter Zettl, Natalie Lamping and Carole Grant, to SendonWay. Nancy constantly hungers for more knowledge, and she works hard to pass this quality on to each and every student. Her approach stresses the basics and she brings the horse and rider along at a pace best suited for their individual needs and capabilities. By never overfacing the horse and rider, but pushing them to do their best, Nancy gets the most out of her students.

Nancy has trained every type of horse, from recently broke babies to improving the seasoned Grand Prix horse. Working with students from 8 to 80 has taught her a variety of different ways to word her thoughts to best motivate and encourage her students. Her varied and extensive background has helped her train hunter/jumpers, eventers and dressage riders.

For more information or to visit SendonWay Equestrian Center, please contact Nancy at 440-286-8036, or send her an email at dressage@sendonway.com. Everyone at SendonWay looks forward to working with you and making your riding goals a reality.