Juliana & Amanda Starbuck
Sisters Amanda and Juliana Starbuck have been running their Starbuck Equestrian Center in Ridgefield, Connecticut for nearly 10 years. The stable has been a family-run business for some 35 years, and “Since we took the reins,” says Amanda, “the business has literally boomed.” Amanda says that the sisters have been taking in a number of new students, but even with this large influx they still provide a high level of personal attention. “We’re so determined that each rider excels at their particular level,” she stated. “We focus on the student and client needs.”
Juliana added, “The emphasis is on the students and finding the correct horse to fit each type of rider. Each of our students has her own style, and as trainers it is our job to find the correct mount for each rider. This way the student will excel at his or her riding without having to fight with themselves and their horse.”
They believe that the fit between horse and rider is paramount for students to move up through the divisions. Starbuck Equestrian offers a riding program in which students may take group or private lessons and also holds schooling shows and a summer camp. The beautiful facility includes two indoor heated rings and two outdoor rings, one of them olympic size.
As to the equines at Starbuck Equestrian, “We’ve really found our niche with the younger horses. They’ve been one of our focuses. We buy young, break and train, and usually end up selling or leasing them.”
The proof of their program is seen in the great success they continually produce on the Florida circuit, with many students winning in the junior hunters and junior jumpers as well as children's divisions. One horse, Cartier, won the six-year-old championship and is now a Grand Prix horse winning top ribbons all over the country. Rio’s Limoncello, also a homebred, has been a winner in the 3’3” hunters at WEF. Another homebred, Rio Java House, was champion at the Captital Challenge as a five-year-old.
Starbuck Equestrian always has a large selection of very well trained young horses for sale.