Melissa Duffield has long experience with horseback riding and training, beginning from age 2. She has trained with the best trainers and riders in the United States and Europe, and learned from them what it takes to ride and train at the highest levels. Her specialty is training riders and horses in Dressage. Melissa pays special attention to the horse as an athlete, and has developed her own system to optimize the health, attitude, and performance, of each individual horse or pony. She has studied Equine Biomechanics and Chiropractic. Melissa is very excited to be one of the select few trainers at the new Edgemont Farms Equestrian Center in Petaluma, California, with Lenny Marconi of Silver Lining and Joey Pedroni.

Born in California, Melissa has attended schools in England and the United States. An excellent student, she is continuing her education while working as a Trainer and Rider at Edgemont Farms. A 2004 graduate of San Marin High School in Novato, California, she was awarded the Doyle Scholarship for outstanding performance. She obtained her AA degree from Santa Rosa Junior College, where she majored in Accounting and Economics with a minor in Psychology. She was recently accepted at Sonoma State University for attendance in the Fall of 2008 where she will major in Psychology.

Melissa has a lifelong passion for horseback riding. She started her riding career at the tender age of two when she rode her first Shetland pony, Friar Tuck. To learn how to ride well, she first trained with Jeannette Deremmalaere, a successful Dressage competitor, and a CDS Silver medalist.

Melissa then moved to Hawkwood Hill Farm in Petaluma, California, and trained with the successful advanced level Eventing competitor and trainer, David Adamo. While based at Hawkwood Hill Farm, Melissa competed successfully at many three-day shows, and at local hunter shows. Melissa trained in Dressage with Sidley Payne, the Grand Prix Dressage rider (short listed for the 1988 Olympics), and judge. It was while training with Sidley Payne that Melissa met another student of Sidley's, Rebecca Cushman. When Sidley moved to the East coast, Melissa spent the next few years studying under the tutelage of Rebecca, a CDS Silver medalist and current successful competitor at the Intermediare II. Melissa herself competed successfully in both Jumping and Dressage as a Junior rider, including the CDS Junior Championships.

Coincidentally, Melissa Duffield trained in Dressage with Sidley Payne at the same time as Joey Pedroni, and now now Melissa and Joey are now trainers together at Edgemont Farms in Petaluma.

Melissa then followed Rebecca Cushman to Fairwind Farm in Santa Rosa, California as a working student. At Fairwind Farm, Melissa trained with Sue Curry-Shaffer, a Grand Prix rider and successful national FEI competitor as well as an "R" rated dressage judge. Sue was long listed for the world championships and attended Gladstonec and was ranked number one in the Nation at Prix St. Georges. Sue is also the trainer of several successful competitors at all levels including Grand Prix. Melissa rides top-level competition Dressage horses. Melissa assists in the training of novice Dressage horses, and taught "lower-level" Dressage students for Sue. Melissa is currently working with an Oldenburg gelding, Leo, who was a Grand Prix Show Jumping champion in Germany. Leo was trained by Klaus Balkenhol, as a future international level dressage prospect, before being imported to the U.S. Melissa also currently rides Liberte, the 2002 USET FEI Prix St. Georges Champion, Gold medalist at the 2003 Pan American games, and gold medalist of the North America Junior Young Riders' Championships.

Throughout 2007, Melissa worked as the Dressage trainer at Sonoma Valley Stables in Petaluma, California. The horses she worked with were competitive sport horses competing from Novice level through Grand Prix level. Sonoma Valley Stables is run by Ned and Hope Glynn, successful trainers and competitors in the Western United States.

Beginning in January 2008, Melissa Duffield joined Hunter-Jumper trainers Lenny Marconi of Silver Lining, and Joey Pedroni, at the Grand New Edgemont Farms Equestrian Center in Petaluma, California. Edgemont Farms has installed Olympic footings in their arenas, and is now home to many top successful horses and riders in competitions locally and nationwide.

Through the years, Melissa has been fortunate to ride with a number of world class Dressage clinicians including Brian Sabo (National Eventing competitor), Dane Rawlins (co-owner of Hickstead in England and head of British Dressage), Jan Ebeling (international Grand Prix competitor and trainer), and Axel Steiner. Axel Steiner is an internationally renowned judge (including the 2004 Olympics), and trainer, as well as co-founder of the USDF. Axel Steiner has been an Olympic and World Equestrian games Gold Medalist, German and European champion, and USET Dressage Chef d'Equipe.

Melissa firmly believes that total horse management is critical to the long-term health and performance of the horse. This includes physical therapy (massage, acupuncture, etc), a careful diet and exercise-conditioning program, and regular veterinary care. To this end, Melissa has developed an excellent system through her extensive experience with horses, and completed a course in Equine Biomechanics and Chiropractic Care. But the physical horse is not everything. A Happy Horse will perform willingly, and with fewer injuries. Melissa's philosophy in training horses includes the firm belief that training a Happy Horse means training that is focused, but with variety. For example, the happy horse enjoys riding outside the arena, and doing “Cavalletti” (working on long lines without a rider). Melissa enjoys working with each horse as a unique individual to develop to the fullest potential. She is especially talented in working with sensitive horses, and difficult horses so they cooperate and perform.

Melissa knows that Dressage training will benefit any rider on any horse. Melissa's training of riders focuses on classical Dressage techniques and the correct development of the position of the rider. She is especially adept at training riders in Dressage from her own broad and varied exposure to the best trainers in the world. Dressage training serves to establish precise communication between the rider and the horse in any type of riding event. The rider understands the horse's movements and attitudes, and remains in control. The rider is properly positioned to give clear signals to the horse and feel the horse's signals. The rider is positioned to remain with the horse and balanced throughout all its moves. It is a beautiful thing to see and do.

Melissa has followed her passion to riding in diverse situations. Her training and skills can be applied universally wherever a horse and rider go. To add to her wide repertoire of equestrian experience, she has taken working horses on annual cattle round-ups, and spent several summers riding over the moors in Southern England!