KK Equestrian Sonoma Index Tribune Article 2004
By Paula Zdenek

Horses, like fine wine, seem to add richness to life. For Kevin Kress, of KK Equestrian, the essence of the two go together quite naturally since his three-day eventing facility is embedded in the heart of a 40 acre vineyard in SONOMA Valley, not 10 minutes from downtown Sonoma.

“We actually have rebuilt the facility that was originally here and have a brand new outdoor arena,” says Kevin, adding he opened his doors for business at KK Equestrian in October 2004. “We have a covered arena as well as hacking through the vineyards … and, we are currently putting in a dressage court.”

Kevin, 31, is a fourth generation San Franciscan who spent much of his youth in Sonoma riding western, and raising pygmy goats as a 4-H project. Something he still does to this day and is “one of 30 (qualified judges) in the country who can judge the pygmy goat” division at goat shows.      His style of riding preference changed while in high school after he attended a three-day event competition and “fell in love with it.”

Andrea Pfeiffer, of Chocolate Horse Farm in Petaluma, is where Kevin spent many hours learning about eventing and dressage as a youth, then as a college student. As time allowed, he began “filling in for her” in the riding instruction arena while assisting as needed with the horses.

Committed to A HIGHER EDUCATION KEVIN GRADUATED FROM CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY WITH DEGREES IN PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE , he didn’t want to stop his educational goals there; he had his mind and heart set on law school. GRADUATING IN 1999 FROM Empire College of Law where he earned his doctorate IN LAW AND

The University of San Francisco MASTERS IN EDUCATION.
With his passion for horses and a gift for teaching, Kevin says his vocation changed the day Andrea asked him, “‘Why don’t you do this (train horses and riders) since you do such a great job at teaching?’”

“Since I was a late bloomer, Andrea suggested I go through the British Horse Society program with HER as my instructor,” explains Kevin. “I went to Florida and England for their program and am now a BHS certified instructor. I worked for Andrea full time and then I had to decide to go to England and ride for a few years or go and work with the Olympic team, I chose to work for the Olympic team … at the same time, I started riding with Brian Sabo, he’s a national coach that has helped a lot of people with the United States Eventing Association and he HELPED TO START their Instructor’s Certification Program. With Brian’s help I went through the instructor’s program, so now I am a licensed instructor through USEA/ICP.”

Kevin noted that Brian gives a monthly clinic at KK Equestrian which is open to the public either as riders or auditors.

Kevin’s education in world class competition continued when he assisted one of the members of the Canadian Olympic Team last year at the 2004 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park, then in August, as a spectator he witnessed the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

“It was amazing,” says Kevin of his experience about being part of the Rolex, and then traveling to Athens to watch some of the competitors he had the opportunity to assist or get to know throughout the year.

After an inspiring year of traveling while watching and partaking in world class competition, he said when he returned to Sonoma after the Olympic Games, and then an opportunity arose to lease a facility with one of his friends. It was that simple.

“He (Marc Cuneo) wanted a facility so I moved into this barn and basically we started rebuilding the facility in September, we had to remodel the whole thing,” says Kevin with a sigh of relief that the hardest part is behind him.    
Lessons horses are available at KK Equestrian where his youngest student is four-years-old, with his eldest nearing 60 years of age.

“I have some clients that are pure dressage people and have some that are eventers,” says Kevin adding he is creating a friendly, family atmosphere at the barn because learning is achieved in a relaxed setting. “The more fun you have the more willing you are to work and the more you are willing to learn … if it’s not fun, you don’t want to do it.

“I really believe this is a customer based service,” adds Kevin. “I want to stay small and give my clients the best service I can. With my education and training and working with animals all my life, I try to bring my background into my training. I don’t think there is one rider out there who doesn’t want to go to the world Cup or to the Olympics, I want to continue learning and increasing my knowledge for riding and teaching and have fun doing it.”

Kevin offers sporthorse sales and rehabilitation services as well as imported horses. He is available for clinics, private or group lessons and people are welcome to trailer in their horses. But, what he says he really enjoys is working with beginners, and where any breed of horse is welcome, “as long as they want to jump.”

For Kevin maybe horses, like fine wine, should have an unmistakable boldness galloping cross country or extending on the diagonal, a haven for those who have a thirst for knowledge – naturally.
Call Kevin at KK Equestrian at 707-996-3285 or visit Website: kkequestrian.com.