Allida Taylor (formerly Allida Allen) started riding hunter/jumpers, as a child in Orange County, California, but even as a little girl, she dreamed of becoming professional dressage rider. Her mother taught her that the only way to achieve success is hard work, so Allida committed herself to doing whatever work it took to become a professional rider. Her hard work has landed positions in several prestigious barns throughout her 30-year career, giving her the opportunity to work alongside, and learn from, some of the world’s best dressage horses and riders. Her notable employers have included Barbie Breen-Gurley, in California; Olympic eventers Sandy Pflueger and Captain Mark Phillips, in England; and Karin Rhebein’s Gestut Gronwohldhof, in Germany, where she had the honor of riding Mrs. Rhebein’s personal horses.
In 2002, Allida returned to the US to be closer to family. She showed on the Florida and Northeast circuits before settling in Santa Cruz, California to start her own dressage training business. She has trained and She currently trains horses at a facility in Gilroy, California, and teaches clinics around the globe. Allida regularly expands her own education with clinicians such as Heidi Gaian, Johann Hinnemann, Jan Ebeling, and Juan Mataute.