By Susan Friedland
Portraits by Stacy Tierman
Growing up just 10 minutes from Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois, an iconic Midwest horse show venue and site of the U.S. Dressage Festival, might have foreshadowed Brittany Burson’s life passion. The 33-year-old dressage trainer from nearby St. Charles, Illinois, who found her way to horses thanks to her brother’s school friend’s mom, has devoted herself to dressage for decades. In 2025, Britt qualified both of her horses for Festival of Champions and rode down centerline on a national stage in her own “backyard.”
Britt’s mare Fiorenza, or Fia—who, according to Britt, emanates “total Barbie vibes, as she’s very pretty, all black with big, doe-like eyes”—finished fourth in the nation in the Developing Prix St. George division. Her chestnut gelding Venturini, aka Liam, who Britt jokes “wants to be Fia’s best friend, but she doesn’t reciprocate—he wants to be her Ken,” earned an eighth-place finish in the 4-year-old division.
“I felt so proud of the accomplishment and of holding my own in such a competitive group of talented horse-and-rider combinations,” Britt said. What started as a little-girl passion has blossomed into a full-fledged career with horses, and it all began aboard an Appaloosa at a neighborhood farm.
Hardcore About Horses
Britt grew up as the only horse-obsessed member of her family. “My parents didn’t ride. I was adopted from South Korea as a baby, and the U.S. is all I’ve known. My brother, Kyle, doesn’t ride either, but he had a friend from school whose mom had a horse farm about 10 minutes from our house,” Britt said.
Kyle’s school friend’s mom was Pat Bunge of Red Roses Farm, a local eventing trainer. At 7, Britt started taking lessons from Pat and fell in love with horses, riding and barn life. She eventually began eventing under Pat’s tutelage.
One of the first horses Britt learned how to ride was a cranky 20-something Appaloosa mare named Tasu. “Tasu taught me how to post and all the beginnings of what you learn as a rider,” Britt said. “I remember being very hardcore and going out to the barn no matter what the weather was. It didn’t matter if it was snowing and cold or if it was really hot.” Britt’s mom was at the barn with her through all the seasons—from frigid winter days to humid summer afternoons. “Both of my parents are and continue to be big supporters,” she added.
Britt’s parents bought her first horse, Charm, a liver chestnut Welsh Cobb cross. She still vividly remembers the day Charm arrived at Pat’s farm, festooned with a large decorative ribbon. “My brother, my parents, Pat, and the other students and their mothers were all there,” Britt recalled. “It was a cool day. We got her from Jayne Ayers, an FEI judge from Wisconsin. Charm was the sweetest teacher—patient with me learning how to jump.”
Britt fondly recalled her first competitions with Charm—especially going to the Fox River Valley Pony Club Mini Event in Barrington, where she dressed Charm up in matching polo wraps and saddle pads and applied Twinkle Toes hoof glitter to make her sparkle. “I had so much fun growing up with all the other horse kids,” Britt said.
Drawn to Dressage
Although Britt enjoyed all three phases of eventing, the dressage portion really drew her in. “It was something I wanted to know more about,” she said. “I couldn’t do it very well, but I was excited to learn. So I shifted over to dressage by the time I was 11.
“I went to my first recognized dressage show at Lamplight, and I remember seeing Yvonne Barteau and Patti Becker and some other riders that were notable. I really struggled. I couldn’t put Charm on the bit—she was not made for dressage. But I was determined to figure it out.”
When Britt realized she wanted to go all in with dressage, the decision was made to sell Charm and find a suitable partner for her new sport. That’s how Britt met Helmut Schrant from Meadowbrook Farm in Hampshire, Illinois, who helped her purchase her next horse from Germany, a 5-year-old named DeNiro (by the stallion DeNiro). Helmut took her under his wing and with his coaching, Britt continued to grow in both her riding and horsemanship. “I brought DeNiro up through the levels. At 15, I tried out for the Junior Young Rider Region 2 team and was the alternate. DeNiro was a great teacher. He had a safe, safe, safe personality and temperament,” Britt said.
When not practicing dressage movements, Britt would jump DeNiro, and with fellow barn friends head out for an occasional gallop on nearby trails. After the fall harvest season, she remembers another outdoor adventure: grabbing small pumpkins from the adjacent farm fields and riding DeNiro back to the barn, pumpkins in hand.
Young and Confident
When Britt turned 15, she had such a commitment to deepening her understanding of her discipline that she traded in a traditional high school education for a working student role with dressage trainer Heather McCarthy, based at Paddock Hills Equestrian Center in Union, Illinois. “I was very serious and committed to riding, and I was pretty confident that’s what I wanted to do with my life,” Britt said. “So after my freshman year of high school, I finished out my high school years by doing independent study.” Britt’s parents knew that dressage was something she had such a passion for, so they supported her educational choice.
“I’ve always been an old soul and was never a partier,” Britt said, recalling how she left high school after her freshman year in order to focus on learning the art of dressage full time as a working student. She completed her studies through American School, an accredited program. “I’d read all the material, and I’d take tests or do essays and do math problems. This was before all the online education available now. I’d work on it late at night or on weekends if I wasn’t at a show.”
At the time, Britt had her permit but wasn’t driving. Her mom would drop her off at the first farm where Heather started her day. “Heather had a route of clients we’d go to—four different places—three of them were private barns. My responsibility was to get horses ready, talk with clients, and learn as much as I could.”
If it was OK with the client, Heather would have Britt ride some of the horses. Britt’s mom would pick her up at the end of Heather’s training day around 9 p.m. At horse shows, Britt would set up and keep Heather’s operation with 12 to 15 rides a day running smoothly.
At 17, Britt got her first client based on the overflow of what couldn’t fit into Heather’s schedule. “One client had a horse but no time to ride. I was quiet and shy; getting me to teach taught me how to have conversations and good communication. In a lot of ways, teaching helped me,” Britt said.
Over the next several years as a working student, Britt continued adding more horses and riders to her client base. “They were all very nice people—nice Amateur ladies. I spent about 10 years, maybe longer, in that working student role.”
Britt credits Heather with having a tremendous influence on her training philosophy. “Heather and I still operate out of the main barn together. Working together helps inspire us, and we can bounce ideas off each other when we go through training issues. I take lessons from her, and she’s still my main mentor and coach. Hopefully she feels proud of me,” Britt said.
Britt has more recently started riding with an additional coach—Scott Hassler of Wellington, Florida, where she spends three months of the winter season to compete in CDIs. “Scott’s been that next person who’s added a really great blend to my training,” Britt said.
A Day in the Life
At home in Illinois, Britt’s typical workday starts early, ends late and involves lots of driving. She regularly visits two to four barns a day, riding multiple horses with a few client lessons sprinkled into the schedule. “The first barn I go to takes an hour to get to,” she said. “I start at 7 a.m. and get home around 10 p.m. I’m grateful to be so busy and to have so many nice clients.”
Despite the long hours, Britt is deeply engaged in her work. At the moment, her favorite movement to school is the pirouette. “There are so many pieces within the pirouette that make it really challenging,” she explained, “but it’s such a great movement and such a cool feeling.”
After a long day, her two dogs—Vinny, a Yorkie, and Doodle, a Poodle-Yorkie mix—greet Britt eagerly. She likes to unwind by watching movies and television dramas. “Right now I’m enjoying ‘Down Cemetery Road’ with Emma Thompson,” she said.
Britt typically ends her day riding her own horses, Fia and Liam. During the pandemic, Britt purchased Fia from Germany based solely on video, because travel wasn’t really possible with so many unknowns. Just four months earlier, Britt experienced tragedy—she had to put down her horse who fractured his neck. Fia was a welcome addition to the family.
“Fia came over in the summer of her 3-year-old year. I’ve trained her all the way up from the beginning, and she’s now schooling some half steps and passage,” Britt said. “She’s been such a great horse for me—not only is she a great teacher, but she is so different—she’s a mare versus a gelding, and with that comes some personality. Just like a Barbie, she loves looking at herself in the mirror. It’s her favorite thing, so it’s pretty cute.”
Britt describes Liam as the polar opposite. “He’s a Vitalis/Apache, so a very different Dutch build. I’ve had a blast with him. I bought him from the same people in Germany. They told me they had a horse they thought would be a great fit for me. I love chestnuts,” she said. Liam came to the U.S. at the end of his 3-year-old year, and Britt was smitten.
“He’s such a cool horse. I love his mind. He’s forward, and he has so much power I don’t quite know what to do with it all yet. He loves to offer the work, and he loves working,” she said. Liam was named the 2025 USDF Training Level Horse of the Year. “That was completely unexpected, as my main goal for our first season was to qualify for Festival. I smile every day I get to ride him. I feel incredibly lucky to call him mine.”
Committed to Community and Calm
Britt believes dressage in the Midwest is special. “There is a good sense of community among trainers,” Britt said. “We all try to support each other and admire each other’s work because it’s such a tight-knit community. Some trainers were very encouraging to me as a young rider, telling me, ‘You’ll get it, you’ll get through it.’” The encouragement from trainers that buoyed her over the years is something she now passes along to others.
“Ever since I was a little kid—I know this is odd—but I don’t get nervous before shows,” Britt said. “Maybe if I did something on an Olympic scale, I’d get nervous. But I stay quite focused and calm, and it sounds silly, but it’s true.”
And her calm, empathetic demeanor also serves her riders well on show days. “All my clients get bad show nerves. I let them figure out their own mental strategy. Do you need to talk it through? Some want to be off on their own. Some want to hash out how they’re going to ride, and some just stay busy. I know when to help or let them have their moment,” Britt said.
Taryn Young, one of her clients, praised Britt as “the real deal.” “I needed someone who trained with kindness, clarity and a genuine desire to help me grow,” Taryn said. “I started riding with Britt around two years ago because she embodies all of that. She’s kind. She’s hungry to learn. She invests in her own education, rides every chance she gets and takes advantage of every opportunity to become the best version of herself, for her horses, her students and her craft. Britt also has a unique ability to create a true team atmosphere. She includes riders from every barn, every training group and every background. She makes everyone around her feel supported and valued.”
As Britt looks to the future, her goals are straightforward. “I would love to continue doing CDIs—continuing on that trajectory,” she said. “I love training young horses—bringing horses along, hopefully to Grand Prix.”
Visit brittanybursondressage.com or follow Britt Burson Dressage on Facebook or on Instagram @brittburson
Photos by Stacy Tierman, stacytiermanphotography.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stacytiermanphotography.com
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