104 SIDELINES MARCH 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Sophie St. Clair
The show circuit in the West is a big place. It’s geographically
diverse from the sunny beaches and beautiful rural countryside
of California to the stunning landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
Equally diverse are the professionals who make this circuit their
office. Canby, Oregon is where professional rider, trainer and
horse sport advocate Jeff Campf operates. He and his wife Shelley
own Oz, Inc., a hunter/jumper training and sales barn.
Jeff’s involvement with horses began very early with some of
his first memories being in lead line classes. His parents owned
Ridgeview Stables in the Portland, Oregon area. Under the
supervision of his mother and trainer, Claudia Frisbie, Jeff acquired
a solid foundation of dressage as a prerequisite for jumping. This
foundation proved successful. As a junior rider Jeff scooped up
wins at the Spruce Meadows Canadian Championships in both
the Canadian Junior Jumpers and Canadian Hunters.
Jeff credits his mother as being one of his most inspirational
trainers. He remarked, “My mother was amazing in her own right.
She first made the U.S. Eventing team when she was 14 years
old, though she was ineligible to ride. She had such incredible
e
Juniorside
basics growing up in California riding with the team. She was rock
solid in dressage as well as jumping.”
He also says Claudia had a huge influence on his own
teaching. As a kid he admits cheekily that he could have paid
closer attention to what she was saying. But as an adult it was
clear he was listening. Today, he finds himself imparting the same
Jeff Campf:
Striking a Balance in
the Pacific Northwest
Jeff and student Alexandra Ulmer at HITS Thermal.
Photo by Mike Dash
Jeff and London competing
at HITS Thermal.
Photo by Todd Sutherland at Flying
Horse Photography
Continued on page 106
