By Laila EdwardsPortraits
by Kristie Scholten
When Marta Renilla picked up the phone one day, neither she nor Anartz Chanca—the man on the other end of the line—could have guessed that a simple inquiry about boarding a horse would alter the course of both their lives.
“When I first talked to him on the phone, I already knew,” Marta said. “And when I saw him, I knew even more.”
“I felt it too,” Anartz said. “Something just clicked immediately.”
What began as a routine phone call soon unfolded into a partnership defined by shared values, parallel ambitions and the kind of understanding that feels like destiny.
Marta’s earliest memories are shared with her mom, running through barn aisles in Spain. “From the time I was 4 years old, I would always go to the barn with her,” Marta said. “I loved being with my mom.” Her mother began riding later in life, but embraced the sport wholeheartedly and passed that passion on to Marta.
By 8, Marta was not only riding but fearlessly hopping on the new or difficult horses that rotated through the barn. “I was always the brave kid getting on the buckers and the crazy ponies,” Marta said. “I rode anything.” Her natural talent and ambition shone through during the times that trainers asked her to warm up horses, help with the young ones and assist around the barn. That exchange allowed her to receive lessons as a trade to help develop and fine-tune her skillset.
Over time, she excelled in jumping, eventing and everything in between. When Marta was 14 and took a dressage lesson on a dressage trainer’s horse at her mom’s barn, her path completely changed. “After that lesson, I fell in love with dressage,” Marta said. “It was so difficult, but I felt I could learn forever.”
Marta and her mother developed the horse together: a 4-year-old, one-eyed gelding that proved to be the defining partner for Marta’s young-rider days. By 17, that horse carried her to the Spanish Championships for the first time, and soon after to four consecutive Junior and Young Rider European Championships. “He made me a Grand Prix rider and I made him a Grand Prix horse,” she said. “We both learned together.”
Meanwhile, in San Sebastián, Spain, Anartz’s childhood was shaped more by soccer fields than stables. He played competitively from an early age, and most of his childhood revolved around school and athletics. Horses entered his life almost unexpectedly when, at 9, he asked for a dirt bike and his mother insisted on something “safer.” So instead, she bought him a 3-year-old Arabian stallion named Sam. “Every time he smelled a mare, I ended up walking back to the stable,” Anartz said. “But I loved him, and he taught me a lot.”
Anartz rode endurance for several years, competing on Sam and a gelding named Maura. But by 14, living far from the barn and deeply committed to soccer and academics, horses faded from his life. It would be more than a decade before he returned to riding as an adult in Ohio, showing hunters and jumpers at a small barn. And then, in a way he never expected, riding would eventually direct him to Marta.
Life shifted dramatically for Marta at age 23, when her mother passed away in an accident. “My mom was my best friend,” Marta said. That pivotal moment in her life offered a time for change, so after earning her degree in international business in Spain, she moved to Texas with her father when he relocated his business.
Marta began working in a bank with hopes of building a new life, while still riding her horse on the side. But the structured hours felt foreign compared to the relentless pace of barn life. “It was too easy,” Marta said. “All my life I had worked so hard studying and working with horses and riders. I felt that I needed to do more.”
She began teaching on weekends, competing her horse in the Grand Prix, and slowly building a clientele in Texas.
In 2010, once again, a single purchase set the stage for a major life shift for Marta: Her father acquired a property as an investment and entrusted Marta with turning her passion into a profitable business. With the support of his extensive business expertise and the marketing insight of Marta’s sister, what began as a modest mixed-use boarding operation quickly evolved into Woodlands Equestrian Club, an 80-horse facility featuring a thriving sales program, a breeding operation and one of the most successful youth riding schools in the region.
“It became a very successful business,” Marta said, “because everything was built with love, honesty and good people.”
While Marta’s move to the U.S. was driven by family and loss, Anartz’s path unfolded through education and opportunity. After completing his business degree in Spain, he moved to Michigan to pursue an MBA at Eastern Michigan University. It was a leap driven by ambition and a desire to expand his professional horizon. The transition opened doors he hadn’t anticipated. “I was obsessed with soccer growing up,” he said. “Horses weren’t part of my life at that point, but the discipline I learned from both them and soccer shaped how I approached everything.”
Following graduation, he accepted a corporate position in Ohio, stepping into the fast-paced world of international business. His career advanced quickly, eventually leading him to co-found Binotto USA, the American division of an Italian hydraulic cylinder manufacturer. As the company grew, so did his responsibilities, and by 2018 he had become its CEO and was guiding the expanding operation with the same focus and competitive drive that was instilled in him as a kid.
It was only after settling into this new chapter of professional stability that horses quietly found their way back into his life. Looking for balance outside of work, he returned to riding at a small barn in Ohio, rediscovering the love he had for them. That reconnection became the thread that eventually led him to Texas, and to the email that changed everything.
Looking for a place to board his horse, Anartz found Marta’s farm and reached out. “When I saw his email, I called him,” Marta said. “We talked for over an hour, and I just knew because I loved talking to him. When he came to see the place, I remember I felt love. He was meant to be.”
For Anartz, the connection grew through admiration. “Marta only thinks about horses,” Anartz said. “She loves them, respects them and she works harder than anyone I’ve ever met.”
After moving his horse into Woodlands Equestrian Club, Anartz began taking dressage lessons from her. At first, he wasn’t sure. “I thought it was a little boring because I didn’t understand it,” Anartz said. “But when I saw the one-tempis, the piaffe, the passage, I was extremely impressed.” He fell in love with the discipline, and under Marta’s guidance, trained his first Grand Prix horse, Campione.
“From Marta I learned not to avoid making mistakes when training a horse,” Anartz said. “Always be positive and trust your horse.” Over the years, he developed several horses to Grand Prix, earning regional championships, U.S. Finals titles and CDI successes.
Teaching him, Marta said, felt natural from the very beginning. “I realized right away he was talented,” Marta said. “He listens, he thinks and he tries with all his heart. That’s the kind of student any trainer dreams of.” She guided him step by step, introducing him not just to the technical foundations of dressage, but to the joy and partnership behind it.
Together, Marta and Anartz have built a beautiful family with their children. Their three kids: 12-year-old twins and a 5-year-old son. Marta is beyond grateful for the gifts of motherhood. “The biggest success in my life is being a mom and making a family,” Marta said. “That was my purpose in life.”
Their children ride occasionally, mostly to be close to their parents, but their true passion is soccer. “They’re very good soccer players,” Marta said proudly. “And I’m happy as long as they’re happy.”
Balancing parenthood with two careers and a busy training program is a constant puzzle. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to balance family, horses and work,” Anartz said. “But the kids are the center of our lives.”
Still, despite packed schedules, their home is full of warmth, humor and a shared sense of gratitude. “I don’t need luxury,” Marta said. “I just need the people I love healthy and happy.”
In 2025, Marta felt ready for a new chapter. Years of developing talent, producing horses to the top levels and managing a large business left her with a deep desire to focus on elite sport. “I have two Grand Prix horses and a third one coming, along with several young horses with qualities to go to the top,” she said. “I feel I’m ready. I think my mom would be so proud.”
The family purchased their first farm in Ocala, a milestone that felt deeply meaningful. “We are extremely excited,” Anartz said. “This is the first farm we’ve owned.”
Ocala offers a quieter lifestyle, proximity to top competitions, a strong equestrian community and a place where their children could grow up surrounded by open space. “The Ocala horse community has been so welcoming,” Marta said. “We continue to run our very successful sales program here—European Dressage Horses—backed by over 16 years of experience and more than 300 horses sold throughout the years.”
Florida also brought Marta something she didn’t expect: a sense of spiritual closeness to her mother. “I feel her presence very often since moving here,” Marta said. “I know it’s her.”
Marta’s reputation within the sport is built not only on her competition record, but on her joy and luminous positivity that infuses her training. “When people ask how my ride was, I always say, ‘Amazing!,’” Marta said. “My brain deletes the moments that weren’t super good. I highlight the amazing ones.”
Her training philosophy is rooted in respect. “My horses are my family,” Marta said. “I respect them all the time. I don’t use them. They give everything because they love and trust me.”
Her approach has drawn students and owners who value her blend of classical training, patience and emotional intelligence. “Every day should be special because maybe tomorrow we’re not here,” Marta said.
For Anartz, the foundation is the Training Scale, instilled in him by legendary trainer Conrad Schumacher. “The most challenging scenarios can always be solved by going back to the basics,” Anartz said. “Always think about what part of the Training Scale needs improvement.”
Both Marta and Anartz have big goals for the coming years. Marta hopes to return to the CDI ring with her developing Grand Prix horses and is excited about the journey to get there. “I want to enjoy every day,” Marta said. “Being alive is a gift. I feel grateful every day I’m on a horse.”
Anartz currently owns a 5-year-old and an exciting 11-year-old Grand Prix horse he’s looking to start competing this year. “My dream is to have a horse competitive at the CDI level, but enjoying the path is the ultimate goal,” he said. “Even the smell of horses in the morning mixed with coffee is already a dream.”
Their story is one of persistence, love and deep gratitude that continues to unfold as they continue to transition to a life in Ocala, surrounded by their horses, their children, and a future that has grown far beyond anything they ever imagined in their wildest dreams.
Follow them on Facebook @MartaRenilla , European Dressage Horses on Facebook @DressageHForSale or visit europeandressagehorses.com
Photos by Kristie Scholten, kristiescholten.org
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