By Diana Bezdedeanu
Portraits by Kacy Brown
Some riders make an impression by being the loudest in the ring. Jodie Camberg listens closely to her horses and the subtle movements unfolding beneath her. At 26 years old, the California-raised professional has steadily built a reputation for developing horses slowly and thoughtfully, letting feel, trust and patience do the talking. She can’t point to a moment when horses weren’t the plan; from her very first ride, they’ve been a constant presence in her life. Then and now, it’s always been about horses.
Born in Houston, Texas, Jodie was bitten by the horse bug at 7 years old after moving to Calabasas, California. Her introduction to the horse world came through her older brother’s kindergarten teacher, who was married to trainer Mike Edrick. “I always loved animals,” Jodie said. “If there was a circus on the side of the road, I’d want to get out of the car and pet the horses. I took my first lesson in Agoura Hills with Mike and rode with him throughout my Junior career.”
From the very beginning, Jodie’s family was behind her passion. Though her parents and siblings weren’t involved in horses themselves, they were unwavering in their support, encouraging her ambitions to make a demanding Junior career possible. That early backing, paired with Mike’s guidance, gave Jodie the freedom to fully commit to the sport.
Her first pony at age 8 arrived in an unexpected way. “My first Short Stirrup and Children’s Pony Hunter, Pepper, was a Western pleasure pony that my dad traded in a business deal, who carried me through the A-circuit,” Jodie said. Next came Toblerone, a 4-year-old import from Belgium, who placed second at Pony Finals before being sold. “That kick-started my interest in buying and selling horses.”
Throughout her Junior years, Jodie consistently bought and sold horses, always keeping one of her own in the barn. She competed across the hunters, equitation and jumpers, never limiting herself to one ring. Another standout sales horse was a Junior Jumper she purchased as a 7-year-old, Veneto DH Z, who placed eighth in the 1.50m at the 2016 Young Rider Championships in Parker, Colorado.
As the demands of riding, showing and managing horses increased, so did the need for flexibility in her education. “I didn’t have a ‘normal’ high school experience, as I finished my last few years online so I could train and attend shows on the circuit.”
Jodie credits her development entirely to the foundation laid by Mike and his daughter, Megan Wexler. “Mike instilled a great level of horsemanship in me that’s hard to come by these days,” she said. “We would go to auctions and buy off-the-track Thoroughbreds really cheap, break them and take them to shows to sell.” He also taught her how to drive horses, a skill she still values today. That mentorship has endured well beyond her Junior years. “I still talk to him on the phone almost every day even though we live across the country from one another.”
When Jodie aged out of the Juniors, turning Professional felt like the natural next step. But with guidance from Mike, Megan and her parents, she came to see the value of a formal education not as a detour, but as a way to support a sustainable life in the sport. “I could still ride and have horses in my life, but I had to get a degree so I had something to fall back on in case the horse thing didn’t work out,” she said. Today, the business and finance classes she took in college affect how Jodie approaches daily management of horses and clients as well as nurturing a program designed for longevity both in and out of the ring.
At 18, Jodie moved to Florida to attend the University of Florida, where she earned a bachelor of science in sports management. She lived in Gainesville for three years, commuting daily to Ocala to ride. “I would leave Gainesville at 6 a.m. most days in order to get to my barn in Ocala,” she said. “Then I’d drive back for classes. It’s about a 45-minute drive each way, and I was doing that at least once, sometimes twice a day.”
Despite the grueling schedule, Jodie fully embraced college life. “I joined a sorority, I went to all the football games, and I was really involved in campus life. I still showed every week and rode every day, but I was able to do both horses and college,” she said. She credits that balance as formative. “I think that really made me more well-rounded. Today, I have a lot of friends that aren’t horse people, and I think it’s good to be able to talk about not just horses all the time.”
The workload was intense. “It was a lot of work—I definitely didn’t sleep a lot,” she joked. Still, she describes those years as some of the best of her life. “They were probably the best, most fun few years. That experience definitely cemented that I love horses and that I want to do horses professionally.”
Jodie graduated in just three years, taking heavy course loads and summer classes to return full-time to the sport. “I took 18 credits a semester and summer classes every possible summer—I just knew this was what I wanted to do,” she said. She ultimately chose not to ride on a collegiate team so she could stay based in Ocala and continue showing. “In the end, I knew I wanted to be in Ocala and I wanted to be able to show at HITS when I went to school. Also, there wasn’t a Division I team around here.”
In 2021, Jodie moved to Ocala full time and began working for Megan at Golden Oaks Farm, where she remains today. In addition to a steady stream of clients, she currently teaches Megan’s two daughters in-house. “Megan likes me to work with her kids because it’s a bit difficult with the mom-daughter dynamic,” she explained. Last year, Jodie took both girls to Pony Finals. “I really enjoy teaching kids.”
At the heart of Golden Oaks Farm is Jodie’s partnership with Megan, built on shared history and countless hours in the saddle together. “What makes our dynamic work so well is that we agree on pretty much everything—which is hard to come by in this industry. We grew up with the same basics, with her dad training both of us using a lot of old-school training methods,” Jodie said. “At the end of the day, we’ve had a lot of fun and success together, with some really nice competition horses throughout the years.”
In addition to teaching, Jodie and Megan import and develop sales and client horses. Their program typically has 25 to 30 horses, about half of which are sale imports from Europe. “We have a few people we trust over there,” Jodie explained. Often, purchases are made entirely off video. “Marcus Grünthal sent me this video last year and said, ‘This is your horse,’” she recalled. “I sent it to Megan, and she said, ‘Yup, that’s your horse.’”
That horse is Hendrick Des Forets, a Selle Français Warmblood with a significant amount of French blood. “He is hands down the best horse I have ever had the chance to ride,” Jodie gushed. “He’s making all my dreams come true.” Purchased as a 7-year-old, Hendrick has progressed quickly. “We started in the 1.20m and now we’re jumping 1.50m. He has the biggest heart and tries so hard. He’s so competitive and dependable.”
Today, Jodie competes primarily in the jumper ring but continues to cross disciplines. “I did the International Derby recently and placed in that on a sale horse,” she said. Still, she admitted to being an adrenaline junkie. This winter, she won her first FEI class at the World Equestrian Center and a Grand Prix at HITS Ocala. “I do love the jumpers because I like to go fast.”
Golden Oaks Farm spends much of the year competing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, less than a five-minute haul down the road from the farm. They also travel to Kentucky, Wellington and HITS Ocala. “We’re very lucky to be so close to the World Equestrian Center. There’s no place like it!”
Outside the barn, Jodie enjoys spending time outdoors, paddleboarding, reading and attending Pilates classes. Looking back, every step—from her very first lesson in California at age 7 to the trainer she’s become at Golden Oaks Farm—points to the same truth. “I always knew that being a professional in the horse industry was what I wanted,” Jodie said. “I fell in love with horses at first ride and there’s nothing else in the world I can imagine doing with my life.”
Follow Jodie on Facebook and on Instagram @jodiecamberg
Photos by Kacy Brown, kacybrownphotography.com
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