Now hear some thoughts from Liz's clients, friends and employers!
"When I first moved to the USEA Area 4 in 2004, Liz immediately caught my eye as a talented but gracious young rider and competitor. It didn’t take long for me to realize that she represents what I think this sport should embody: dedication and hard work, positive relationships with her horses, a desire to further her own knowledge and then pass it on through excellent teaching and mentoring. These are the reasons I chose to support Liz professionally through a veterinary sponsorship. Personally, this was one of the best decisions I could have made for I gained a great friend, trainer and mentor. Liz is the consummate horsewoman; it’s not just about the ride for her, but the care and the relationship too. She is involved in every facet of her horse’s lives and I respect her for this. In this age of “fast track to the top”, I enjoy watching Liz take time out for a mental health break and go for a hack if that’s what her mount needs. She puts in the time, sweat, effort and energy into training her horses, creating a solid foundation for success. I have enjoyed watching Liz compete at the upper levels, and I admire that she always has time for a beginner novice course walk if that’s what a student needs. I have been fortunate enough to work with Liz with my own horse and she has given me the confidence and skills to make a successful move up to training with a potential eye on prelim! Liz is an extremely talented, professional and gracious rider and I look forward to watching her successes and achievements in the years to come."
-Jennifer Johnson DVM, MS Diplomate ACVIM (LA) - Client & Sponsor from Minneapolis, MN
"Liz is both an amazing trainer and a talented rider. Training with her for the past two years has been an incredible journey, and with her help I have grown so much as a rider and a horsewoman. Liz is patient and understanding, but still always encourages me to do my best and meet new challenges. Her passion for horses, riding, and teaching is incredible; she clearly loves what she does and transfers this limitless enthusiasm and dedication to the sport on to her students. Every lesson is challenging and fun, and every time I come away having learned something new. Liz has an amazing eye and always notices things immediately about my horse and me that other people have overlooked. She helped me look for a horse for almost a year, and encouraged me to stay focused and never settle for anything less than I wanted. In the end, this patience and persistence on her part was what allowed me to find my dream horse. Around the barn, Liz is always responsible and helpful; She sets a great example by taking immaculate care of her own horse and cheerfully lends a hand in whatever needs to done. She is one of the most amazing people I have ever met and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have her as my trainer! "
-Maria Filsinger - Client from Minnetonka, MN
"It is my pleasure to recommend Liz Lund as an excellent horse trainer and professional rider. Liz backed my young Oldenburg gelding Worth the Wait from the beginning; putting on his first bit /bridle and riding him the second time she worked with him. I put on the ground training and manners; but Liz’s good nature and natural horse abilities made training Worthy easy and fun. Working with Liz was the best possible training experience we both could have. Worthy was trained by a person that fear was not a part of the equation; therefore he developed trust and enjoyed having a rider aboard. I bred Worthy to be my companion and riding horse with a focus on dressage since I no longer can event. The raw truth was if I could not ride him he would be down the road. Liz worked with him less five weeks and 8 rides before she went back to school. In that time she rode him in the arena, fields, hack down the road and we trailered him to Crow Hassan for a two hour trail ride with his mother Kimberly’s Missy. During the school year, I was able to ride him and work him 3 time a week. Liz made the effort to train him on holidays or when she was back in town. The following summer Liz put more training and his first clinic. At four years old we started his show career, both eventing and dressage. He was a natural seemed to enjoy dressage so we focus on the local dressage shows that Liz could work in between her eventing schedule. It was the perfect season. His scores were in in the high 60’s and we were trying to break 70 at the 2008 CSDEA Festival and Worthy and Liz in the Training Level Class delivered a 75.2% receiving the championship score and winning the Thornhill Saddle Award. Thanks to Liz’s training I feel blessed to have a good dressage horse and a good friend.”
-Ellen Hoffman - Client from Plymouth, MN
Our daughter, after her first lesson with Liz Lund said, "She is the first trainer who can say things in such a way that I can understand it and apply it so fast in the saddle, she just makes sense." She looks forward to every lesson with Liz, and has grown by leaps and bounds under her well developed eye, training and coaching. Liz pushes our daughter to be all she can be with each ride. "She is kind, personable and has helped me progress more than any other trainer. I appreciate being challenged by her to ride better and more effectively. I have become very aware of what I need to do as a competitor and in building my relationship with my horse," she recently expressed.
As parents, we value Liz's personal desire to continue her own training and compete at high levels. She is not a 'been there done that' trainer, she is doing it every day. She is goal oriented for herself and her clients. She is a very determined young woman, leasing her own farm, starting her own equine business, increasing her client base, and continues to compete and excel while maintaining a balanced life with her family and friends. She is a strong role model for our daughter and has taken the time to get to know her personally, which has enhanced their training relationship. We feel incredibly fortunate to be working with Liz Lund, my husband and I also take lessons.
-The Ruhs Family, Michael, Karen & Savannah - Clients from Edina, MN
"I was fortunate enough to meet Liz while competing with her in the Central States area. We have known each other for years now and grown very close. I have seen Liz on many different mounts in the time that I have known her. She surly has the natural ability to ride any kind of horse. I have watched Liz take her current horse, Hannah, from a horse that wasn’t supposed to be an event horse, to the successful upper level horse she is today. Liz has been a great friend and trainer to me over the years, whether in the barn or not Liz is always there for people and horses. Liz is always willing to help anyone in any way that she can. It is evident that she cares more about helping people succeed, have fun, be safe than anything else. Liz is a great equestrian and trainer at all levels."
-Nicole Zullo - Equine Science Major at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
"I have seen Liz grow from a horse-crazy teenager to a confident and knowledgeable horsewoman. She has a wide range of experiences and has worked with a variety of horses, from the buckers to the rank thoroughbreds to the highly-trained. What impresses me most about Liz is her ability to understand the horse she's sitting on. If the horse has been misbehaving for the owner, Liz is able to approach the horse without being judgemental, and this approach is highly successful. Horses that frustrate people or ones that people have given up on are Liz's specialty. She understands these horses and is able to build a positive relationship with them, giving them the confidence and the skills to be successful. For Liz, the horse is the first priority. Her professional experience is in high demand, but her wisdom from the horse's point of view is priceless."
-Ayla Turnquist - Graduate from Johns Hopkins, currently attending UPenn Vet School
"I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with Liz during the past few years. She is a very hard working and dedicated individual, always willing and enthusiastic to further her equine knowledge and understanding. She enjoys the challenges that come with horse ownership, riding, training, competition, and the inherent never ending educational process. One of the most endearing assets which Liz possesses is her enthusiasm, and endless ability to have fun. At times working with horses can be very stressful and frustrating which requires great patience and persistence. Liz, in her equestrian career has learned a lot about horses and life in general and rarely will you encounter her without a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. As an equestrian athlete and horsewoman, Liz has the qualities and spirit to follow her dreams and to reach her goals.
"I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with Liz during the past few years. She is a very hard working and dedicated individual, always willing and enthusiastic to further her equine knowledge and understanding. She enjoys the challenges that come with horse ownership, riding, training, competition, and the inherent never ending educational process. One of the most endearing assets which Liz possesses is her enthusiasm, and endless ability to have fun. At times working with horses can be very stressful and frustrating which requires great patience and persistence. Liz, in her equestrian career has learned a lot about horses and life in general and rarely will you encounter her without a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. As an equestrian athlete and horsewoman, Liz has the qualities and spirit to follow her dreams and to reach her goals.
-Liz Turnquist - Owner of T-Oaks Farm in Hamel, MN
"I wanted to let you know that we watched all of the Intermediate riders go through the sunken road and water and you were by far had one of the best rides. You are a talented rider"
-Jenna Brown - Algonquin, IO
"Liz is a terrific teacher! Her approach builds confidence and understanding of how dressage and jumping work together. I enjoyed lessons with her immensely! She is an up and coming eventing professional.”
-Julie Michener - MN
“Liz is a positive, results oriented coach-trainer-competitor with an impressive track record in both dressage and upper level eventing.”
-Pat McIlvenna - Minneapolis, MN
“Liz teaches pony club kids at my barn and they all love her. She has trained my daughter at times and one of my horses. I am very proud of Liz as she is one of the top cross country competitors in our area. She has trained her horse, mostly herself, to a very high level of competition. Prior to that, she has ridden many peoples horses over the years, and as far as I know, has done a wonderful job with her mounts.”
-Linda Murphy - Owner of Windswept Farm in Watertown, MN
"Liz Lund is a high energy individual that gets the job done. She always maintains a positive attitude and is highly intelligent. Liz is easy going and assists her students in becoming very capable equestrians. Liz has the experience and the resources to produce top riders and horses."
-Carrie Dalos - Carver County, MN
Liz & Hannah's first horse trial at Wayne DuPage in 2005 at Training Level.
