Therapeutic Riding Instructor
Denise rode horses for fun while in high school and was then away from them for many years. After their children were grown, Denise and her husband began taking riding lessons which opened the door to horses for her again. After retiring from teaching, Denise started volunteering at TH. She was immediately hooked and started working her way up with the goal of eventually becoming an instructor.
Sandy Rafferty, one of TH’s founders, then introduced Denise to the para dressage discipline which has provided her with some unbelievable opportunities in the horse world, including the privilege of working as a para dressage steward at the Para Olympics in Rio. Denise thoroughly enjoys teaching and sharing her love of horses with others while encouraging them to demonstrate their abilities on a horse. “It is a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together.”
After earning her BCE from Georgia Tech and MEd from Lindenwood University, Denise worked in Engineering at US Steel and Ameren before teaching Kindergarten at Academy of the Sacred Heart for 27 years. Denise has played, taught, and coached many sports at various levels, including becoming a PATH Certified Riding Instructor and an FEI steward for Reining and Para Dressage.