Lucy Rachel Donohue’s journey with Southlands began decades ago when she moved to the Hudson Valley full time, drawn to its scenic charm and exceptional equestrian opportunities. A lifelong equestrian, Lucy started riding as at age 6 and knew from her first visit to Southlands that it was where she belonged. After years of leading our camps, training with the legendary Susie Williams, working in our barn and graduating from Hampshire College, Lucy returned to Southlands as a full-time trainer, specializing in young riders, ponies and launching our first foray into the important seasonal shows in Florida. With a background in Hunters and Equitation, Lucy has competed at the highest levels and coached students from walk-trot to the jumper ring, producing many esteemed ribbon winners and other notable figures in the equestrian world. She currently serves on the board of the Hudson Valley Hunter Jumpers Association and is equally passionate about developing non-competitive equine programs, ensuring every rider experiences the joy of horsemanship. Whether leading horse shows, pony camps or lessons, Lucy Donohue is dedicated to fostering confidence, skill and a lifelong love of horses.

Susie Williams had her first ride at Southlands at age 3 - on a goat - and rode her first horse at Southlands at age 4. A Southlands rider for over 70 years (and Southlands Trainer for nearly four decades), she has ‘reveled in The Southlands Foundation’s enchantment ever since’, experiencing its transformative power on riders of all ages. Guided by our founder Deborah Dows’ enduring vision, Susie delights in helping students transcend perceived boundaries, revealing the life lessons a horse can illuminate. She refined her craft under Harry DeLeyre at the Knox School for Girls and numerous other esteemed clinicians over her long & storied riding career. Ms. Williams has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Denver and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education & Social Sciences from SUNY New Paltz. Susie’s incredible tenure at Southlands reflects an unwavering devotion to nurturing confidence, empathy, and personal growth. Ms. Williams currently lives in Rhinebeck, NY with a large menagerie of animals both large and small.

Jo Olsen rode her first horse at age 5 in Oyster Bay, NY and has travelled extensively in both Europe and the US as both a rider and a trainer. She has showed in New York, the Hamptons, Wellington and abroad. Jo was an early adopter of the European acquisition strategy and has traveled throughout the US and Europe developing strong connections in the horse business. She specializes in improving technique, confidence and performance in riders and horses of all levels and has many years of experience taking riders to success in all three rings. Ms. Olsen is also a marketing & branding Creative Director who has spearheaded many product launches, including the acquisition and execution of the Joan Dideon Estate auction at Stair Gallery in Hudson, NY.

Allison King, "a life long equestrian at heart," began riding at 8 years old at Stonington Farms in Stonington, Connecticut.  By age 14 she was teaching other young riders, enthusiastically sharing her passion for horses.  Ms. King has trained with many of the most iconic trainers in the industry including Eric Horgan, Jenny Meyer, Karl Mikolka, Jennifer Baumert, Bill Warren and Bill McMullin. Allison has competed at the highest levels of Equitation, Jumpers and Dressage, habitually qualifying for both Regional and State Finals.  She acquired her Bronze and Silver medals from the USDF and is a lifetime member of the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) from which she holds an ACI certification (Assistant Clinic Instructor) as a Master Instructor.  Additionally she is a USDF "L graduate with distinction."  One of her primary teaching goals is helping her students understand the importance of riding biomechanics to both enhance their skills and understand their riding challenges.  Now working exclusively as a highly sought after private trainer, for over 15 years Allison served as The Southlands Foundation’s 6th Executive Director, overseeing an important and expansionist period of our history.  Ms. King is currently the Recording Secretary of The Hudson Valley Hunter Jumper Association (HVHJA) and assists in writing grant requests for the Eastern New York Dressage & Combined Training Association (ENYDCTA.)  With her deep background in riding, training, equine operations and business management, Allison is often tapped to consult for top tier equine facilities and leads the horse acquisition process for both private and commercial clients.  Ms. King lives in Rhinebeck, NY and enjoys riding her horse Rouben while continuing her dressage education with noted dressage specialist, Tine Zinglersen.

Tine Zinglersen rode her first horse, a Shetland pony, at age 3 at a farm near Copenhagen, Denmark. Ms. Zinglersen is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Dressage medalist and was a world ranked dressage rider for several decades. Working with both amateur and professional clients, Tine has taken many dressage riders from entry-level to Gran Prixe. Her training philosophy is ‘horse centered’ and revolves around ‘a happy communication between horse and rider.’ Originally from Denmark, Tine currently lives in Standfordville, NY and also resided in Australia and Greenland before moving to the US.

Emma Mearkle rode her first horse at age 4 at a small barn near her childhood home on Long Island, developing a life-long love of horses and ultimately earning a spot on the SUNY New Paltz Equestrian Team. Emma completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2023 and is currently working on her PATH certification, a nationwide program training specialists in equine therapies. Ms. Mearkle enjoys working with children, teaches introductory lessons to some of our youngest riders, was our Nature Camp Director in summer of 2023 and 2024 and then promoted to the full time position of Assistant Barn Manager. Emma also leads our equine assisted programs with The Anderson Center for Autism and teaches riding lessons to participants from Ramapo for Children.

Saffron Rain Sharifi, is originally from New York City and was named after her family’s spice business in Iran. A self-proclaimed ‘horse lover from day one’, Saffron rode her first horse at age 7 in Westchester County, NY. Her competitive endeavors in IEA led to qualifying for the national competitions. While mostly focused on the English style, Saffron is also an experienced Western rider. She has also trained in ‘natural horsemanship’ as well as AFM treatments for horses. Saffron was Southlands’ Pony Camp Director in the summer of 2022. She began her time at Southlands many years ago, training under the legendary Susie Williams and is a volunteer in our long running equine assisted program with Daytop Samaritan Village (also run by Ms. Williams). Ms. Sharifi is a candidate for a Bachelor of Arts in Literature & Studio Arts at Bard College and has studied abroad in Ecuador, Peru and Germany. Saffron is also a woodworking artist, currently applying her skills at a modern, artisanal furniture company in Kingston, NY. Ms. Sharifi resides in Tivoli, NY.