Gil Merrick has spent his life between two passions—horse sport and business management—combining them to create a truly unique résumé and professional career.

His childhood love of horses led him to a lifelong study of the art of dressage. While he enjoyed study in other disciplines (hunters, jumpers, eventing, Western pleasure, and vaulting), it was dressage and classical equitation that called loudest to him.

Gil’s educational background—both equestrian and scholastic—is impressive. From age 16, he has studied dressage across the United States and Europe, beginning at Erlenhof Stables in Ohio where FEI and haute école horses were available to him. Gil performed demonstration rides on these mounts and participated in the clinics with legend Colonel Bengt Ljungquist. Gil also spent university breaks riding FEI horses for Chuck Grant and training with Georg Wahl’s student, Robert O. Mayer.

Such advanced training afforded Gil an invitation to apprentice as a trainer in Hamburg, Germany, at the estate of Rosemarie Springer, five-time German dressage champion and 1960 Olympian who had enjoyed fifteen years with Willy Schultheis as resident trainer.

Gil assisted in breaking-in young stallions and received instruction on the farm’s grand prix horses. Mrs. Springer organized Gil’s participation in the Amateur Riding Instructor’s Course at Die Deutsche Reitschule in Warendorf and the dressage program at Die Hannoversche Reit- und Fahrschule in Verden, Germany.

Upon completion of his Bachelors degrees in Business Management and German from Hiram College in Ohio and his Masters of Business Administration degree in International Marketing and Finance from Cleveland State University, Gil took a brief recess from his equestrian training to concentrate on building his career in corporate management.

He began his now 25-year career in senior management positions with multinational corporations in a variety of industries. In addition to his responsibilities managing the finances, administration and member programs for these organizations, he has specialized in the areas of organizational development and management training. He has been conducting training seminars within corporations and for the public since 1992, offering seminars that concentrate on the development of “human effectiveness” in all areas of life.

Gil’s work took him across Europe and Asia. However, it was a fortuitous move to Australia that led him back into the equestrian world once more. In Sydney, he met Major Miguel Tavora, a lifetime student and friend of Nuno Oliviera. Gil lived in Sydney from 1990 to 1994 and trained daily with Major Tavora schooling young horses and receiving instruction on Major Tavora’s grand prix horses. From 1994 to 1998, Gil traveled quarterly to Sydney to continue his advanced training with Major Tavora. The following year, he would organize Major Tavora’s first training clinics in the U.S.

From 2000 to 2002, Gil was based in Menlo Park, California, and managed his own training stables while facilitating the importation and sale of numerous horses from Germany and assisting clients with the selection of Lusitanos in Portugal.

In 2005, Gil combined his dressage and business management talents by accepting the Dressage Managing Director position with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). To this position he brought a lifelong study of dressage and a truly unique perspective for dressage riders about the effectiveness with which they manage their lives and their training. Additionally, his vast executive experience in international corporation management, finance, administration, member programs, organizational development, training and fluency in foreign languages, Gil has worked with his staff and committee members to elevate the quality and quantity of the U.S. dressage programs offered by the Federation. Gil is directly responsible for managing the selection and training of dressage teams that represent the USA at the Pan American Games, World Championships and Olympic Games and serves as Team Leader at those competitions.

Gil currently resides in Lexington, KY, where he trains horses and riders at the Pine Knoll Center for Integrated Horsemanship. He also travels throughout the U.S. to conduct training clinics and to present his “Mastery in the Art of Equitation” seminars. Email: gil@masteryconcepts.com

<< Back to Team