ROGER CLEVERLY

Roger has worked with many breeds of horses, ponies and minis for over 32 years, in both the UK and USA. In Britain, he competed in hunter jumping, dressage, horse trials, endurance rides, rode as an amateur in National Hunt steeplechase racing, and was an amateur exercise rider and assistant trainer at Cree Lodge Racing Stables at Ayr in Scotland. He also rode to hounds with the Lanark and Renfrew, and Eglinton Foxhounds.

Since arriving in CA in 1998, Roger has competed in hunter jumping classes, shown ponies in hand and under saddle and has become a skilled whip in carriage driving events. He has formed a formidable partnership with The Davidson Dales Stud’s Dales Pony stallion, Colliery Alick, winning many classes in Pleasure Driving and Combined Driving (the driven equivalent of eventing).

His specialties are coaching hunter jumpers, reschooling ex-racetrack Thoroughbreds for second careers; training horses, ponies and minis for driving, and training pleasure and competitive drivers. Roger is a member of the American Driving Society (ADS) and the Northern California Driving club (NCDC). He is the driving trainer for Davidson Dales Stud, from Clayton, CA. Roger also has English saddle and driving clients at Kutchera Ranch in Brentwood, and offers driving at Rancho Cerro in Livermore.

Roger owns a 17 year old retired racing Thoroughbred, Charlie’s Coup (Charlie) and a 6 year old driving mini, Boots Scootin’ Boogie (Boots). In 2008, he acquired a Dales x Welsh Cob pony gelding, Davidsons Mercury Rising (Freddie), by Kelly Davidson’s Dales Pony stallion, Colliery Alick out of her Welsh Cob mare, Clanfair Chanel. Roger has trained both parents to drive. Alick has won multiple classes at Training and Preliminary Level in Combined Driving, and Chanel won her first driving class at the West Coast Connemara Show at Brookside, CA in September 2007 with Bev. Minor taking the reins. Young Freddie looks like a Welsh Cob but moves like a Dales Pony. If he has inherited driving ability, expect to see him at Driving Trials in 2010. In 2009, Roger acquired Spunky, an 11 hand Welsh cross, who has proved to be an excellent driving school pony. Spunky has the ability to drive at the level of the person holding the reins. This makes him kind to beginners, and lively enough for those wanting to stretch their skills.

Roger is an enthusiastic promoter of British Mountain and Moorland pony breeds. He is a member of the Dales Pony Society (UK), the Dales Pony Society of America (DPSA) and NPS America.

Click Here to see Roger working with our human and equine clients.