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About Miramonte Equine
Read about who we are, including bios on our awesome team members!
Assistant Trainer, USDF Gold Medalist
Mary Piller
Mary Claire Piller has an outstanding record in competitive dressage and is nationally recognized for her skills and work ethic. She won her USDF Gold Medal on Caterina, a lovely Hanoverian mare, owned and developed by Miramonte Equine. Along with her USDF Bronze and Sliver medals, Mary won the Adequan/USDF Intermediare-1 JR/YR championship for 2022. Additional notable success came in 2022, when she was on the winning team at the North American Youth Championship (NAYC). At the 2023 NAYC, she won triple gold medals with 70+% scores and was the overall champion. With fastidious attention to the details that can enhance a showring performance, Mary won the "best turned out" award at NAYC for both years she attended. Mary has participated in multiple USDF Regional and Final competitions, riding in classes from trainng through FEI levels on a variety of horses. She has also competed at the Festival of Champions. Mary enjoys teaching riders of all ages, from teens to vintage riders, and from beginners to those with FEI level goals. Her calm, positive demeanor reliably helps riders progress.
Assistant Trainer, USDF Silver Medalist
Faith Green
Originally from Knoxville, TN, Faith started riding at the age of two and grew up learning in a variety of disciplines, including hunters, jumpers, barrel racing, and eventing. This wide spread interest eventually led to the start of her dressage career at the age of 10. Faith has been a student under Emily since she started her adventure in dressage and has now been working at Miramonte Equine full time since 2021. She has earned her USDF Bronze and Silver Medals, and is currently working towards her Gold. Faith has also obtained her dressage seat medals which shows daily as she is Miramonte Equine’s equitation queen. Faith is extremely brave, yet effective and has a skill set which allows her to ride a wide variety of horses. She has a knack for training the pirouettes and teaching horses a cadenced trot. Faith has started countless young horses under saddle and is excellent at working with horses with behavioral problems and also stallions. Additionally, Faith has really shown a talent for instructing other riders.
Assistant Trainer/Personal Assistant to Emily
MacKenzie Wood
MacKenzie started riding at the age of 6 while she lived in Versailles, France. After a few years, she moved back to the New England area and continued her equine education in different disciplines such as dressage, hunters, jumpers, and eventing. MacKenzie’s competitive drive pointed her to showing in these disciplines and fueled a passion for horses and a desire to continue her education at a higher level. She relocated to Kentucky to attend Asbury University and graduated with a Bachelors in Equine Studies and minor in Business. Throughout her four years at Asbury, MacKenzie received extensive instruction in horsemanship, groundwork and liberty work, learned how to effectively start horses under saddle, and trained a currently active police mount. Upon her graduation in May of 2023, she started working for Miramonte Equine, bringing with her a dedicated commitment to horsemanship and gaining respect from horses both on the ground and under saddle. Since joining our team, MacKenzie has focused on her dressage knowledge, but adds her horsemanship education to each horse she trains, creating the ideal and respectful dressage mount. She is currently competing at 3rd level and working towards her USDF Bronze Medal. She is paramount to starting most of our young horses and is also gifted at working with horses that need a focus on behavioral improvement both on the ground and under saddle.
Program Manager / Assistant Trainer
Ireland Derby
Ireland was born and raised in Lexington, KY, starting her passion for riding horses at the age of 8. Ireland’s riding education before Miramonte Equine focused on the sport of Eventing. Before graduating from the University of Hawaii with a degree in Environmental Geography, Ireland was a working student for Miramonte Equine where she fell in love with the sport of dressage. Upon graduation, she moved to New Jersey and worked as a barn manager and assistant trainer. We are thrilled to have welcomed her back to our team in the fall of 2023 as Program Manager. Since joining us, she has started to work towards her USDF Bronze medal. She does a wonderful job of keeping our program running sharply, managing the riders and care of the horses. Ireland has a wonderful ability to teach the younger generation and has been a great asset to our program. Ireland is extremely brave on horseback and has proven to not only be indispensable as program manager but is also an incredible asset to our riding team.
Business Assistant, USDF Silver Medalist
Jessica Ziegler
Jessica is a valued member of our team who works diligently to support the administrative pieces of Miramonte Equine.
Before moving to Wichita, KS Jessica was an assistant trainer alongside Emily and her staff for four years. During that time she earned her USDF Bronze and Silver Medals. She also learned the intricacies of the administrative side of the business.
Upon her move to Wichita, Jessica stepped into a remote admin role which is so greatly valued.
Jessica continues to pursue her education in dressage and aspires to earn her Gold medal.
Facility Manager
Aaron Curtis
Wins best horse husband award every single day. Take notes, gentlemen.
Future Dressage World Champion
Olive Curtis
Just you wait, people.
Team Members
Founder, USDF Gold Medalist
Emily Brollier Curtis
Born in Steamboat Springs, CO and raised in Wichita, KS, Emily started her riding career before she could walk, accompanying her parents on pack trips in the Rocky Mountains. Emily began showing at age 7 in the Hunter/Jumper ring, but soon felt drawn to the thrill of eventing. Through eventing, she developed a passion for dressage. In 2001, Emily began training with USA Dressage Idol winner, Philesha Chandler.
In 2004, at the age of 14, Emily purchased 3 year old Miramonte, an unbroken warmblood mare, whom she started under saddle. Since then they have worked in tandem to realize many accomplishments including the USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals.
In addition to Miramonte, Emily has carefully developed over 15 horses to the FEI levels. Emily is known for her ability to work with both young and difficult horses and especially has a talent for restarting Thoroughbreds off track and placing them into new careers. Emily is also a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a BS in Equine Management and Science and a minor in Agricultural Economics. Emily plans to continuously study and pursue the art of dressage and will do so from her new facility in the heart of the Bluegrass.