Instructor Bio: Andrea Bill

I was almost born on a horse, according to family stories. Mymother and my two older sisters all rode. My first "outing" was to a horse show, when I was two weeks old. Later on I did a lot of leadline, both in and out of the show ring.

My first real teacher was an elderly and very small pony named "Tiny". Tiny was a born teacher, the less you knew the kinder she was. As I got better, the ponies got more challenging. I went to the Pony Finals every year from 1986 when I was a very little seven until 1995, when I was a very tall- and riding a very ornery green pony.

I spent my junior years showing and learning, rather than showing and winning a lot. I took lessons in Virginia and Georgia. Wherever I went, I always rode as many different horses as I could.

My goals for college were a good education and an opportunity to ride. I found both at Mount Holyoke College (MHC) in Massachusetts. I think I probably spent more time at the stable than I did in the dorm. The Intercollegiate Riding competition gave me the chance to compete on an even playing field - everyone rode the same horses. I showed in the open division and found that there was still a tremendous amount to learn. I also found that I liked teaching almost as much as I loved riding.

I rode as an alternate on the US intercollegiate team in Luxembourg, and on the team in Malmo, Sweden. I was chef d'equipe for the winning American team when the international competition was held at Coker Farm in NY all in 1999. My junior and senior years, I was captain of the MHC team. I graduated MHC in 2001 with a double major in Latin and Physics. The next year, I got my civil engineering degree from UMass and was assistant coach of the MHC team. I also was reserve champion in both Alumni flat and fences that year.

The next year, I worked at MassSAFE (a traffic safety research program) and continued riding, teaching and coaching at MHC. I won the Alumni flat that year and was third over fences. In 2003, I moved to Washington, DC, where I continued working for MassSAFE via computer, and rode when I got the chance. I won the Alumni on the flat again in 2004. That fall I enrolled in the graduate program in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department here at the University of Wisconsin. I moved to Madison in August 2004 with my Jack Russell and my saddle. First, I found the Engineering building, and then I started to look for a way to ride and teach. I have continued to show in alumni classes in both western and English and started teaching at Hoofers in January 2005.