Rebecca Ridgon-Blake has been riding for the past 44 years and competing for 41 of those years. She has started over 100 horses, trained more than 60 through Third Level, over 40 through Prix St George, and 12 through Grand Prix, with 8 of the 12 Grand Prix horses personally trained from three and four-year-olds. She has trained with her mentor, Christine Traurig, for over 20 years, as well as with Guenter Seidel, Steffen Peters, Conrad Schumacher, and her mother, Arlene Rigdon, along with her husband, David Blake.

Rebecca loves supporting and coaching athletes with like-minded goals who want to achieve success on an International level. She has coached numerous students who have gone on to receive their Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals.

Rebecca graduated 'with distinction' from the USDF judges L-program, got her 'r' judges license, and was accepted into the 'R' program. She worked to complete her USDF Sport Horse Judge's License and her learner judge status for the American Holsteiner Horse Association. She did not continue with her judges licensing in an effort to focus on her training and competition. However, the education and knowledge gained from these programs is utilized throughout her program.

Rebecca has ridden in National Symposiums with Kyra Kyrkland, Ingrid Klimke, Steffen Peters, Conrad Schumacher, Carl Hester, Isabell Werth, and Charlotte Dujardin.

From 1989 on, Rebecca has received 50+ KCDS and CDS year-end awards through Grand Prix. She has received 41 Region 7, 4, and Midwest Championships through Grand Prix, 2 United States Dressage Federation Young Rider National Champion year-end awards, as well as National Champion Five-year-old open division, Reserve Four-year-old division, and Third in the country in Intermediare II.

To date, Rebecca has competed at the Festival of Champions in the Intermediare I division twice, receiving Reserve Champion in 2019. She has been invited to compete at the Young Horse Championships at the Festival of Champions in the four through six-year-old division, as well as the Developing Prix St George and Developing Grand Prix every year for the past seven years, receiving honors from fifth overall through Reserve Champion, competing two to three horses yearly. In 2023, she also competed at the World Breeding Championships in the six-year-old division, finishing 23rd in the World.

In 2024, Rebecca was ranked #1 in the 6 and 7 year old division with MSJ For VIP’s in the US and invited to represent the US at World Breeding Championships. As a 6 year old she finished 11th in the Small Final and as a 7 year old 14th in the Big Final. 

For the past several years, she has been on the Young Horse Emerging list with USEF and the Developing list, and she has received numerous invites to train in the Young Horse, Developing, and High-Performance training sessions.

In the breeding arena, in 2003, one of her mares was the USDF Cosequin Mid-States Reserve Champion Mare, and in 2004, her weanling was Grand Champion. Three of her mares were Champion or Reserve Champion of their sites. Two of the premium mares that she has bred, Milan and Versace', she trained through schooling all of the Grand Prix. Versace successfully competed in Grand Prix, receiving 70%.

She spent three winters competing and training in Florida and one winter training in San Diego with Christine Traurig before her permanent move to San Diego, California. She moved full-time to Steffen and Shannon Peters Barn, Arroyo del Mar, where she spent the next ten years. Just prior to her move, she had spent 6 months working in Germany for the Holsteiner Verband as an auction rider, where she was responsible for training several horses to be sold and their stallions that had come back from testing.

Since 2015, she has been training alongside her husband at their beautiful facility, Ad Astra Stables in Encinitas, CA.

She has been extremely fortunate that she has always been well-mounted and has been provided with many opportunities to learn numerous aspects of training, competing, and breeding. She has always aspired not only to be the most patient, tenacious, correct rider and trainer she can be but also to further her career beyond national limits and push beyond international walls. She strives to earn recognition and respect in this sport globally.

Rebecca attended the University of Kansas from 1996-2000 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Additionally, she attended Graduate classes in Philosophy.