Daniela began her career in corporate America.  She worked in brand management after graduating in 1996 from Florida International University with a Bachelor in Business Administration with a double major in Marketing and International Business. After two years of work experience, Daniela decided to go back to school.  She graduated in 2000 with a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Political Science from the University of Miami.  Since then she has worked in Marketing Management in various industries, such as Designer Wear, Internet Marketing and Boutique Gourmet products.  Over the years Daniela had become an avid Thoroughbred Racing fan, and had come to admire and love these incredible animals.  However, she was extremely intimidated by horses.  In 2006 while on hiatus to stay home with her son, Daniela began taking riding lessons in the hopes of conquering her fears.  During that process Daniela came to realize that her needs as a student were not being met and that perhaps she could initiate a riding school with values and goals more in sync with her own.  As a result Daniela opened CRA in 2007 and it has been an exciting adventure ever since.  Her goal is to offer an excellent and comprehensive riding program that is focused on the needs of every student.

Elizabeth Jones

Head Instructor and Trainer

My riding career began when I was six years old. My family had been transferred with my father’s job to London, England. This is where I first was bitten by the horse bug. I began taking weekly lessons at a local riding academy. I began with the basics. Once my family returned to the states I started riding dressage. Around the age of 13, I was ready for a change and started riding Hunters. Being young and small I rode ponies for my trainer and also showed my own horse in the children’s jumper division. I also had the unique opportunity to buy a horse from Europe. It was an amazing experience to import a horse!! That horse was meant to be my junior and equitation horse. However, injuries kept the horse on the sidelines and my 18th birthday saw the end of my junior career.   I moved trainers and continued to campaign my other jumper in the amateur division, as well as catch riding on other horses in the amateur equitation division, and help train other client's horses.  I have also had great educational experiences, attending clinics given by leading industry professionals such as Jeff Cook and Helmut Schrant.  My career was on the fast track for great future success until fate stepped in. I fell in love, and started a family. In 2005 our family was transferred to Kentucky and being in the middle of horse country, I could not resist trying my hand at a professional career. I landed a job as an assistant trainer for a show barn. There I was in charge of lessons, training horses for clients, and buying and selling investment and show horses for the owner and clients. On any given day I would ride five to ten horses and teach for three to four hours. Most the horses we had were fresh off the track. I had great students many of whom I helped qualify for yearend awards and spots in the KHJA medal finals. However, in 2007 our family was moved once again this time here to Nashville, Tennessee.  Since then I have had the blessing of being home with my children but being a lifelong horse person I knew that it would not be long until the horse world found me.  So here I am!! I am so excited to be part of the CRA family and I am looking forward to working with each of you in achieving all your riding goals!!

Mawghan McCabe

Instructor and Trainer

 
My English father put me on a pony at age three and I haven’t left the saddle since or so it feels. I started riding during the week at Claremont Riding Academy (CRA) in New York City where we rode in Central Park as well as the indoor arena. I feel like I’ve come full circle by joining Cumberland Riding Academy (CRA). Every weekend and summer I would ride in East Hampton, NY where I was in pony camp until I was old enough to become a camp counselor. I had the opportunity to ride with some of the best trainers in the country including Ray Texel, Scott Kemery, Joe Fargis, Tim Grubb, T Whitehead to name a few. I mostly catch rode 3-foot hunters and had the chance to qualify one for the Marshall and Sterling finals at the Washington International Horse Show. The same horse and I were Champion at the Capital Challenge Horse Show the week before the finals. Another riding highlight was winning champion and grand champion at the Hampton Classic my last year as a junior. While in college at Vanderbilt University, Maggie Bagwell and I started and coached the equestrian team. My sophomore year I won the IHSA Nationals. Our team continues to send several girls to Nationals each year and I continue to be an advisor to the team. Loving the South I decided to stay in Nashville after graduating and have been involved in many horse worlds since. I have fox hunted with the Hillsboro Hounds, I have had the opportunity to learn and play a little polo as well as jump a few TN Walkers in the National and International Horse Show where we won two years in a row. I have also continued to catch ride sale horses and have showed locally in the jumper divisions. After meeting with Daniela and Beth about joining CRA I jumped at the opportunity, and I’m very excited and look forward to working with the entire CRA staff and its students.

Alexandra Block

Instructor and Trainer

Bio coming soon!