A lifelong horse woman, Yvonne Barteau’s career took her from jumping and barrel racing to Standardbred racing, to retraining Thoroughbred racehorses for resale, to a job with Arabian Nights Dinner Theater in Orlando, Florida. At Arabian Nights, she became Principal Trainer, Featured Performer and Director of Entertainment Operations.
A world-renowned FEI Horse trainer, clinician and competitive dressage rider, Yvonne is also a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist. Through her business, KYB Dressage, which has locations in both Bell and Lake City, Florida, she has trained over a dozen horses to the Grand Prix Level and over 80 to Prix St George. She has also qualified horses and riders for World Championships and World Cups and earned dozens of National and Regional titles.
With the highest ranking of 5 stars on the Center Line Scores rating system, Yvonne has been long listed for the U.S. Olympic Team on Grand Prix stallion Liberty. She was also the trainer of the Most Winning Horse in USDF History, the Holsteiner stallion GPRaymeister.
Barteau’s skills as a coach and trainer extend to both horses and people. Her daughter, Kassie Barteau, became the Most Winning Young Rider in U.S. history under her tutelage. Always willing to share her knowledge, Yvonne established and managed the KYB Dressage Apprentice Trainer Program, resulting in dozens of professional trainers having successful careers in the equine industry.
Yvonne continues to be a sought-after equine entertainment producer. She produced and performed the sold-out BreyerFest evening show at the Alltech arena in Lexington, Kentucky for four years in a row, as well as The Night of Dancing Horses for the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. Her equine productions feature expert horsemanship, layered story lines, and imaginative costuming.
A two-time judge of the Road to The Horse World Champion Colt Starting Contest, Barteau is also the successful author of two award-winning books that are rider favorites, “Ride the Right
Horse” and “The Dressage Horse Manifesto”. In addition, Yvonne is a film maker whose credits include two Equus Film Festival top award-winning full-length feature films, Into the Spotlight, the Making of an Equine Theater Horse; and Into the Spotlight 2, Horses Without Humans. Besides being named a top short film award winner for her production, The Boneyard, Yvonne has authored multiple screenplays, including The Spirit of the Horse, All the Kings Horsemen, and Dream Upon a Horse.
Barteau’s empathy for horses led her to become Founder and Executive Director of Horses Without Humans Rescue Organization, which has grown in 5 short years to become one of the top horse rescues in the United States. The Organization houses and cares for 70-80 horses, including approximately 50 Rescue horses and 20-30 high-level dressage horses at the 125-acre facility, Rock Bluff Ranch. Endorsed by the ASPCA, The Right Horse Initiative, Equine Welfare Data Collection, and Guidestar, the Organization is also a data collective for Purina Equine Feed Products.