BARB SUDOMIER'S mission is to teach riders practical skills so that they can develop balance, beauty and generousity in their horses. The tools she uses to accomplish her mission are found in dressage training.

Barb discovered the magic in dressage in 1978 when she was having trouble with her Arabian gelding, Shetan. He carried his head too high, didn't want to stop and basically ignored the commands of his rider! She began her dressage training with Twila Slavic of Justamere Equestrian Centre and also trained with Sue Ashley and Phyllis Looper, a student of the famous Vi Hopkins.

When she moved to New England in the early 1980's, she trained with Janet Black, Dorothy Morkis and Pam Goodrich. Since returning to Michigan in 1985, she has been coached by Chuck Grant, Mari Monde Zdunic, DeeAnn Cramer, Marina Genn, Brad Cutshall, Tom Dvorak and Sandy Tull. She has taken clinics with Sally Swift, Vi Hopkins, Steffan Peters, George Williams and Lars Peterson.

In 1981, Barb acquired her first warmblood, Gitarre, a German bred Westfalen mare who later became the foundation of her Dutch Warmblood breeding program. Gitarre's trot was so much bigger than anything she had previously experienced that she said "I felt like I needed an oxygen tank to sit her trot!"

In 1986, Barb bought property in Goodells, Michigan and established Bay Mare Farm, her training, breeding and boarding business, named in honor of Gitarre. With her friend Judy O'Keefe, she began a small scale Dutch Warmblood breeding program with the goal of producing a few good dressage prospects. Gitarre was bred to Branco, also known as Baron Von Rothschild, and produced the female twins Gemini and Bonus. Gemini and Bonus were both bred. Gemini was bred to Rampal and produced Kiev in 1992, who reached Prix St. Georges in 1999 and achieved Grand Prix shortly after.