Jec Aristotle Ballou has spent her life studying classical dressage, including 10 intensive training residencies in Portugal, two in Holland, and one in Germany with the late Egon von Neindorff. Most recently, she spent time in Melbourne, Australia, with Manolo Mendez, original head rider of the Royal School of Equestrian Arts in Spain. She has trained and competed through the FEI levels in dressage but has also competed in long distance trail riding, Ride & Tie, breed shows, and almost everything in between. Ballou won three consecutive East Coast championships in distance riding, becoming the youngest rider in history to win the prestigious Vermont 100–Mile Competition. A proponent of interdisciplinary study, she serves as an advisor to the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA). Ballou is a tireless advocate for the horse, committed to promoting understanding that proper biomechanical movement and athleticism can never happen as a result of shortcuts, force, or hurried training methods. Through her clinics, articles, and bestselling books—including 101 Dressage Exercises for the Horse and Rider and Equine Fitness—Ballou aims to meet what she sees as an enormous need within the equine industry for simple, clear, and practical information (www.jecballou.com).