Alyssa Pagon Pitts is a successful and active FEI trainer and competitor who has participated in the USEF Talent Search and a USEF Elite Rider clinic. She is also a USDF L judge program graduate with distinction and USEF "r" judge candidate.

A self-made rider and trainer, Alyssa has gained a reputation for good horsemanship and skillful riding by achieving repeated successes with many different horses. Notably, she has taken some very difficult "problem" horses and turned them into very successful and competitive show horses. Alyssa is also very adept in training and bringing along green horses.

Alyssa is a serious and dedicated trainer and rider with high aspirations. Horses trained by Alyssa have a high degree of rideability while also being developed to the best of their athletic abilities. Alyssa is also a sought after instructor and clinician with a positive approach to teaching. Her students have been very successful in the show ring as well as in their relationships with their horses. Alyssa has coached several CDS Junior Champions and her students have also been quite successful at the CDS/USDF Championships.

Although Alyssa enjoys showing and competing, it is not the be all, end all of her training and her focus. She takes pride in developing horses and riders, regardless of their competitive aspirations. Beginners through advanced riders are welcome, and AP Dressage does offer lessons on school horses for those without horses. Horses of all levels and breeds are welcome as well.

Alyssa has been influenced by many trainers and schools of thought; in particular, she would like to give special mention to Randy Leighton. Randy's lessons have been countless and powerful, and they define Alyssa's approach to horses. It is a system that is based on timing and feel and that treats each horse as an individual and partner. She clinics regularly with piaffe/passage specialist Alfredo Hernandez, and she also tries to clinic on a regular basis with Steffen Peters. She has taken clinics with Debbie McDonald, Heike Kemmer, Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg, and FEI "O" judge Axel Steiner.

Alyssa trains and teaches out of Cedar Meadow Farm located in Echo Lake, between Snohomish and Woodinville. The facility is within easy driving distance of the greater Seattle area, Bellevue, Redmond, Woodinville, Snohomish, Monroe, etc. The quality facilities include arenas and footing designed and installed by footing specialist, Mark Rowley. There is a covered arena with mirrors and lights, and a huge, literally all weather outdoor arena that easily contains a standard dressage court. There is also a round pen for lungeing. Every stall has an attached run with excellent mud free footing, and there are large grass pastures for turnout as well. Alyssa is available for lessons and training at Cedar Meadow Farm. Students are welcome to trailer in for lessons as well.

Before deciding to pursue dressage seriously, Alyssa competed in three day eventing and schooled jumpers. She grew up going through the ranks of Pony Club in Washington state, attaining the "B" rating at the age of 16. After achieving her "B" rating, Alyssa took some time off from riding to competitively play basketball, soccer, and run track, including helping her team to win the basketball state championships and placing 2nd in the state track meet in the 800m.

Alyssa went on to run track and cross country at Stanford University, graduating with a bachelors in English. Halfway through college, she felt that something very important was missing in her life, and she found horses again...the rest is history...