About Us

DAWN WENIGER

Although Dawn rode as a child in weekly hunter/jumper lessons, she didn’t own a horse until after college. In 1990, Dawn married Andrew, they moved to North Carolina, and Firstview Farm was founded, initially as the family farm for their three horses. Since then, Dawn left her career in marketing behind, instead choosing to use her MBA skills to support a full time dressage teaching and riding career.

Dawn now teaches as many as 40 lessons a week, and rides as many as 13 horses a day on a long day! She has ridden to the large tour CDI level, and has earned her USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medals. Dawn and her current mount, Claudius, started together when Dawn found him in Belgium as a 6 year old. Now 14, Claude has finished a strong year at Grand Prix with scores over 70%.

Dawn’s competitive successes include:

Many trips to the US Dressage Finals

2022 - 13th, Grand Prix

2017 – 4th, Open Intermediate II

2016 - 8th, Open Intermediate II

2015 – 7th, Open Intermediate II

2014 – Reserve Champion, Open Fourth Level Freestyle

20 plus years attending USDF Regional Championships from Training to Grand Prix

20 plus years NCDCTA Horse of the Year Championships at every level

Dawn’s coaching successes include:

Multiple students earning Bronze and Silver Medals
Taking novice riders from first rides to upper levels
Redirecting unhappy riders and horses to harmony and lightness, inside and outside the show ring

Dawn’s training successes include:

Indecent Proposal – from 2 years to Intermediate I before “retiring” to schoolmaster
Wylie Q – from 3 years to 10th at National Championships for Young Horses, 5 year old, and on to earning a Bronze Medal for Andrew Weniger
C.K.Emily Grey – from 3 years old to USDF National Champion First Level, and continued to national top ten rankings at Second and Third Level, as well as Preliminary eventing
Don Derrick - from 2 years old to Grand Prix, including four trips to the US Finals
Claudius - from training level to Grand Prix at the US Finals
Kayman - from trainin level to I1 at nine

ANNA WENIGER

Anna, who grew up riding under the tutelage of her parents, is a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist and a competitive FEI Young Rider.

Anna's competitive successes include:

2019 - Riding Don Derrick:

USEF "Brentina Cup" Young Adult National Championship, Sixth Place

- Riding Claudius:

North American Young Rider Team Gold
USEF Young Rider National Championship, Eighth Place

2018 - Riding Don Derrick:

North American Young Rider Freestyle Gold Medalist & Team Bronze Medalist
US Equestrian Young Rider European Tour Team Member
CDIO-Y Hagen, 6th Place Young Rider Freestyle & 9th Place Individual Test
CDIO Compiegne, 8th Place Young Rider Individual Test & 9th Place Freestyle
CDI Aachen Dressage Days, 9th Place Young Rider Team Test

2017 - Riding Don Derrick:

AGCO/USEF Young Rider National Championships, Third Place
North American Young Rider Championship, Team Bronze and Individual Ninth Place

2016 - Riding Don Derrick:

AGCO/USEF Junior National Championship, Fourth Place

2015 - Riding Izeffia:

AGCO/USEF Junior National Championship, Third Place
Represented Region 1 at the North American Junior Championships

Anna's training successes include:

Taking Izeffia from First Level to scores over 70% at Fourth Level and the NAJYRC Junior Team
Taking Big Bear's Royal Finnegan from ex-hunter pony to Prix St. Georges

Anna graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a member of Honors Carolina and earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology. She works in renewable energy overseas.

ANDREW WENIGER

Andrew grew up riding saddle seat and driving Morgans, adding dressage lessons to his repertoire in his teenage years. He likes to remind us that he groomed a horse at the dedication of the Kentucky Horse Park in 1978! After moving to North Carolina in 1990, Andrew returned to spending more time in the saddle before and after working hours. He earned his USDF Bronze Medal on Wylie Q, a young horse he and Dawn brought up through the levels, and his Silver Medal in only three shows (Thanks Indy).

Andrew’s competitive successes include:

Silver Medal on Indecent Proposal
Bronze Medal on Wylie Q
Scores over 70% on 2010 Hanoverian gelding Claudius
CBLM First Level Championship

Andrew retired in 2019 from working to help transform the nation's healthcare system to one that rewards doctors for helping keep their patients well, instead of paying them only for performing more procedures. These days he can be found around the farm, hammer in hand and riding the easiest horse of the day!