Home of Landmark Equestrian

Ali Telatnik

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Located at the beautiful Canyon Creek Ranch in Castro Valley, owner-trainer Ali Telatnik brings a wealth of knowledge in hunters, jumpers and equitation. Landmark Equestrian offers top-level training and superior horse care, along with programs customized for each horse and rider. Focusing on quality over quantity, Ali has created an educational, enjoyable and successful program for horses and riders alike.

Landmark is founded on two beliefs: superior horse care, and the advancement of our clients’ individual riding goals. The sport of hunters and jumpers is an exciting and meaningful commitment. Ali is committed to providing the resources and teaching necessary to allow her students to pursue any path in the sport that they desire. Individualized, one on one time with the horses and her students alike are key to growth and success. Ali wants her students to know that anything is possible and that they will have her full support both on and off the horse!
Landmark Equestrian is a professional, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere where students can be relaxed, comfortable, and happy while pursuing their goals.

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Head Trainer

Ali Telatnik

As a life-long equestrian with roots in her family’s Thoroughbred racing business, Ali has dedicated her life to horsemanship. At age 5, she began lessoning with John Turner and Jack Hammond of Thumbs Up Farm in Seattle, Washington. She spent her early show years under the guidance of Anne Selinger at Parkside Stables, where she was given the opportunity to work with many influential trainers, including Linda Allen, Bob McDonald, and Jack Towell. Her successful junior and amateur career culminated with wins along the West Coast, earning her qualifying spots back East. Her many awards included USEF Zone 9 Adult Amateur Hunter Rider of the Year, Zone 9 Adult Equitation Reserve Champion, top 3 placing in the USEF/USHJA Horse of the Year, and top 5 placing in the World Championship Hunter Rider standings. Soon, catch riding horses throughout the West Coast led to a job with Joan Curtin's sales barn, Select Sales in Sacramento, California.

After years of experience working alongside many top trainers and coaches, Ali founded her own hunter/jumper training program, Landmark Equestrian. Whether her students are focused on showing or just learning the basics, she aims to provide a fun and educational program that imparts her love of learning and quality horsemanship. “I enjoy working with students to help them become a better team with their horses,” Ali says. “Hard work, patience, and understanding are something I hope to instill in all my riders.” Ali continues to grow as a rider under the tutelage of Olympian Buddy Brown, who frequents the Landmark Equestrian program as a clinician.

Assistant Trainer

Lindsay Bowman

Horse-crazy since birth, Lindsay started riding in Arizona at the age of 4. Though she dabbled in various disciplines, she initially focused on reining, achieving regional and national titles in her division. After moving to Illinois in high school, she spent summers attending riding camps throughout the state as well as in Wisconsin, which sparked an interest in dressage and hunter/jumpers. Fate intervened one summer when she applied to work as an instructor at nearby stable Freedom Woods, where her aunt had grown up riding. There, Lindsay worked under Ashleen Lee, who became a great friend and teacher. Lindsay’s duties at Freedom Woods varied from teaching new riders how to jump to schooling horses. What’s more, Freedom Woods gave her the opportunity to ride in clinics and take regular lessons from Nancy Whitehead and Chris Taylor.

Eventually, Lindsay began working as a sales rep for CWD, which brought her out to California. Here, she had the privilege of working for Lindsay and Matt Archer, an experience which taught her to be a true horseman in every aspect of the sport. She took on everything from cleaning stalls and feeding hay to grooming and managing the busy show barn. During this time, she learned all the ins-and-outs of the West Coast show circuit.

Her arrival at Landmark Equestrian in 2018 proved serendipitous: Though she had been taking a brief break from riding, her partner Jace surprised her with a young horse named Valliant (barn name: Freckles). In search of a home for her new horse, Lindsay found Ali. The two clicked immediately. Though Lindsay initially asked Ali if she could hack extra horses, her talents did not go unnoticed and, soon, she was hired as an assistant trainer.

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