ABOUT US
Benchmark Equestrian was designed as a full service, three-tiered business in partnership with several highly regarded equestrian professionals across Canada, the United States and Europe that allow us to provide the highest calibre riding instruction and horse care that has been developed from a strong foundation of knowledge and experience.
Benchmark Equestrian is committed to providing our students with an environment in which they can excel in the sport at whatever level they choose to participate via top-down training programs developed by highly experienced trainers for riders at every level. At Benchmark we offer the perfect blend of family-oriented riding school fun and quality of horses and instruction that could take you to the show ring.
Conveniently located in Nobleton, Ontario, just 30 minutes from Toronto, and in close proximity to national competition venues, our facility offers an ideal environment and all the amenities both horse and rider need to be successful.
FACILITY
Situated on 100 acres, Benchmark Equestrian operates out of a newly renovated facility that boasts 32 large box-stalls, four matted grooming stalls, two heated wash stalls, a large heated tack room and an upper-level large heated viewing lounge.
Our large indoor arena measures at an impressive 80’ X 180’ with well-maintained track sand footing and large sliding windows to allow for optimal lighting and airflow. Our newly installed outdoor riding ring measures at 160’ X 250’ and boasts premium footings with state-of-the-art drainage.
For our horses, 13 paddocks of varying sizes and grades allow for a customized turn-out plan that addresses each horse’s needs.
There is also access to nearly 600 acres of well-maintained hacking.
TEAM BENCHMARK
Joanna Solomon, Owner & Operator
Joanna Solomon brings an extensive corporate background having worked in the executive search industry for the majority of her career. She has worked in the not-for profit industry right through to specializing in the financial services industry at the executive level.
Her most recent experience was working with RBC Financial Group with the mandate to build their Senior Leadership Recruitment function to eliminate vendor spend at the senior levels of the organization. She has worked with many Fortune 500 companies over the years such as Goldman Sachs. More recently, she has established her own Research Consulting practice – Solomon Integrated Research Consulting – which provides research, candidate development solutions and knowledge management solutions to clients.
Her true passion is horses, and her dream has always been to create a world-class academy in the Toronto region. She has been riding horses since she was 10, and is extremely well connected within the Canadian riding circles. Joanna has competed on the Hunter/Jumper “A” Circuit both in Ontario and Wellington Florida receiving numerous awards as a junior and amateur competitor, namely several top ten year-end rankings in core divisions such as adult amateur hunter and ownership of a pre-green level II hunter. She also achieved a top ten placing in the prestigious adult amateur medal final her first year competing as an amateur.
Joanna currently owns two horses competing on the internationally acclaimed winter circuit in Wellington, Florida.
Kristen Gerrits, Director of Riding Academy
Kristen’s passion for horses began at a very young age. She attended a horseback riding camp for the first time at the age and 5, and instantly fell in love with the sport. She returned to camp every week for the rest of the summer and began weekly lessons that fall. Kristen began competing on the A circuit at the age of 9, and showed successfully in the pony hunter divisions up to the Junior Hunter division for years in both Canada and the U.S., including qualifying for the Royal Winter Fair in the Large Pony Hunter Division.
Kristen enjoyed competing as a junior and young adult, but her true passion has always been teaching. After working for years as a groom, camp counsellor, barn staff, and many other roles, Kristen began teaching lessons at the age of 18. Kristen has always enjoyed working with students of all ages to develop their skills and work towards their individual goals. She particularly enjoys working with young students that would like to take the step from recreational riding to competitive sport.
After high school, Kristen studied Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University and Human Resources at Georgian College. She began as a part-time instructor at Benchmark when we first opened. After about a year, Kristen decided to change career paths and turn her focus solely to the horse industry and joined the team full-time as Benchmark Equestrian’s Riding Lesson Program Director.
While Kristen does continue to teach lessons, she is also our main point of contact for new and existing clients. Kristen works behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly through client communication, the oversight of our staff, the care of our lesson horses, and planning and implementing the various programs we offer.
Christian Sorensen, Consultant
Chris Sorensen has been around horses his entire life. He began riding competitively when he was eight years old showing locally in hunters, jumpers and equitation. As a junior, Chris training in both Europe and Canada, during which time he competed for the Ontario team at the North American Young Rider Championships in Bromont, Quebec, where he and his team brought home the gold medal.
In 2013, Chris earned his “red jacket” when he was named to the Canadian Show Jumping Team for his first Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows, followed by the Nations Cup in Brazil, where Chris placed 4th in the individual World Cup Grand Prix. In 2014, Chris traveled as the reserve for the Canadian Show Jumping tea at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, and represented Canada at the 2015 FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Las Vegas.
Since then, Chris has relocated his sales and training business to the Netherlands, allowing him greater access to world class competitions and fluidity in the sales of top level sport horses. Though he lives overseas, Chris continues to be an active part of the Canadian equestrian industry as the recently appointed President of Equestrian Canada’s Board of Directors and is one of Canada’s first-ever High Performance 1 level certified coaches. Chris continues to compete on the world stage, showing internationally at the Grand Prix level.