Board of Directors
Heather Turner
Treasurer
Heather is originally from Asheville, NC, and now lives in Durham, NC with her husband and two daughters. Heather is an enthusiastic supporter of both girls’ passions for dressage and eventing. As Treasurer, Heather is excited to work with the NCDCTA Board to add value and serve all current and future members.
Heather Boyer
Member at Large (Sponsorship)
Heather Hamilton Boyer has been an NCDCTA member for many years. She and her students have earned HOY Awards and she uses HOY to give herself and students a direction for the year. She is excited to be a new member of the board and hopes to provide versatile viewpoints and help keep the NCDCTA members full and inspired. She is always working towards furthering her education and believes knowledge and growth is open ended and we are only limited by our imagination and willingness to work for what we want. She is currently an l Graduate with Distinction working towards her USEF "r" in Traditional Dressage. Her exam is in July of 2025. She is also currently a USEF "r" Western Dressage judge working towards her USEF "R" in Western Dressage. Horses have always been in her life and there have been some special ones to help her achieve riding goals such as earning her USDF Bronze and Silver medals with and without distinction.These special horses have taught her many lessons and were more than just a means to an end, but a part of shaping her into the horse woman and dressage judge she is today. She also helps her mom run Heather Ridge Farm and is an advocate for trying to keep our sport and horses in general accessible to all.
Ellie Balakrishnan
Member at Large (Gala)
Ellie Balakrishnan recently graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in Biostatistics. She’s been riding since middle school and recently purchased her first horse after leasing him for over three years. She competes and trains in both dressage and eventing with Amy Brumbach at Gaitway Stables. Ellie is newly involved with the NCDCTA as Member at Large/Gala Chair and is super excited to be working with a nonprofit organization that she is so passionate about!
Lisa Chisholm
Communication Chair
Lisa Chisholm followed her daughter's passion for horses and dressage into the NCDCTA community several years ago. When not serving as a groom or transport driver on horse show weekends, she works in executive communications in the tech sector and is excited to support NCDCTA as communications chair in 2025. Lisa lives with her husband and daughter in Chapel Hill, NC.
Katherine Thornton
Eventing Chair
Growing up in Washington DC, Katherine competed extensively as a junior rider in the hunter and equitation disciplines. In college she discovered polo and after college began a successful sporthorse import and sales business in Delaplane, VA. While staying involved with her husband's training and sales business, Katherine received her MBA from Wake Forest University, and pursued both a corporate career, and leadership opportunities with 501(c)3 organizations. Returning to competition in 2015, she began eventing with her husband Bob, and their personal competition horses which they imported from Ireland. Continuing to mentor up-and-coming young professionals and sustaining an active working student program has been an important part of their Chesterfield Equestrian, in Salisbury, NC. Carlingford Castle (Paddy) and Katherine were the USEA Area 2 Master Amateur Rider of the Year in 2022 and NCDCTA Horse of the Year at the Training Level in both 2022 and 2023, receiving Honorable Mention at the same level in 2024.
Katherine and Bob are devoted to their horses, dogs and their farm, and remain active eventing competitors at national and state-wide recognized horse trials.
Amanda (Mandi) Martyn
Junior/Young Rider Chair
A Canadian native, Amanda (Mandi) Martyn currently resides in Burlington, NC with her husband Steve, children Logan and Jane and two dogs, Rocket and Maple. Owner of ACM Dressage, LLC, Mandi is a professional dressage rider, USDF bronze and silver medalist, trainer and coach. In her (other) professional life, Mandi earned her PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph in 2010 and is currently a Visiting Professor of Biology at Wake Forest University. She is excited to be a part of the NCDCTA Board and hopes to bring fresh perspective and ideas to the organization.
Ali LaTorre
Dressage Chair
Ali Perkins LaTorre is a USDF gold medalist and certified instructor. She runs a dressage training business in Hillsborough, NC. She also has an equine-assisted after school reading program called Rearing2Read. Ali is currently working on a Masters in Education at Elon University. Ali is excited to organize some educational opportunities for NCDCTA members in 2023!
About NCDCTA
The North Carolina Dressage & Combined Training Association (NCDCTA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the equestrian sports of dressage and combined training (eventing). Run by volunteers, the association and its members regularly organize and sponsor various activities designed to heighten its members’ and the general public’s knowledge of and appreciation for dressage and combined training.
NCDCTA is a Region 1 Group Member Organization of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF). NCDCTA is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the United States, boasting over 700 members. NCDCTA members range from first-time riders to Olympians.