Baycrest Farms Trainers
Cyndi Merritt
Cyndi fell in love with horses in Santa Cruz, California. She was an enthusiastic Pony Club member in Northern California until her family moved to Rancho Palos Verdes. To stay involved with horses, she joined the Rolling Hills Pony Club. At that time, the Pony Club was very large in Southern California - on many occasions their teachers were Hilda Gurney and her peers, such as Kathleen Raines, Laurie Falvo and Brian Sabo, who have become well known international trainers and riders themselves.
After competing on the National "B" level when she was 14, Cyndi became interested in riding hunters and jumpers. She had noticed a young man just out of the junior ranks riding in their local ring and asked if he would consider giving her lessons. He thought about it and replied in the affirmative. That was the beginning of Rob Gage Stables in the 70's. While training with Rob, Cyndi rode many different horses to numerous Junior Championships. In 1974, her first year as an amateur, she won the Foxfield Medal Finals. The next year was the beginning of her professional career.
In 1979 Cyndi went to work for Judy Martin as her assistant. During the next six years she was able to learn in all areas of her discipline. They traveled three weeks out of each month to shows from San Diego to Spruce Meadows, showing and helping develop riders with their competitive skills. Many of those years she traveled with students to the East Coast for the Medal Finals in the fall. During the last two years that she worked for Judy, she hired Rob Gage to ride the Grand Prix string. In the summer of 1985, Rob and Cyndi decided to start their own business, G&G Farms, in Calabasas.
Their business began to thrive and they moved to the LA Equestrian Center. They had a full barn of 65 horses, with most of them attending all of the "A" rated shows. During that time Cyndi coached many of their riders to wins in the LAHSA Medal Finals, CPHA Medal Finals, AHSA Regional Finals and the prestigious West Coast USET Medal Finals.
In 1992, Cyndi married Matt Merritt and started Baycrest Farms, where she likes providing the knowledge and training of a large "A" show barn for clients who enjoy a more intimate and personal feeling. Cyndi's barn, located at the North Ranch of Middle Ranch in lake View Terrace, is home to about 25 horses. Her main goal is to prepare each horse and rider to compete, whether it be at "A" rated or local shows.
Laura Gutierrez
Laura's love for horses began at a very young age when she would visit the horses at a stable down the street from the house she grew up in. She was born and raised in Tujunga, California and began riding in a local summer camp riding program at LA Children's Riding Center.
As a junior she rode with David Josiah at his Morning Mist Farms and with Rob Gage at his stables where she was a regular competitor in the hunter and equitation divisions. Laura credits Rob for much of what she knows today. "Rob taught me so much. He also gave me
the opportunity to ride all different types of horses, which you must be able to do to be successful at this sport," Laura says. During her junior career Laura competed in various medal finals including the LAHSA, CPHA, WCE, AHSA (USEF), ASPCA Maclay, PHA/West (CPHA Foundation) and Fox field Medals.
Laura then turned her focus towards college and attended UC Santa Barbara where she graduated with a BA in Political Science and a minor in History.
Upon returning from college Laura began working for Stacy Lambakis and her Topline Farm. Since her first job in the hunter jumper world Laura has worked for a number of professionals including Beth Cadwallader, Jeff Katz, Bud Wolfe and Randy Durand.
>Laura brings her love of the horses and the sport to join the winning team at Baycrest Farms.
Victoria LaCagnina
