A trainers inspiration and joy comes from their students, two and four legged.
Here are what Rowe Stables students have to say about Sharon Rowe:
"To be the best you must ride with the best" Elizabeth Band
"As my dressage instructor, Sharon Rowe exudes perfection and embraces the impossible. She challenges her riders to continue their work by creating the will, enthusiasm and drive that is necessary for a rider to advance their skills. She never justifies a riders lack of competence but rather guides them to overcome their inconsistencies. Because of this, she is true to the sport of dressage and classical training. Her integrity is unfaltering. Her knowledge of the horse and classical dressage is so great that it cannot be quantified. As my friend, her loyalty is immeasurable." Michelle Misch Moffat
"My thought about Sharon Rowe as instructor and trainer:
Sharon Rowe is possibly the finest dressage instructor I have encountered in more than 40 years of riding. She is thorough, unsparing of error but appropriately complimentory of effort and achievement. She does not compromise her standards--ever.
As a trainer, she is diligent and does not give up easily,. My horse is possibly one of the most difficult she has encountered and she has persevered when others would have quit in disgust. As a I result at the age of 70+ I have a finely trained, safe horse who has remained sound and, I hope, will last out my time as a rider.
Finally as a rider, Sharon is simply elegant. She is everything a fine dressage competitors should be and rarely is--fully accomplished yet kind to her horses and intuitive about their needs and quirks. She has achieved the highest honors (first place Grand Prix dressage in 1989) on a horse one critic unwisely called, "the wrong size, the wrong breed and the wrong color." Gretchen Foster
"Both my horse and I are new to dressage. I feel so fortunate to have the pleasure to work with Sharon. She has really helped me to understand the basic skills of horsemanship and how to better understand my horse." Liz Rakowski
"I just want to take a moment and let you know how grateful I am for all that you do. So many of us depend on you and your dedication to our training and our horses. Yours is a Thankless profession, It seems when people are doing poorly they blame their horse or their trainer but, when they are doing well they take all the creidt for their talents. Well I want to tell you THANK YOU!" Mary Schnepf
" I could probably write a small novel on what Sharon Rowe has taught me in my time with her. I could go on about how I learned what a half pass and haunches in is. I could describe how I’ve learned how important a rider’s position is to correct classical dressage. Ultimately, the greatest thing I’ve learned is the biggest mistake I’ve been making. To quote, Jelaluddin Rumi “Don't be the rider who gallops all night and never sees the horse that is beneath him". Now I’m really beginning to learn Dressage and with Sharon’s guidance I’ve realized I had a Dressage horse all along." Tanya Zhuravlev
"Even when I was someone who knew very little about the sport of dressage, Sharon never made me feel like achieving the highest levels of training was out of my reach as long as I stayed correct in my methods. Because of this, I strive to make myself the best I can be and to get the most out of every lesson I have from her (both on and off the horse). It's not easy, there are no shortcuts and especially no excuses, but even when the ride may not be perfect, we always find something to smile about." Jen Oswald
"I LOVE working with Sharon. She is tough, fair and always willing to
take the time to explain something, even if she has done so numerous
times before. She has not given up on me and I am gratefull for that
because there were a few times when I was ready to give up myself.
Sharon asks you to do it correctly and that creates a solid base on
which to build, so that we can continue to improve. " Susan Beyerlin
"Why are lessons with Sharon important to me? Well, for starters, I probably wouldn't even be in Michgian if she weren't here to give me lessons. We all are very lucky to have an instructor who clearly knows just about everything there is to know about dressage and horses. I trust that whatever she says is right. But, what's also important is that not only is she knowledgeable, but, she is a kind person who wants to help. She accepts me "where I am" and works to make me better." Carol Myers Scotten
"I have been a student of Sharon's since the 1970's. The respect I have
for her as a person and as a horseman is unmeasureable. She has always
been honest and diligent with me as she has taught me Classical
Dressage, and on a personal level, i call her friend." Theresa Mosser
"I am extremely lucky and honored to have Sharon as a teacher and a friend, and I will never take that for granted. She has showed me that with hard work, you can accomplish what you never thought was possible. Even if you have an off day, she never doubts you, even when you may doubt yourself. I don't think anyone could ever thank her enough for everything she does." Jenifer Fisher
"I've thought about this for days now and I could write a novel on my
years with Sharon, 18 to be exact. What it really comes down to is
love, caring and sharing. Sharon, thank you for letting me grow up at
Rowe Dressage Stables. " Liz Rose
"Some people rarely appreciate what they have until they no longer have it, or only want what they can not have.
They follow trends to which ever road is most traveled at the moment. I have been fortunate to be on the steadfast road of classical and correct horsemanship with the Rowe's for many years. I have been taught correctness, like the straight and narrow. This road may be difficult to achieve because of the discipline required of ourselves, but the never ending rewards for really getting it right are worth the struggle. Every student at the Rowe's is encouraged to reach for the highest of their ability no matter what and not to settle with just okay. I am always striving to be as good of a rider as Sharon whom has lead me by example, and I feel fortunate that she has never given up on her sometimes most challenging student. Thank you much and I look forward to many more to come." Ruth Schultz