Train

Kc Branscomb Kelley founded Branscomb Farm in an effort to give back to a sport she has enjoyed for 60+ years. She offers young USA-bred jumping horses with the goal of competing favorably against the very finest quality European imports.  As an amateur "A" hunter and A/O jumper competitor on both coasts for more than four decades with some of the top professional trainers in the US, Kc experienced many of the typical highs and lows of buying both youngsters and competition horses from various dealers and farms around the world. She set out to take the best of what she had learned and strive to improve upon it seeking expert professional advice from some of the world's leading horsemen, trainers, and breeders along the way.

One of Kelley's early advisors and most valued mentors is world-renowned FEI Course Designer, Judge, author and legendary rider/trainer Linda Allen.  Declared by the Chronicle, USA's Horseman of the Year in 1989, Linda went on to win Course Designer of the Year (4 times), PCHA Professional Horseman of the Year, Course Designer of the Year (3 times), and Special Achievement and Medal of Honor Awards (including the coveted Pegasus Award in 2008) too many to enumerate.   

Linda brings her vast experience from Olympic, World Cup, and Nations Cup level showjumping competitions where she served as Course Designer, Judge, or Technical Delegate at almost every major event since the mid 1990's. 

 Linda's inborn passion for evaluating and educating young jumpers and her deep knowledge of the sport at all levels of participation, have been invaluable in guiding the continuing development of the Branscomb Farm program. 

Branscomb Farm is deeply indebted to Linda Allen for her unwavering generosity of spirit and wisdom.

In 2023, Branscomb Farm was fortunate to engage the support and partnership of Rudi Leone and Jill Humphrey.  Working closely with the Branscomb Farm team, the addition of Jill Humphrey as the principal rider for our FEI level horses and Rudi as an on-site competition coach has resulted in a measurable step up in both competition success (Leading USA qualifier and podium finish at the 2024 World Cup FInal in Riyadh with Chromatic BF as well as numerous Grand Prix wins on Sonata BF) and the quality of our young horse and rider development programs. We are grateful for this continuing partnership in bringing the best of breeding and competition readiness to our clients and customers. 

Comprising 74 acres, the farm offers the perfect environment for the development of young warmblood horses and the training of both horses and riders. Approximately 50 acres of seasonally irrigated pasture, seeded with appropriate forage and grasses, a 7.5 acre foot water reservoir, and access to ocean view trails provide plenty of room for young equines to exercise and develop important social and learning skills.  Large indoor and outdoor arenas, covered Eurocizer, and round pen all with all weather GGT footing and/or rubber matting as well as specially designed breeding and foaling barns, and horse-safe wire mesh fencing of appropriate height provide the full range of facilities to insure that horses and foals of all ages have the safest of housing and plenty of good grass and room to develop their full athletic potential. With the Pacific Ocean less than one mile away, Half Moon Bay supports a year round optimum climate for developing horses – year round temperatures average between 50 and 75 degrees.

Youngsters benefit from regular handling and progressive, age-appropriate training from birth to when they are started under saddle at three years. Boarding, breeding, foaling, and foundation dressage and jump training of youngsters is available to on farm clients.

Under the supervision of Principal Rider/Instructor Ivy Creahan, Assistant Trainer/Rider LIndsey Memering and Cali Karbler along with our extensive professional Farm employee staff of 8, Branscomb Farm offers excellent care and education for young horses and developing competitive riders.

Through carefully tailored instruction by some of the top teaching professionals on the West Coast, talents of both horse and rider are cultivated together for a lifetime of mutual enjoyment and competitive success. Our speciality is starting and training young horses including breeding quality colts and youngsters destined for competition and amateur or junior riders interested in learning the art of training a young horse to be a strong, successful, and happy competitor.  Our programs include:

• Ground training and initial under saddle training/ starting of youngsters with foundation for both dressage and jumping (horses must be at least 3 years of age to be ridden) by Branscomb Farm staff Pepe Rodrigues and Jesus Perez who have several decades of professional experience starting and developing horses for multiple disciplines. 
• Cost-friendly program for introducing four, five, and six year old horses started by the farm to the show environment; developing confidence in the ring up to 1.30m and competing for year end young jumper and/or hunter awards. 
• Training/coaching riders (novice to advanced) in horsemanship and age appropriate training programs for their own horses.
• The Farm offers a 6 month intensive residential internship program for young riders and professionals to learn young horse breeding and training working along side the Farm's professional staff and veterinarian culminating in certification and references upon graduation. 
• Preparing foals, young mares and stallions for keurings, inspections, stallion licensing and mare performance tests.
• A full range of theriogenology services offered through the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Dept of Equine Reproduction (during breeding season only)

Please select the menu item "STAFF" at left to learn more about Ivy Creahan and the Branscomb Farm professional staff.

In association withthe UC Davis VMTH Department of Equine Reproduction and Farm veterinarian Dr. Philip Bellamy, DVM, Branscomb Farm offers the following during breeding season only:

• Fresh cooled semen collection and shipping for Farm resident stallions
• Insemenation, breeding exams, and other reproductive care for client breeding mares 
• Foaling services with FoalAlert monitoring and early life care for newborn foals
• Appropriate socialization and field board care for foals, weanlings, and youngsters up to 4 years of age
• Ground training, starting, and under-saddle development of Farm-raised youngsters
• Special package pricing on young horses under saddle training ages 3-6 years of age
• Stallion management (ask about freezing options)

 Ivy Creahan:  Branscomb Farm Trainer, Principal Rider,  and Instructor

Ivy Creahan joined Branscomb Farm in 2018 as an experienced professional rider and instructor.  Showing exceptional sensitivity and talent for encouraging young horses and amateur riders to enjoy and benefit from her training, she was promoted to Assistant Trainer in 2019 and made Farm Manager in Jauary 2022. Ivy competes the Branscomb Farm horses successfully in both Hunters and Jumpers, often crossing rings with the same horse.  She enjoys teaching amateurs and juniors to develop a close relationship with their horse and to engage as a team in meeting their equestrian goals. Ivy offers both full training (inclusive of lessons and rides) for mature horses as well as a young horse program for 3-5 year olds transitioning gently from field life to "kindergarten" and "grade school" levels of under saddle training with age appropriate education for both developing bodies and minds.   Ivy offers, “I feel fortunate that I am able to combine my passion for horses and teaching students in such a beautiful and professional environment.” 

Lindsey Memering, First Assistant trainer/rider.  Lindsey joined Branscomb in 2023 from her position as a Farm Manager/Rider at a hunter jumper barn in Colorado.   She has a special interest in natural horsemanship and positive reinforcement training and takes special pride in taking a “whole horse” approach to the care and management of the horses under her care.

Porfirio (Pepe) Rodrigues, Stallion Manager and Young Horse Trainer/Rider:  Pepe and Farm owner/operator KC Branscomb first teamed up in 1994 when Pepe took over the management and care of her own private competition barn with six horses. He came with a wealth of experience in riding and training young horses and riding rough stock.  When Branscomb first started investing in breeding, Pepe took on more of a role in riding and starting the youngsters they produced and handling the stallions for breeding.  With 30+ years of experience producing top quality competition horses for almost every jumping discipline, Pepe is an essential part of the young horse starting and development team.

Santos De Jesus (Jesus) Garcia Perez,  Breeding Program Supervisor and Young Horse Trainer/Rider:  With a successful career at Bay Meadows in thoroughbred racing and colt starting for Once Over Farm, Jesus joined Branscomb in 2016 to work together with Pepe to make sure the breeding, foaling, and first three years of each horse’s life were the very best they could be.  He has been instrumental in building a careful ground based development program starting at birth and continuing until the summer or fall of their three year old year when most of our youngsters are backed and ridden lightly.  He continues to ride and train the young stallions and provide for each horse to make a smooth transition to Ivy and the other farm riders who go on to prepare them for success with an amateur or professional owner in the discipline of their choice.