My name is Andrea Montelibano Cruz, and I am a riding instructor at the Manila Polo Club. I began riding at the age of two, when my father first taught me on our farm in Bacolod City. From him, I learned not only the fundamentals of riding but also the values of true horsemanship.

In 2009, aEer graduaFng from high school, I moved to Manila and trained under Mia Virata at the Manila Polo Club. While my passion for horses was rooted in my upbringing, it was during this Fme that I refined my skills in show jumping. I trained and competed successfully up to 1.10m and represented the Philippines in the World Jumping Challenge (Categories B and C) in 2014, 2015, and
2016.

In 2016, I began training in dressage under 3* FEI Judge ViUorio Barba. That same year and again in 2018, I represented the Philippines in the Preliminary World Dressage Challenge. Around this Fme, I also developed a strong interest in natural horsemanship and aUended a two-day workshop in San Francisco called MEARAS. To further expand my knowledge, I completed Course Design Workshops under FEI Course Designer Rakshan Radpour in 2019 and 2023. I have also parFcipated in a Retraining of Racehorses workshop, which focuses on rehabilitaFng local ex-racehorses and preparing them for new disciplines.

In 2022, while pregnant with my first son, I began coaching. My first students trained using two local ponies that I had personally developed. During this period, I also started retraining ex-racehorses,
polo ponies, and western horses, preparing them for both my students and myself to ride and compete in dressage and jumping. I have since established Parkrose Equestrian, a program designed to help students learn not only how to ride, but also how to train and compete horses from a variety of backgrounds, breeds, and disciplines. The program also emphasizes on natural horsemanship and comprehensive horse management. Our goal is to teach our students that any horse, regardless of its previous background, can be successfully trained in any discipline with the right training, proper management and paFence.