Anita Teunissen
(born in 1972) has actually lived her entire life in Valkenswaard (The Netherlands). She’s has been active with horseback riding continuously from her 10th year and absolutely loves all kinds of animals. She has always been in love with indians and was always crazy about bisons. Anita started riding the western style since she was 18 years old and never wanted to do something else anymore.
She knew for a long time that she was one day going to start a western ranch. When she bought Björkhaga, that dream came true. A big step to leave the trusted Netherlands but of course great! She still does this work with full enthusiasm!
Anita gave riding lessons to children since she was 16 years old. She organized competitions and miniature pony camps and around her 18th birthday, she bought her first horse: the 1.5 year old palomino Welsh Cob gelding Sun Dance Kid (Dancer). She saddle broke Dancer herself and when he was 6 years old, they where qualified for participation in the Dutch Championships. Unfortunately, Dancer died (too young!) on the operation table with colic and it took over a year before Anita was ready for a new horse.
Day N Night
After a long search she looked in a few dark eyes and without seeing what kind of horse it was, she knew: THAT’S HIM! Love at first sight: she bought the 5 year old American Paint Horse Stallion Day N Night!
Night, at that time green as grass (but already approved breeding Stallion), got saddle broken and trained. Then all the way in for competitions, followed Anita many lessons and clinics with Wim Buijst, Peter Simons and Frank Saeed.
Many years of competitions followed. She took part in Pleasure, Trail and Horsemanship competitions all over the Netherlands and Belgium. And they even took part in several Dutch Championships with various good results.
Anita has given western riding lessons at equestrian centre De Kempen in Eersel and has also helped regularly with organizing things for the riding school. She has also been active behind the scenes of the Organization of the NK. Although she has always done this with pleasure, her heart is not in the competition world anymore.
Anita has extensive experience in giving western riding lessons, entertainment, organizing and guiding multi day trails, competitions and so on. This is partly by 5 years management experience in a large western club (Western Movement Eersel) and having her own business (Anita & So Dance Discovery/Western Movement Dancers).
She even took care of the club magazine and took care of the design of flyers and posters.
Anita has also worked at a company where she was responsible for desktop publishing: design and layout of magazines, flyers, course folders etc.
She still uses all those experiences full of passion at her ranch.
Anita has always been a ‘busy bee’ and already had a business in The Netherlands: a dance school with lessons in various styles of dancing (line dance, freestyle dancing and international folk dance). She took care for performances and workshops at party centers and staff parties, but also street fairs, etc.
She took part in international competitions. Anita was even Swiss champion and her kids’ team became Dutch champions.
Anita made her own choreography and her music and dancing even! She participated three times in the World Championships (individual intermediate Line Dance, choreography and Teams) where she and her students had good results in various parts.
Anita went together with Night to a month intern at Marijke de Jong (www.straithnesstraining.com) in terms of academic ground work and riding. She had 2 three-day courses in horsemanship at The Two Lazy 7 Ranch in Belgium. And Anita was taking several courses about working with your feeling. She is also a Reiki Master and can give a healing with energy to humans and animals so that the private channels (humans and animals) open again and a recovery process starts.
In addition, having a private ranch and herd also gives the necessary insights and experiences! A combination of all these things is used in the daily work and in her training and riding lessons.
Furthermore, she has during a year intensively worked with the training of a horse coach and she graduated in May 2015. So now she is also approved horse coach at the Center for horse coaching, which is using horses to coach people in their personal development. In 2018 she succeeded in the further education to children’s coach. She does this coaching with the help of horses and full of passion and she has many new possibilities and plans! Anita loves to use the horses to help people!
In terms of business, she has in Sweden followed the Kurbits training; marketing for tourist companies as well as the training design, the thread through your company. Further she likes to join mini courses and workshops by Visit Värmland and Hagfors Community about digital marketing, tourism etc.
Anders Skoglund
In December 2013 Anita found her soulmate in the Swede Anders Skoglund. He is supporting Anita, the ranch and the new ideas to 100%. Together they are determined to make something beautiful out of it!
Anders is also very interested in the whole western happening and added his Irish Cob Moa and Shetland pony Kalle to the herd. For him, it is a dream that comes true to run the ranch together with Anita and help wherever he can!
Since March 2015 Anders is also full time on the ranch and he can use his experience as a welder, a car mechanic and electro mechanic very often! Anders also really likes to stand behind the bar and have a conversation with the guests. Everybody loves him!