Allison Dechant began riding horses at Thorpe Mountain Morgans in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, at age 9. Thorpe Mountain specialized in breeding, carriage driving and training Morgan horses, and by the age of 12 Allison had competed successfully on Morgans in hunt seat, jumpers, western pleasure, and driving.
Due to an injury to her first horse, JSS Searose "Rosie" when Allison was a teenager, she was introduced to the world of dressage and has never looked back.
“It’s addicting. Just when you feel you really understand a concept, you realize the things you thought you knew before could be so much better. If you sign up to learn dressage, prepare for a lifetime search for knowledge.”
At the age of 18 Allison began her first working student position for Grant Schniedman, immersing herself in the sport completely. Allison also spent a year as a working student for Jill Cantor Lee, where she was introduced to dressage competition at the national level. Later Allison worked as assistant trainer for Michelle Lauber at Legacy Hill Farms, a large sales barn in Castle Rock, Colorado. Here she rode up to 15 horses a day, solidifying much of her knowledge.
Allison has traveled to Germany several times to purchase horses for clients in the US and has had the opportunity to travel to the barns of many of the worlds best dressage riders. In the US she trained extensively with Jurgen Hoffmann, and has also worked with Lars Peterson, Jan Ebeling, and Ulla Salzgeber. She currently trains regularly with renowned dressage coach and trainer Jos Severiens and Danish Olympian Bent Jensen.
In 2007 Allison started her own business, Allison Dechant Dressage. She has developed and competed numerous horses from Training Level to Grand Prix. She continues to grow the competition oriented business with a group of select clients and horses, and is working toward her personal goal of international competition.