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Program Coordinator: 2017 – current

Dr. Elizabeth Ashforth brings a lifelong love of horses and a deeply personal connection to riding to her role as Equestrian Program Manager. Her journey began at the age of five, when her father took her riding with him on a small pony named Trigger. She promptly fell off (her dad did not!). Undeterred, that moment sparked not just a hobby, but a lifelong passion. Growing up in the English countryside, Elizabeth spent her childhood riding across open fields and quiet lanes, forming the foundation for her calm, intuitive approach to horsemanship. When she later moved to the United States, she embraced the opportunity to broaden her experience—exploring Western riding on the East Coast before discovering her true calling in dressage after settling on the West Coast. Elizabeth keeps up her Western riding skills on Catalina Island where she participates with a weeklong camp with the Las Caballeras ladies riding group where they camp beach-side with horses and trail ride 6+ hours daily in the interior of the island (often scarily close to members of the famous Catalina buffalo herd!).

Today, Elizabeth is the proud owner of Sacre Fleur 8, her Grand Prix Oldenburg mare. She rides three to four times a week, taking clinics with notable trainers whenever she can; most recently with Albrecht Heidemann, the German born National Dressage Team trainer for Colombia. She is now happily preparing for an exciting show season this summer.

Dr. Ashforth is also the Director of Student Research Programs and Department Chair of the I-Track Program at Geffen Academy. The Advanced Research Program in the humanities, science, and social sciences provides mentorship for students in professional research labs at UCLA and other research institutes. This program allows students the opportunity to undertake challenging research and to communicate their results through professional presentations.