About Us

Bea and Derek di Grazia met while both were working for USET veteran Jimmy Wofford.

Both Derek and Bea left Wofford's for a two-and-a-half year stint riding for Jack LeGoff at the USET Three-Day headquarters in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. In 1978, just prior to the Kentucky Three-Day World Championships, both Derek and Bea were strapped with unsound horses and missed a shot at the Championships. While working together in South Hamilton during a time when there were only a few riders there, Bea and Derek eventually found more in common than lame horses. By the time they teamed up in 1979, both riders were experienced Eventers.

The 1980s provided many opportunities for the newly married couple. The birth of their two son's Benjamin and Perkin kept Bea occupied, while Derek prepared for the 1982 World Championships and in 1984 Derek was long listed for the Olympic Team. Although he didn't ride in the Olympics, Derek rode on the the 1986 World Championship Team in Gawler, Australia.

In 1984 Derek and Bea settled in California after years of nomadic life as Eventers. This move was triggered by an opportunity to lease the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center and accompanying 28 prime acres in Derek's hometown. Settling in the northern California town of Pebble Beach in 1984 put the two veteran Eventers in the middle of one of the most beautiful coastal areas in the United States. What did not exist in Pebble Beach at the time was an active Eventing scene. Derek and Bea's presence has contributed significantly to making Pebble Beach one of the country's foremost equestrian centers.

Although neither will take much credit, the presence of their Eventing stable on the Pacific Coast encouraged the growth of this discipline in the West. Their influence didn't stop with California; their experience in the sport can be felt throughout the Western United States. Their students have come from all parts of the world and have gone on to be competitive throughout the United States.

In 1992, after nine years of managing the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center Bea and Derek decided to move their operation home to Stillwater Farm, a small boutique stable in the heart of Carmel Valley. From there they offer training programs for horses and riders, and usually have a select group of high quality event horses for sale.

Throughout their illustrious careers Bea and Derek also found time to raise two incredible boys. Today Ben at age 27 works at Insight Global in Irvine, CA, while attending the MBA program at UC Irvine. Perkin, 24, just finished the MBA program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and is currently working for
SNL Financial in Monterey, CA

Derek’s Story:
The presence of an active Eventing stable at Pebble Beach initiated Derek's original interest in the sport. At age 12 he began in the Pebble Beach Pony Club riding with Richard Collins who ran the stable for 40 years. Derek left Pebble Beach at age 19 to attend Georgetown University, and spent several years training with Jimmy Wofford while at school.

The Ledyard Three-day Event in 1977 was Derek's first International 3 Day Event. He rode Thriller II, whom he bought as a five-year-old and trained through International level. Derek attended his first European Event at the Luhmuhlen, Germany CCI*** in 1980, where he placed fourth individually and helped the U.S. Team to a first place finish.

In 1982 Derek returned to South Hamilton to assume a two-year teaching position at Flying Horse Farm. He concurrently helped train Team horses for Jack LeGoff, while preparing for the 1982 World Championships with his horse, Thriller II. Derek made another trip to train in Europe prior to the Championships, but did not make the team when his horse became unsound two weeks prior to the competition.

He spent another season traveling between Vermont, California, and North Carolina to compete in the 1984 Olympic Trials for which Derek was long listed. He had two horses at the time, Thriller, who was nearing the end of his eventing years, and Sasquatch, a younger Apaloosa-Thoroughbred cross that he was bringing along.

In 1985 Derek and Sasquatch won the Rolex Kentucky CCI*** and subsequently were short-listed and made the team for the 1986 World Championships. Although Derek and Sasquatch didn't complete the cross country, that didn't reduce the thrill of finally making it to the top after having been long listed for the Olympics twice and the World Championships three times.

Derek's next prospect was a six-year-old Irish Sporthorse named Our Busby. When he bought the six year old the horse had not evented, however Derek's expertise quickly brought Our Busby along, and 30 months later in 1989 they were competing at the Luhmuhlen, Germany CCI*** where they finished second.

Derek and Our Busby continued on the fast track and during the 1991 USET Fall Three-Day Championship at the Fair Hill, MD CCI*** they set a standard for dressage which none of the other 41 CCI*** competitors could equal. They went on to win the competition 18 points ahead of the nearest competitor.

The mid-90s found Derek focusing more on course design and training students. While being one of a handful of International level Course Designers residing in the United States, Derek has designed courses across the country including most notably the Fairhill CCI*** that hosted the 2003 Pan Am Championships. return to top

Bea’s Story:
By virtue of their years of participation, contribution and interest, the Perkins family was elevated to the position of first family of combined training. Bea's father, Read Perkins, ran a successful breeding program dedicated to the production of young event prospects. Bea's mother, Esther, was a successful competitor and Pony Club Instructor. Beth, Bea's older sister by 2 1/2 years was the youngest member ever selected for the United States Equestrian Team bringing home the Gold Medal from the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City. Beth also placed sixth in the World Championships in Burghley England.

Bea Perkins' riding career began practically at birth, in New Jersey. Her mother, Esther Perkins, would put Bea in front of her saddle while instructing student lessons.

A Pony Clubber at age 7 she rode in her first event at age 10. In her teens she competed in pony club rallies, regional rallies, and later the nationals. At 14 she rode her first preliminary three-day course at Woodstock, Vermont. In 1972 she captured the Junior National Championship for Three Day Eventing with Little Flyer. In 1974 she came in second, and in 1975 won the title again with County Frost. By 17 years of age, Bea had earned her A rating in Pony Club.

Remarkably, Bea did all that while only riding four months of the year as she was a full time student at Burke Mountain Academy, a snow ski racing school in East Burke, Vermont. Bea was selected to train on the U.S. Ski Team Development Squad in 1976 but shortly thereafter gave up her skiing career to focus completely on horses.

In 1977 Bea traveled to England and rode Irish Trick over the legendary Badminton course. Bea evented in Europe at age 18 with the help of her parents and sponsor, June McKnight, getting her feet wet at advanced international events.

She took a solo trip to Europe in 1980-81, after completing the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day, where, with her horse County Frost, they placed fourth at Burghley, and placed in the top 12 in Luhmuhlen and Badminton. In that same year Bea and Country Frost also competed at Boekelo.

In 1982 Bea returned with Derek to South Hamilton to assume a two-year teaching position at Flying Horse Farm. They concurrently helped train Team horses for Jack LeGoff. In 1982 Bea placed second in the U.S. World Championship Selection Trials.

In 1984 Bea and Derek settled down in Pebble Beach, co-directing the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center for the next nine years. Although their focus was on running a first-class facility, organizing horse trials, dressage and hunter/jumper shows the di Grazia's and their students could be found competing on both coasts.

On her 17.2 hand Irish Thoroughbred Baraccas she won the National Intermediate Three Day Championship at the Radnor, PA CCI**, and later rode him on the silver medal team in dressage at the U.S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis, MO. return to top