Key Staff
As a premier equestrian facility in the greater Houston area, horsemanship is in our blood at Bailey Oaks Farms. We recognize that the welfare of the horses and riders entrusted to our care comes before anything else. Not only do we pride ourselves on our world-class facilities, we also believe in great attention to detail when it comes to the training, health, and well-being of our horses and riders.
PABLO BARRIGA
OWNER - HEAD TRAINER
Our team is led by co-owner and renowned horse trainer, Pablo Barriga. Pablo rode his first horse at age six, trained extensively in Europe in all disciplines of English riding, and has competed in high-level show jumping across Europe and the U.S. He trained with some of the best world showjumpers such as Jean-Marc Nicolas (France), Rob Hoekstra (United Kingdom) and Luis Álvarez Cervera (Spain) and served as head trainer at several competition barns. Pablo and his team provide instruction in a positive way that appeals to both junior riders and seasoned equestrians alike. He is an Active Competing Professional Member of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA).
CLARE CHOYKE
TRAINER - INSTRUCTOR
Clare is originally from Pearland, TX where she grew up riding and showing, primarily in the jumper ring. She started riding when she was nine years old. She developed her love for horses and teaching at a young age. She loves training horses and can be found connecting with riders of all ages and ability levels. Clare has been training with Pablo since 2014 and is an Active Competing Professional Member of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA).
MIA PURDOM
TRAINER - INSTRUCTOR
Mia has been riding for 16 years and teaching for eight years, with experience in various English and Western disciplines. Mia grew up in Friendswood, TX riding mainly English hunter/jumpers and teaching English, Western, and Polocrosse at summer camps. After graduating from high school, she moved to Rhode Island, where she worked as a groom, trainer, and instructor at Newport Polo while captaining her intercollegiate team. She taught kid and adult lessons and helped manage and develop the interscholastic and intercollegiate polo programs. She has been riding at Bailey Oaks Farms since 2021 after moving back to Texas. She is finishing her computer science degree at the University of Houston-Clear Lake while still an active member of the United States Polo Association (USPA).
VERLAINE GRAY
TRAINER - INSTRUCTOR
Verlaine grew up owning and working with horses in Houston, Texas. In 2016, she joined the University of North Texas equestrian team where she began participating in IHSA shows. She competed on both the English and the Western teams and served as Vice-President and Team Captain until graduating in 2020. Verlaine has been training with Pablo for two years with her horse Vincent. She is currently a student at the University of Houston studying American Sign Language Interpreting.
SOFIA RIORDAN
TRAINER - INSTRUCTOR
Sofia grew up in Bethesda, Maryland where she started riding at the early age of 3. Growing up, she began her training in eventing and continued to learn a variety of disciplines from hunter/jumpers to western dressage. She trained at many different barns and competed in both high school and college as a team captain and coach. After moving to Texas, she worked as a trainer and instructor specializing in Arabian show horses, and eventually started teaching at Bailey Oaks at the end of 2022. In her free time, she rides bulls at rodeos and dreams to one day be in the Washington International Horse Show.
SPONSORS
DEVOUCOUX
Pablo and Clare are proudly sponsored by Devoucoux.
