John Berney
Owner/Head Trainer
John has competed in everything from the Pre-Greens all the way through the Grand-Prix level. John brings decades of knowledge and experience to his business and the equestrian community in Orange County. Since 2010, John has served as the President of the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition-an organization aimed at preserving the city's historic equestrian lifestyle.
Nina Thornton
Barn Manager & Marketing Director
Nina joined the JBE team in 2011 before she left for college in Texas. There, she was a student-athlete for 4 years as a member of Baylor University's top-ranked NCAA Division 1 Equestrian Team. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Digital Media, Nina returned to Orange County and now manages scheduling, operations, marketing and the online presence of John Berney Equestrian.
Ireland Bloem
As a young rider, Ireland learned the true basics of the sport through training and re-homing off-the-track thoroughbreds. As she grew in the sport she had taken on multiple different working student positions through the years, being given the opportunity to show on the A-circuit and lease some wonderful sale horses. One of her favorite accomplishments is winning the CWD equitation challenge in 2014, on a recently imported and green sale horse. Ireland joined the JBE team in 2020 and has since become a professional.