The Next Venture Farm Team

Sue Gomez has kept a close proximity to horses since she began riding at Saddle Rowe Farm nearly 25 years ago. Sue began her professional career at Saddle Rowe in 1991. She left her role as farm and horse show manager to join the risk assurance division of PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2003. Sue joined State Street Bank in 2009, and presently heads the Firm’s business controls function. In 2016, Sue returned to Saddle Rowe Farm as co-owner and head of operations. She continues this capacity at Next Venture Farm where she is responsible for the farm’s strategy, financials and operations.

Jennifer Ritucci-Volandre grew up riding on the Next Venture Farm property nearly 30 years ago, as part of Saddle Rowe Farm.  She has a strong background competing in the hunter, jumper, and, as a junior, equitation ring.   Early in her career, she trained with Canadian Olympic medalist, Jay Hayes.  Since turning professional, Jennifer has competed at the highest levels of the sport, trained equestrians of all ages, and developed many young horses into top quality competitors. Jennifer has had incredible success including several top international, national, and regional hunter derby placings, numerous division championships across the East Coast, and most recently 2019 Reserve Champion WCHR Developing Professional at Capital Challenge. Jennifer’s students have had impressive successes including division championships, hunter prix wins, HITS Ocala circuit championships, and top placings at regional indoor equitation finals.   Jennifer focuses on competing hunters,  training riders, and developing a top quality sales horse string.

DJ Volandre started his riding career at his family farm, Huntersbrook Stable, over 25 years ago. He spent his junior years working under the tutelage of George Morris at Hunterdon Farm where he learned all the tools of classic horseback riding and proper horse training. DJ has had a very successful career in the equitation and jumper rings, competing up through the Grand Prix level with success. DJ provides instruction to students competing in the hunters, jumpers, and equitation and focuses his riding on training the young and developing horses in the Next Venture sales program.

Christine Creque grew up in New Jersey and has been riding for over 25 years. She spent most of her junior years competing in the hunters. She then went to Centenary College where she graduated with a Bachelors in Equine Studies while concentrating in Equine Business Management and Riding Instruction. During her time at Centenary, she had many experiences working at different barns including working as an FEI groom at Spruce Meadows for a summer. She was the captain of the Hunter/Jumper team where she showed in the hunter ring and focused mainly on Hunter Derbies. Christine was picked to ride on the ANRC team where her team finished Reserve Champion. After college, Christine worked for Grazing Fields Farm as the horse show manager. Now at Next Venture Farm, she focuses on working with the students and horses to further their horsemanship skills and education in riding.

Bob Graham has over 30 years’ experience bringing along riders from their very first lesson to competing at the national level. Bob specializes in the instruction of students and horses, and teaches the critical fundamentals that riders take along with them throughout their careers. Next Venture Farm is proud to have Bob help bring along the next generation of riders!

Randi Byrd grew up riding and fox hunting in the mountains of Virginia. She attended Hollins University where she earned her B.A. in Business.  She was the captain of Hollins Equestrian Team for 3 years, a member of the IHSA team and competed at IHSA Nationals twice, a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship team in 2017, and was named Hollins Sportswoman of the year in 2018. While in college, she enjoyed spending her time freelance grooming at Virginia area horse shows and had several working student internships. After graduating college in 2018, she went on to be the barn manager and assistant trainer at SBS Farms. Since joining the team at Next Venture Farm, she manages the horses at shows and helps to make sure every horse is prepared to show their best in the show ring.

Next Venture Farm is lucky to have the best grooms!