KTRA Staff & Board Members
Meet Our Staff
Ashley Sudds
Executive Director
Learn more about Ashley
Ashley moved to Kamloops from North Vancouver in February 2014. She used to teach at Pacific Riding For Developing Abilities in Langley. Ashley started riding when she was 13 years old, her favorite discipline is Dressage. Before starting with Therapeutic Riding, Ashley worked for Crown Packaging, taught piano lessons and volunteered with Girl Guides. Ashley is a certified CTRBI CanTRA Basic Instructor. Ashley is also a certified PATH Intl. Registered Therapeutic Riding Instructor. Along with her Therapeutic Riding certifications Ashley is a Registered Coach through Equestrian Canada.
Cherise Avril
Head Instructor
Learn more about Cherise
Cherise moved from Kelowna to Kamloops in February 2018. She is a certified CanTRA Intermediate Instructor. She taught therapeutic riding in Kelowna for many years, as well as worked at a veterinarian clinic. Cherise just finished a Community Mental Health Certification and is working towards her Equine-Facilitated Wellness Certificate. She grew up around horses, and has loved them as long as she can remember! Cherise started riding at the age of three and got her first horse when she was thirteen. She enjoys hunter/jumpers, as well as dressage.
Avery Wilkinson
Instructor
Learn more about Avery
Avery has been part of the KTRA community for many years, both as a rider and as a member of our team. She has competed at the BC Summer Games twice in Para-Dressage — first riding Chevy and later returning to the Games with Brian. Her dedication to riding and her love of horses continue to be an inspiration to those around her.
Avery also spent a summer working with KTRA as a summer student, gaining valuable experience caring for our horses and helping around the barn. She has since joined our team part-time as a Stable Hand, where she helps with everything from cleaning paddocks and feeding horses to the many day-to-day tasks that keep our barn running smoothly.
Avery brings a strong work ethic, a genuine love for horses, and a special connection to the KTRA community. We are thrilled to have her as both a rider and a valued member of our team!
Gabriela Sladkova
Office Administrator
Bio to come!
Meet our Board Members
Susan Purdy
President
Learn more about Susan
Susan is a long-time Kamloops resident, raising a family here and also a career at TRU for over 30 years in the Department of Biological Sciences as an instructor. She has had a life-long love of horses, growing up in Zimbabwe she owned several horses over her childhood, and has fond memories of Pony camps, and riding in horse shows. She never won any medals, and sometimes ended up on the ground before a jump, but that did not deter her from her passion for riding. As a young adult moving to Canada and pursuing a career and family, horses were not in the cards. But she was able to re-connect with horses later in life, as well as helping young riders, by volunteering with the KTRA, starting in 2016. As a Board member, Susan is excited to be able to be involved in the more behind-the-scenes operations of the KTRA.
Dianne Kostachuk
Vice-President
Learn more about Dianne
Cherise moved from Kelowna to Kamloops in February 2018. She is a certified CanTRA Intermediate Instructor. She taught therapeutic riding in Kelowna for many years, as well as worked at a veterinarian clinic. Cherise just finished a Community Mental Health Certification and is working towards her Equine-Facilitated Wellness Certificate. She grew up around horses, and has loved them as long as she can remember! Cherise started riding at the age of three and got her first horse when she was thirteen. She enjoys hunter/jumpers, as well as dressage.
Gail Pack
Secretary
Learn more about Gail
Gail embraces the love of nurturing children and the equestrian world and she found that KTRA represents the best marriage of both worlds. She has been a volunteer at KTRA for the past five years that Gail and her husband have lived in Kamloops. They currently own a 20 acre hobby ranch in the Cherry Creek area and raise and train four horses – two standard sized horses and two mini-sized horses. Gail retired after 35 years as an elementary teacher where she taught many children with disabilities who were integrated into her classroom. Formally, Gail obtained a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia and an additional two year Diploma from Simon Fraser University in elementary education. She remains an accredited teacher with the Ministry of Education. Additionally, Gail, has been involved for many years in equestrian training and competition. With her back ground, Gail can provide a unique voice at the Board level in support of the KTRA philosophy.
Kari Bishop
Treasurer
Learn more about Kari
Kari moved to Kamloops from Langley with her husband and two children in 2007. They live on a hobby farm just outside city limits which she shares with her three horses, three dogs and two cats. While her son has now outgrown the horses for his other sports her daughter is still horse crazy! Kari has ridden horses her whole life and just recently returned to the sport of endurance riding on her 21 year old partner, Poet.
Gia Bogetti
Director
Learn more about Gia
Gia was born and raised in Kamloops. She took both western and English riding lessons when she was young and hopes to one day have a horse of her own. In the meantime, her involvement with the KTRA gives her an excuse to be around horses while staying involved with the community. A former athlete and swim coach here in town, Gia is now a corporate lawyer with Forward Law LLP. She spends much of her free time exploring the outdoors with her husband and their active adventure pups, Gus and Penny.
Beth Blackwell
Director
Learn more about Beth
Beth has been a member on our board since May 2018. She grew up in Calgary surrounded by horses and competed in show jumping throughout the province. Beth has called Kamloops home since graduating from Thompson Rivers University Law School in 2016 and now is a practicing lawyer at Mary MacGregor Law Corporation.
Kate Greffard
Director
Learn more about Kate
Kate was born and raised in Kamloops, and started taking horseback riding lessons around the age of 10. Though she has not owned any horses yet herself, she volunteered at KTRA from 2012 to 2021, which allowed her to learn more about the benefits of therapeutic riding and get her horse-fix at the same time. She loved getting to work with so many different riders and understand how therapeutic riding was beneficial for each of them. Kate completed her Undergraduate Degree in Biology at TRU, and her Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She has since moved home to Kamloops, and is working in the physiotherapy department at Royal Inland Hospital. She looks forward to bringing a new and unique perspective to the board at KTRA!
Colin Brost
Director
Learn more about Colin
Colin has lived in the Sun Peaks and Kamloops area for 15+ years and is a proud father of a rider at KTRA. He is excited to support the organization bringing 20+ years of experience in business development, strategic planning and marketing. Prior to earning a diploma in Recreation Service Delivery and Bachelors degree in Tourism Management (VIU) he spent time living and working (and travelling) in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden. Colin is excited to “give back” and support the Board, the outstanding staff and dedicated volunteers.
Interested in becoming a
KTRA Board Member?
KTRA is governed by a Board of Directors who are dedicated to ensuring our Association’s budgetary, human resource, and basic operation needs are met. They meet on average once a month and are in frequent contact with the KTRA staff in order to plan and coordinate as required. We are looking for additional Board members so if you think you would enjoy contributing time and a unique skill set to our organization please complete the application package found below, thank you!
