Ed Borresen, a prominent competitor, trainer and developer of several dressage ventures as well as an award winning equestrian estate designer, has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 62.
Ed worked with his wife, Monica Sinks, for more than four decades and was also a business partner of the Florida-based Danish Olympian Lars Petersen and his wife, Melissa Taylor.
Ed and Monica maintained homes and stables in Bucks County in eastern Pennsylvania as well as Wellington.
He was raised in an Air Force military family and spent much of his early life as a stone mason and in construction design. Perhaps his most prominent project was the loving restoration over 25 years of Willow Spring Farm that was owned by Monica’s family but had fallen into ruin.
Ed began designing indoor arenas in 1985 from ideas learned in Europe, applying his gift for stone masonry, use of European style and Pennsylvania Amish craftsmanship. Among projects in which he was involved in recent years were Arlene “Tuny” Page’s Stillpoint Farm in Wellington, the renovation of Clare Bronfman’s Slate River Farm, and John Duess’ show barns in Wellington.
With Monica, he also pursued their dream of training horses.
Both attained the scores for U.S Dressage Federation gold medal in 1991, but applied for only one.
Ed trained at least five horses to Grand Prix and competed top mounts at Big Tour for other owners.
With Monica as coach, Ed rode Beemer to the U.S. five-year-old championship in 2003. The horse went on to a successful career with both Lars Petersen and Carolina Roffman.
Ed became involved with Lars in creation of an elite horse auction and sales business, was a pioneer in a program developing young horses and the organization of major international level horse shows that foreshadowed creation of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.