About Genna Centolanza
Genna Centolanza is the Owner and Head Trainer of Brookside Show Stable.
Genna graduated summa cum laude from Centenary College (now Centenary University) in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Equine Studies with a concentration in Riding Instruction and Training.
Before attending Centenary, Genna experienced an extensive show career in the jumpers and equitation aboard her own horses Shutter Speed, South Shore, and Nashville under the watchful eyes of Jack and Kate Benson of Briarwood Farm in Flemington, NJ. Over ten years of competitive horse showing on the New Jersey circut, Genna earned numerous State and Zone awards each year of her campain, and even ranked 1st in 2003 Zone 2 Childrens Jumpers and 2nd Nationally in the MS Childrens Jumper in 2004. Both aboard her South Shore.
Her knowledge of horse shows also stem to the "behind the scenes" action. For thirteen years, Genna ran countless ingates at horse shows such as Briarwood, Sussex County, Hunterdon County Horse Shows, Duncraven, Four Seasons Horse Show, Garden State Horse Show, Palermo, Blue Rock, Woodedge, Our Farm, and Wyndsor Farm. She has also helped as a Secretary's Assistant for Shirley Griswood for several years.
Starting in 2005, Genna started teaching students of all levels. She has taught at at Backer Farm in Mendham, NJ, Trinity Farm in Long Valley, NJ, and Briarwood Farm of Flemington, NJ.
Also from 2010 until 2012, Genna also worked for Cloud 9 Farm, a retirement and rehabilitation center for the AA Circuit horses and ponies. Her duties included caring for the injured and rehabbing those back on the mend.
From 2012 until 2014, Genna became the Head Trainer of the Riding Academy at Palermo Show Stable and Assistant Trainer to Osvaldo Ornia Pacher. Teaching riders from as young as 3 to 61, Genna's enthusiasm to help her students only grew stronger. She coached several riders at home and away shows, even helping her students qualify for the NJPHA Fall Finale!
In April 2014, Genna opened Brookside. Taking from her past experiences with teaching, riding, and showing, she has created a horseback riding facility that offers catered services to the equine enthusiast! In her lessons and even at the horse shows, Genna's structure and style of teaching is always to find the positive in each ride, and help her students understand the steps it takes to reach their goals. Through Genna's system, her students learn to not just become riders who simply just sit up on their horse's back, but horsemen and women who enjoy the time they spend with their horse from the ground up.
