Kingfisher Park Equestrian
Mooresville, NC
Two hundred rolling acres of North Carolina farmland, forty minutes from Charlotte. Two barns with twenty sevent stalls, world-class competition infrastructure, and a training program run by one of Canada's foremost eventers. This is where the work happens — and where some very good horses call home.
The backbone of Dana Cooke Equestrian
Kingfisher Park Equestrian is not a boarding facility that happens to have a competition program running out of it. It is a dedicated performance environment — built around the needs of serious horses and serious riders — that also happens to be genuinely beautiful to spend time in.
Situated on 200 rolling acres in Mooresville, North Carolina, Kingfisher Park sits in the kind of landscape that makes both horses and humans exhale a little. Wooded trails weave through the property alongside streams and open pasture. Superb turnout. Real space to move. The setting is deliberately tranquil — because horses that live well train better, and everyone who has spent time in elite sport knows that recovery and environment matter as much as the work itself.
Dana trains out of Kingfisher Park and has made it her home base — running the competition program, coaching program, and day-to-day management of the facility's training horses. The two things — the place and the program — are inseparable. Kingfisher Park is where her international-level horses have been developed, where she coaches students from grassroots to advanced levels, and where the next chapter of her program is being built.
Built for horses. Designed for performance.
Kingfisher Park’s facilities are configured to support horses and riders working at every level — from the early stages of a horse's education through to international-level preparation.
The infrastructure is complete, the footing is maintained, and the cross-country course is the kind of facility you don't often find outside a dedicated competition venue.
Main arena — all-weather footing
A 175' × 250' riding arena with all-weather footing — large enough to school cross-country approaches and big enough for a full size dressage arena and show jump course. The footing is maintained to competition standard: consistent, forgiving, and year-round reliable regardless of what the North Carolina weather decides to do.
Miles of hacking
The property's trails weave through wooded areas, across pastures, and along streams. Trail riding is not incidental at KFP — it's part of the program. Hacking out develops straightness, rhythm, and the kind of mental freshness that keeps a competition horse sharp without over-schooling.
Cross-country schooling area
The KFP cross-country schooling area features a full range of technical elements: water jump, banks, ditches, and a selection of portable fences. The combination of fixed and portable fences means the course can be configured to suit horses at different stages of their education — from young horse introductions to advanced preparation.
Turnout & care
Superb turnout pastures for horses that live and move freely when they're not working. At this level, the time out of the stable matters as much as the time in it. KFP is designed around horses living well — not just performing well.
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Kingfisher Park provides both the horse and rider with a tranquil environment in which to train — or simply to ride for pleasure. The two are not mutually exclusive. They never were.
—Dana Cooke
North Carolina's
equestrian heartland.
Mooresville sits in the northern Lake Norman region of North Carolina — a part of the state that has become one of the most active equestrian communities in the eastern United States. The combination of temperate climate, manageable winters, and proximity to major competition venues along the East Coast makes it ideal for year-round training and a season that runs from January through November.
Kingfisher Park is forty minutes from Charlotte — close enough for day lessons and facility visits, far enough to feel genuinely removed from the city. It is the kind of place that people drive a distance to reach and leave feeling like it was worth it.
Competition Access
Within a day's drive of major East Coast events — Stable View, Chattahoochee Hills, Carolina Horse Park, Virginia Horse Center, Plantation Field, Kentucky Horse Park, Maryland International and several Florida venues for the winter season. Major international events like Kentucky and Maryland are within practical hauling distance.
Climate
North Carolina's climate supports year-round training — mild winters allow continuous work without the interruptions that affect programs further north. The summer heat is managed through early morning schedules and the property's wooded trail network.
Community
The Lake Norman and greater Charlotte region has a deep, active equestrian community. KFP sits within it but operates at its own standard — a program anchored in international-level competition that also serves the broader community of riders in the area.
A complete program,
at every level.
Kingfisher Park's services are built around Dana's program, which means the standard is high and the approach is consistent. Whether you're a junior rider working toward your first competition or an experienced adult amateur with serious ambitions, there is something exciting waiting for you in Mooresville.
Boarding
Full-care boarding in a working competition facility. Your horse lives in the same environment as Dana's international-level horses — same turnout, same standards of care, same footing. Enquiries by email or via the contact page.
Horse Sales
Kingfisher Park presents quality sport horses for sale — horses developed within the program with a sound education and an honest description of what they are and where they're going. Dana does not sell horses she wouldn't be comfortable recommending to a good rider.
Lessons & Coaching
Individual lessons with Dana across all levels — from grassroots foundations to advanced competition preparation. Coaching is available at Kingfisher Park and at select traveling clinics. Lesson scheduling is available online.
Cross-Country Schooling
Kingfisher Park's cross-country schooling area is available for visiting horses and riders — a full range of technical elements in a maintained, well-configured environment. Contact for availability and scheduling.
Training & Competing
Full training for competition horses at KFP, managed by Dana and her two longtime assistants Tarra Gakstatter and Samantha Leis. She takes horses in training seriously — which is to say, she rides them herself and oversees their training with both Tarra and Samantha, and they compete them when they're ready. No shortcuts, no rushing the process.
Facility Hire
The Kingfisher Park arenas and cross-country area are available for hire for clinics, schooling sessions, and events. The facilities are competition-standard and the environment is professional. Enquire for availability and rates.
Come see what
we're building.
Whether you're interested in lessons, boarding, or visiting with a horse for cross-country schooling — the best way to get a feel for the program is to come out. Dana is direct and straightforward about what Kingfisher Park offers and whether it's the right fit for you and your horse.