Virginia “Vee” McKey grew up riding in Bermuda under the instruction of Mary Frances Gaglio at Hinson Hall Stables. Her first horse was a wonderful big grey TB gelding named Justin Thyme, owned by Pat Haycock. Justin taught her the basics and then some and she had years of fun with him!

After 2 years of boarding school, when she was lucky enough to train weekly with Dave and Sandy Ballard, she spent a summer in Vermont at US Olympian Denny Emmerson’s farm. There she purchased a young TB gelding, “Henley” whom she brought back to Bermuda after a summer eventing. Vee and Henley spent some time at Spicelands Riding Centre when dressage trainers Eddo Hoekstra and Angela Halloran were instructors back in the late 80s and early 90s. She also gained much valued information from a variety of visiting clinicians, George Williams, Alex Gerding and Suzanne Dutt Roth being her favourites to ride with!

In 1997, Vee bought an un broke 3 year old Oldenburg gelding “Invincible” by top producing Oldenburg stallion, Ideal. Vee and Invincible aka “Bugs” showed successfully on the jumper scene and up to 3^rd level dressage before he was retired early due to injury in early 2004. That Xmas, Vee went to Hilltop Farm in Maryland and purchased her current horse “Pirouette” aka “Annie” by the well known stallion, Parabol. Together Annie and Vee were very successful in the hunter / jumper and dressage disciplines in Bermuda until 2007.

In May 2007, Vee and her husband Stephen and family of dogs, cats and horses, moved to southern Ontario where they currently own and operate Faraway Farm www.freewebs.com/farawayfarm

Living in Ontario, Vee has been able to train full time in her most loved discipline, dressage, with Canadian 2007 Pan Am medalist, Diane Creech (www.equineselect.ca). This summer Vee and Annie have shown successfully at Fourth level dressage and hope to reach Prix St. George level by next year.

Vee’s ultimate goal is to represent Bermuda in the not too distant future!