Founder

Dawn Gifford grew up a horse crazy girl with little access to horses. She was finally able to start taking riding lessons after moving to the NRV for work after graduate school in 2003. What began as lessons at a local lesson barn soon became leasing and then owning her first horse. She boarded and took lessons at various farms in the NRV until 2018 when she finally fulfilled her dream of owning her own horse farm. Now she wants to share the joy of horses with others who would otherwise have limited access. 

Dawn also has a lifelong love of learning. She got a B.S. in Physics from BYU followed by a PhD in Optics from the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics. Following grad school she moved to the NRV to work with one of her fellow graduate students who had started a fiber optic test and measurement business in Blacksburg. In this work, Dawn, along with others, developed a fiber optic shape sensing technology that was acquired by Intuitive Surgical, Dawn’s current employer, in 2014. At Intuitive, she contributes to the ongoing development of the Ion product, a robotically controlled catheter used for lung cancer biopsy, in which fiber shape sensing is an integral part. In her career Dawn has authored or co-authored over 40 peer reviewed papers and is a co-inventor on over 15 patents. 

She is active in her local church and has served for many years as a youth leader of her local and regional youth groups. In this service, she developed a love for working with and mentoring teens.  Havenwood Equestrian Center is the fulfillment of a longtime dream to bring together this love of working with the youth and her love of horses. In this program she hopes not only to impart knowledge and love for horses, but also a love of learning and a desire to progress and achieve.