Meet the Team

Our team at Donato Farms

Meet the Team

Of Donato Farms In Wellington

It started as a dream to create a world-class training center that could contribute to the development of horses and riders to represent the United States. For owners Jeff and Jessica Friedrich, Donato Farms proved that dreams do come true.

Donato Farms - Home of Team Tubman

When Jessica’s family moved from California to Northern Illinois, Jessica started riding, and as a young teen competed on the hunter/jumper circuit. In her late 20’s, Jessica had to take a break from riding due to her career as a Marketing Research Analyst.

Originating from a large family (13 siblings) on a small farm in rural Minnesota, Jeff thought that one day he would own a (hobby) farm of his own. Jeff’s insurance career took him away from the farm and eventually to Northern Illinois, where Jeff became more interested in horses when he met, and then married, Jessica.

After their two sons, Kyle and Jared reached grade-school age, Jessica returned to the equestrian world and has been involved in the discipline of dressage ever since. That love for the equestrian world became a passion project when Jeff & Jessica moved from Northern Illinois to Southern Florida in 2020. Together their interests met on the decision to build a world class equestrian facility in Wellington, Florida, the heart of the dressage sport in the United States. Jessica’s equestrian experience and simple elegance combined perfectly with Jeff’s research and focus on the functional details of the facility.

Jessica trains at Donato Farms daily with her three FEI horses under the coaching of Sarah and Lee Tubman.

Sarah Tubman

Sarah now trains and competes on high-performance dressage horses and pioneers a dressage sales program. Sarah Lockman married 4* judge, Lee Tubman, in 2021 and the couple are the perfect fit to train out of Donato Farms.

While Sarah and Lee have a string of competition mounts ranging from four to eight years old, the star for the show is her FEI partner, Summit Farm’s, First Apple. First Apple and Sarah broke out the 2019 season with an impressive 78% at the I-1 just a month into their partnership. Sarah then represented Team USA with Apple at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, where the pair won an Individual Gold Medal and a Team Silver Medal. Sarah and Apple have had a string of Grand Prix successes in 2022 and 2023, competing in Florida in the winter and Europe in the summer.

Sarah Tubman

Pan Am Gold Medalist, Sarah (Lockman) Tubman has been riding horses since before she could walk. She is a graduate B Pony Clubber and competed through the Intermediate level in eventing, impressively finishing third at her first CCI*** when she was just 15 years old. In 2004, Sarah shifted her focus, solely training and competing in dressage. Sarah now trains and competes on high-performance dressage horses and pioneers a dressage sales program. Sarah Lockman married 4* judge, Lee Tubman, in 2021 and the couple are the perfect fit to train out of Donato Farms.

Lee Tubman

Lee Tubman is an accomplished Grand Prix rider and coach who has competed successfully internationally. Long-listed multiple times for Team Canada for the Olympics and Pan American Games, Lee was a Canadian National Grand Prix Champion and Equestrian Canada High-Performance coach who also ran a successful training barn for 28 years, with clients competing successfully from Training level to Grand Prix. Coaching is one of Lee’s strongest points and it shows in the six Young riders he has coached to NAYRC, with Team medals and multiple top-ten placings. He was named by 3M corporation as Male Coach of the Year in 1994 in Canada. Lee is the only person in the world to have medaled at NAYRC, coached at NAYRC, and judged NAYRC! Coaching his way all over North and South America since 1984, Lee is a well-sought-after clinician who can bring the rare combination of three perspectives: Competition, Training, and Judging to all levels from beginners to International Grand Prix riders. Lee also has a special way with young horses, riding multiple horses to FEI 5 and 6-year-old Championships. Lee is an FEI 4* judge and FEI Young Horse judge. Lee is also a USDF “S” judge and Equestrian Canada “S” judge.

Mandi Atkins

Mandi is currently the assistant trainer to Pan American Games Gold Medalist and Team USA rider, Sarah and Lee Tubman and keeps the programs going when Sarah and Lee spend summers in Europe.

Mandi Atkins is a professional dressage rider who specializes in training, competing, and imported horse sales. Mandi began riding at a young age. When she was only 15, she started her first horse and competed in the APHA circuit. While attending Virginia Tech for their Equine Science program, she discovered her love for dressage while studying abroad in Germany.

Back in the US, rode with Lynn Jendrowski and Cody Armstrong in Christiansburg, VA. Through the Virginia Tech Middleburg Agricultural Research Center (MARE Center), Mandi studied breeding and learned more about starting young sport horses.

Mandi worked as Debbie Rodriguez’s (“S” judge, FEI 3* judge, “R” eventing judge) assistant trainer for a decade and earned her USDF Bronze and Silver medals during that time.

In 2016, Mandi spent time in Germany riding with Dr. Christian Schacht, then worked with Jackie Kinney at Horses in Harmony in Easton, Maryland before becoming Sarah Lockman’s assistant trainer in 2022.

Mandi’s goals are to represent Team USA on an international level and provide the US with top-tier, quality sales horses to continue to promote and support the success of the sport of dressage and riders in the United States.

Donato Farms

Home of Team Tubman

In conjunction with the farm’s sponsorships, we are proud to present the Donato Farms Team Achievement Award to recognize the other “teams” that set an example at the shows. Meet the excellent teams we’ve recognized to date.

Meet the Team

Our team at Donato Farms

Meet the Team

Of Donato Farms In Wellington

Donato Farms - Home of Team Tubman

Jeff & Jessica Friedrich

Sarah Tubman

Sarah Tubman

Lee Tubman

Mandi Atkins

Donato Farms

Home of Team Tubman

In conjunction with the farm’s sponsorships, we are proud to present the Donato Farms Team Achievement Award to recognize the other “teams” that set an example at the shows. Meet the excellent teams we’ve recognized to date.