Location
CHAMP is located on Good Hope Farm in idyllic South Hero, Vermont.
Key Contacts
Jean Desranleau, CHAMP Executive Director / Instructor
Pauline Gervais, CHAMP Volunteer Coordinator
Our Credentials
About CHAMP’s Training & Certification
Founded in 1987, the Champlain Adaptive Mounted Program (CHAMP) has been changing lives through the healing power of horses for more than three decades.
CHAMP was one of the first PATH International–accredited therapeutic riding programs in Vermont, setting a lasting standard for safety, professionalism, and compassion.
All CHAMP instructors are certified through PATH International, which requires coursework in understanding disabilities, horse care and management, and equine-assisted therapies.
To earn certification, candidates must:
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Complete at least 25 hours of instructor training
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Pass a written exam
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Successfully complete a riding and teaching evaluation
To maintain certification, instructors renew CPR and First Aid every two years and complete 20 hours of continuing education annually.
Why Path International Certification Matters
PATH International certification is the gold standard in our field. It ensures instructors are trained in safety, horsemanship, teaching techniques, and working with individuals with disabilities.
It’s rigorous, hands-on, and earned.
Our volunteers receive hands-on training focused on rider safety, horse handling, and teamwork — learning how to lead, side-walk, and assist with grooming and tacking.
Together, our instructors and volunteers create a safe, supportive environment where horses and humans work side by side to make healing possible.
Board of Directors
Pauline Gervais
President
Volunteer Coordinator
Neal Blanchard
Vice President
Michael Duany
Treasurer
Mary Tefft
Secretary
Erin Bartle
Member
Instructors
Jean Desranleau
Jean Desranleau is a PATH Intl. Certified Instructor – Registered, CHAMP Executive Director and Program Director. She grew up at Contentment Farm which is now known as CHAMP at Good Hope Farm. She has been riding, working with horses and teaching riding for most of her life. She has helped develop the CHAMP program since its inception and is delighted to be back living in South Hero and working full time with CHAMP.
Sue Birmingham
Sue Birmingham successfully completed all of the Path-Intl. requirements for Instructor Certification, including written exams and two days of onsite evaluations in 2013. Sue has worked with horses most of her life. She attended Centenary College in NJ and received a B.S. in Equine Studies. She traveled abroad to England for her junior year in college and received the British Horse Society’s certification as well. Sue has volunteered for CHAMP since 2005, and lives in South Hero with her Husband Dave and dog Bentley. Sue lovingly cared for Mr. T, a retired Thoroughbred she adopted from a Florida racetrack. He lived a happy, well-loved life at CHAMP.
Path Instructor In Training
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Erin Bartle
We previously shared the exciting news that Erin Bartle joined CHAMP as a Board member.
We’re proud to add to her growing contributions. Erin has also stepped into the role of PATH Instructor in Training.
After a career in law enforcement, Erin is turning her passion for horses and helping others into her next chapter and we are extremely fortunate to have her.