Cart 0
Cart 0

About/Contact us

Xenophon Press is dedicated to the preservation of classical equestrian literature and media.  We bring great titles to print in the English language, commission translations of important work, seek new works by living authors, and strive to bring back and keep in print works by the masters. Xenophon Press is sustained by your purchases with virtually all funds retained to bring more great works to print and to e-readers and video.

Founded by Ivan Bezugloff in 1994 the work of Xenophon Press is carried forward by Richard and Frances Williams in Nassawadox, Virginia. Xenophon Press is powered by a small team of avid equestrians who believe in the merit of these works and in their content. We are a niche company focused on the very best equestrian media and making sure that the knowledge of the old masters survives for the next generation.

 

THE XENOPHON PRESS TEAM

Richard Williams, CEO

Richard WilliamsRichard_Apuesto

Richard Williams began riding in Canada at the age of eleven. He was introduced to Dressage at fifteen, and has since devoted his life to the promotion of Classical Horsemanship. Mr. Williams is widely-read in equestrian literature and has attended many lecture series and symposiums on the subject. He has completed judges' forums, instructors' seminars, and other significant educational events dealing with classical equitation. Since 1983, Mr. Williams has instructed private students in dressage, and has presented clinics in many different states.
For 26 years, Richard Williams studied and co-taught with Charles de Kunffy. In addition to riding skills, he learned the theory of horsemanship and the attitudes and character development suitable for equestrians. He is the only instructor invited to co-teach in-depth riding courses and USDF accredited courses for riding instructors with Mr. de Kunffy.  
In 1980 Mr. Williams began studying under the watchful eye of Herr Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg at his private stable near Vienna. Kottas is the former First Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School.
Since 1995, he has studied regularly in Budapest, Hungary, and the USA with internationally-recognized dressage competitor Gyula Dallos. Mr. Dallos is best known for competing on the gray Dutch stallion ACTION. Over the past 12 years Mr. Williams has studied for extended periods of concentrated private instruction with Mr. Dallos. His further experience on all levels of horses under Mr. Dallos' coaching has given him invaluable knowledge and skills in riding, training and teaching at all levels.
Mr. Williams has attended World Championships of Dressage, World Equestrian Games, and the Dressage events at the Olympics. He has also audited many performances and training sessions at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and Jerez, and visited the Lipizzaner breeding farm at Piber. He has been an accredited member of the press with the privileges of admissions to the warm up and coaching sessions, as well as the opportunity to meet and converse with top competitors and trainers. 
Dr. Frances Williams, Acquisitions Editor
Dr. Williams with Buster (1970-2008)Dr. Williams Schooling Buster in Piaffe
Frances Williams began riding at age nine years old with the Junior Fox Hunts in central New England. After ten years of riding hunters and jumpers, she moved to Colorado where she lived and trained at Iron Horse Stables, one of the finest quarter horse breeding and training facilities in the western United States.

From highly-regarded cutting horse trainers Robbie John and Cindy Parker, proteges of Tom Dorrance, she learned the classical art of starting horses for any discipline. Many horses were bred, born, and started at this top-notch facility. Simultaneously, Dr. Williams continued riding, learned the science of developing a breeding program while concurrently pursuing medical studies in Denver. She not only backed for the first time countless quarter horses, appaloosas, and Arabians, but learned from the Parkers (and the cows) the techniques of cutting cattle. 

Dr. Williams moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to study dressage with Charles de Kunffy and Richard Williams, during which time she continued horse-starting, and began a business rehabilitating thoroughbred horses from the racetrack for a future as sport horses. She showed superior progress in dressage, and, over the next five years of training, was named by Mr. de Kunffy “most improved rider” in California in this discipline.

Dr. Williams lunged five days a week on multiple horses for literally the next five years, without stirrups or reins, performing all the exercises in all the gaits which are to this day performed at the Spanish Riding School by young trainees. This method was recommended to her by Mr. Williams and Mr. de Kunffy. She took this advice literally, went to the Spanish Riding School to observe the training directly, and performed the same protocol as her mentors advised.

After studying pathology in San Francisco, she moved to Louisiana to study primary care medicine, and furthered her studies with Mr. de Kunffy and Mr. Williams, hosting and attending many of their clinics throughout the South. She also received sabbatical time for study with her two mentors in California, and for studies in Europe at the Reitinstitut Egon Von Neindorff, Karlsrhue, Germany; and at da escola Pedro Sao Luis in Montargil, near Lisbon, Portugal. She furthered her studies in the French method with Miguel Pineda in Viseu, Portugal.

After returning to California, Dr. Williams became assistant trainer to Mr. Williams, and after an exciting horse-filled collaboration (and courtship), they married. Together they have trained and shown horses for clients since 1998. Dr. Williams has traveled repeatedly and extensively to Austria to ride FEI horses at top barns, most notably in Budapest, for further training through the FEI levels with Gyulla Dallos, rider for the Hungarian team.

As a medical fitness and nutritional biochemistry expert, Dr. Williams brings an ever-growing base of biological knowledge to a preexisting art form which otherwise has progressed very little, if any, over the centuries. With devotion and dedication to the well-being of every horse, and to maximize the physical capabilities of every rider.

Dr. Williams continues to pursue her vision and skills as a top trainer, medical doctor, and rider of horses. She strives to develop an attitude of improvement moment-to-moment, both within herself and for her horses from training level to Grand Prix, focusing on symmetry, relaxation, clarity, and rhythmic integrity. 

Caroline Emmert, Marketing Director
 .   Ms. Emmert riding in Monument Valley, UT
Caroline Emmert recently received her Masters in Public Diplomacy from the University of Southern California, and has been a student and friend of Richard Williams for over 10 years. 
While at USC, Caroline picked up polo under the tutelage of Ardeshir Radpour and was eventually appointed to President of the Trojan Polo Club. During that appointment, she received the Rima Akkad Monla USC Polo Sportsmanship Award for exemplary efforts in revitalizing and enhancing the quality of play, as well as building relationships with other polo barns and professionals in the area. 
Before her time at USC, Ms. Emmert used her classical dressage training to help abandoned and abused horses at Hope's Legacy Equine Rescue in Afton, VA while attending James Madison University. In her free time she has also dabbled in jumping, jousting, and horseback archery.
She currently resides in Norfolk, VA with her rough collie, Ramses, and continues to train with Mr. Williams weekly.
Sarah Morgan, Book Designer