Holly Fox begins her workday by driving around the UC Davis Equestrian Center and quietly surveying the horses in the barns and pastures. But as the center's program coordinator, she has logged a lot of miles in the saddle, too, to get there.

She has jumped across the United States, galloped through Europe and even in Mexico. She has brought green horses along to become world-class competitors, ridden for top trainers, competed with members of the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team and schooled under the team's chef d'equipe.

She specializes in three-day eventing, a sport that highlights the versatility and athleticism of horse and rider. It combines show jumping, a timed ride over jumps in an arena; dressage, the precise ballet of the equine world featuring moves evolved from mounted battle; and cross-country, a breakneck ride over jumps and other obstacles on natural terrain.

Fox, who holds a bachelor's degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, came to Davis with her husband, Tom Willoughby, a former competitive skier who studied law at King Hall. In 1985, she was hired to coach the equestrian team. Now the equine professional is responsible for the management of a herd of 70 horses and a second "herd" of some 50 student employees.

In addition to overseeing the care of the horses, she is often looking for quality lesson horses for the program and responsible students to cover all the tasks and shifts of a stable — from cleaning and feeding to teaching. Part of the Department of Campus Recreation, the stable boards about 30 horses, teaches hundreds of riding students and holds summer camps for youth. Earlier this year, the center opened a new covered arena.

On her own time, Fox coaches some of the 90-member equestrian team and volunteers with the Panache Pony Club of Davis. The 41-year-old is also the mother of two. Alexandra, 13, is a member of the local U.S. Pony Club. Andrew, 17, is a nationally ranked skier competing in Europe.

What's your earliest horse memory?

I started taking riding lessons at a public stable when I was 7. At the end, I got to take my whole family on a trail ride. After, my father said, "You're going to have to take private riding lessons to get much better at this."

I've loved horses from the beginning. They're so big and so genuine, so loyal and so willing. They hold no grudges, and they aim to please. It's really rewarding to have a partnership with a horse.

What do you consider your highest achievement in the equine world?

I was an Olympic test rider for the cross-country team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. One person goes out on the cross-country course for the team and takes all the possible alternatives to go over the jumps on the course. If you come back and you're not bloody and muddy, they send the real riders out. It's an honor to be selected.

What appeals to you about helping run an equestrian center at a university?

The students. They're all maturing and changing. It's a fun time. It's a period of growth and maturing. Between the student staff and the horses — that really makes me want to keep coming back.

I've really enjoyed coaching the student riders and seeing them grow as riders, teachers and horse care professionals. Some of these students have represented the United States in many competitions including this year's World Cup Show Jumping finals and the Pan American Games. Another will probably compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, in the three-day eventing competition.

What has been your most rewarding teaching or coaching experience?

A personal highlight of my coaching experience at UC Davis is when I took a group of inexperienced but ambitious, brave and dedicated riders who wanted to learn more about the sport of three-day eventing, and they were willing to do what it took to go from entry-level riders into competitive preliminary riders jumping 3-feet, 7-inches.

I can always make myself laugh just thinking about all the times I was outside in the rain teaching this group a lesson, or when we'd ride horses to Winters for conditioning purposes or when we used to jump the horses over the picnic tables on campus — don't tell anyone about that! We don't ride on campus any more.

What do you do on your own time?

Our family is very competitive. We're like an intense, die-hard family. My son skis. On weekends we're at horseshows. I go fox hunting with my daughter. We'll make dinner and play board games or poker.

During our "down time," we go to our family's small, rustic cabin on Lake Nacimiento near Paso Robles and sleep outside on the high porch over the water, and we go water skiing, body-whomping and sailboarding during the day.

I sky dive and bungee jump and ski. In these sports, if you like adrenalin, you're allowed. It's like this moment of freedom and adrenalin. I like those kinds of sports. That is what makes me happy. My favorite activity? Riding.

What's a good day at the Equestrian Center?

There's a lot of activity. There are a lot of people here taking lessons … maybe some parents watching their student ride. There are just a lot of people enjoying horses in a safe environment.

You spend a lot of your day around horses and sweat and leather. What's your favorite smell or fragrance?

The smell of sweet strawwhen everything is clean, and it's rained, and when the straw smells really sweet. Horses, too. Not the mud and the pooh, but the whole basic aroma of the horse. My favorite time is the morning. The horses always like to greet you, and it's always peaceful.