United States Eventing Association

It all started when the McFall family sat down to dinner together in January. Jen and Earl McFall, who own and operate Dragonfire Farm in Wilton, California, have a daughter, Taylor, who is turning 16 in April.

The U.S. Team just stepped on the podium at a major competition, maybe an emerging athlete just cleared the last jump of her first CCI4*-S, or a U.S. rider just returned from a successful trip abroad. The riders will be congratulated, the horses will be praised, the owners thanked – but for the last seven years these accomplishments wouldn’t have been possible without the behind-the-scenes work of Joanie Morris, Managing Director of Eventing for US Equestrian (USEF).

Oh, California! This winter has been unlike any other I remember ever eventing, and the start to the 2019 season has been VERY WET. My usually perfect indoor is half full of wet footing and water, and I feel like everything I own is covered in mud.

The warm-up is where riders spend the most time in the tack during an event. With a mixture of nervous horses, riders, parents, and coaches, the warm-up area can be chaotic. Whether it’s a horse’s first recognized horse trial or at a USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) competition, the Clasings’ have found a tried-and-true warm-up routine for young horses.