United States Eventing Association

Raeford, N.C. - March 25, 2022 – The sun shone on day two of the Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International presented by Lumbee River EMC setting the stage for an exciting show jumping phase. While clean rounds were hard to come by, the leaderboards look relatively similar once the dust settled with three of the four division leaders keeping their top positions heading into cross-country.

Raeford, N.C. - March 24, 2022 – After a wet start to the Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International which saw start times pushed back temporarily for a brief rain delay, California’s Tamie Smith danced into the lead in the Setters’ Run Farm CCI4*-S with her longtime partner Mai Baum (Loredano x Ramira), Eric Markell and Ellen and Alex Ahearn's 16-year-old German Sport Horse gelding.

Sometimes it is some of the smallest horses that have the biggest hearts. If you saw Pebbly Maximus in a field these days, you might not know the stories he could tell or the dreams he made possible. Unassuming in nature barely topping 16h, he made up for it in heart and fight. Having grown quite the following over the years, you can’t miss him in warm-up standing out with his short stature, big white blaze, and white socks. He has given many people the ride of a lifetime and made his mark on numerous careers.

Eventers are skilled, passionate, gritty, and inspirational. In the age of social media, the stories behind why we ride and compete often get lost. Everyone rides for different reasons and everyone has different stories to tell, varying inspirations, and amazing journeys. No two stories are alike, and no two inspirations are the same.

Sue Funkey of Angels Camp, California, is the epitome of what it means to be a volunteer. She is dedicated, constantly gives back to the sport, and shows up time and time again no matter the conditions to help. We are proud and honored to feature her as this month’s Volunteer of the Month as we highlight all the many ways she contributes to the sport.

This month’s Volunteer of the Month, Mary Quarles, found eventing along with many other Americans at the 1996 Athens Olympics. While she had been involved in horses for quite some time, it was the taste of volunteering and the taste of the sport that she got in Atlanta that paved the way for Quarles and her involvement in the sport today.

When Chris Quinn was 13 years old, she told her parents she wanted riding lessons at a barn in a nearby town. Horses were unknown to her family as no one else in her family had anything to do with them, but with her persistence, they agreed to pay for them. There was, however, a catch.

Horses have always been in Scarlett Schall’s blood. Her mom and dad ran a world-renowned Quarter Horse breeding program in southern Maryland and Schall was on a horse before she could walk. Growing up, she was immersed in all disciplines as her parents bred the horses that she and her siblings would ride.

Morgan Boyer has a knack for picking out off-the-track Thoroughbreds that excel in their new careers. She has another star in her barn in the form of Tate, better known by his Jockey Club name Bestavailable. Tate is a 9-year-old 15.2 hand gelding and also happens to be a graduate of this year’s RRP Thoroughbred Makeover.

December’s Volunteer of the Month, Leah Fleming, did not grow up around horses. Nor did she ride or even know what the sport of eventing was prior to her 12-year-old niece, Ashlee, coming to live with her. It was when Ashlee’s friend’s younger sister began riding at a local barn that her mom thought Ashlee might like to come out one day to see what it was like.