Ocala, FL - EquiVentures founders and developers, Peter Gray and Jon Holling, officially announced Richard Trayford as Managing Director. Richard, originally from the United Kingdom, home of Eventing has put together a dynamic team to continue to grow the excellence of the competitions EquiVentures is known for. Peter Gray will remain as chairman.
EquiVentures, founded five years ago, has grown into a nationally recognized official organizer of USEA competitions. They produce a progressive series of four high quality shows at the Florida Park Horse “Richard is the right man. He has the perfect balance of business and equine experience to take EquiVentures to the next level with the excellence the community has come to expect,” said Peter Gray.
Richard brings with him extensive experience in the eventing world, producing and selling horses in the United Kingdom and more recently in the United States. He has worked the last four years to raise awareness of this Olympic sport.
Trayford has successful business experience as well. His company was listed in the Inc. 500 top “500 Fastest Growing Private Companies” List.
“When Peter contacted me, I was thrilled, “I am keen to put all my energy into the organizational end of this great sport, “says Richard.
Trayford has added Ocala native Tobitha Bryant Yeomans onto his team. Her responsibilities will include marketing and public relations. “Tobitha brings and enthusiasm and passion that is contagious and we are pleased to have her as part of our team,” Trayford said.
EquiVentures has completed a move into leased office space in downtown Ocala, Florida.
“We are committed to making Ocala a global center of excellence for the sport of eventing,” said Trayford.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is proud to announce the first class of USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Judges have completed their certifications through the YEH New Judge Education Program, which was led by YEH faculty member, Marilyn Payne.
Nazila Hejazi and her 20-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter mare, Tessa, may have made for an unconventional pair at the USEA Area VI Championships, held in October at Galway Downs (Temecula, California) but they didn’t let that hold them back. It’s uncommon to see a horse in their twenties still competing in eventing, and even more rare for a gaited horse to compete in a jumping sport.
Today, we pause to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on the powerful moment in 1963 when he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his vision for a better future. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was more than just words; it was a call to action that transcended time, culture, and boundaries—a beacon of hope that continues to inspire.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.