United States Eventing Association

Meet Area VI Teen Harvest Renfro, Who’s Representing the True Spirit of Eventing

Area VI’s Harvest Renfro, 13, and her pony, Take That, or “Robbie,” recently won their first blue ribbon at Introductory at Ram Tap’s February Horse Trials (Fresno, California) on their score of 43.9. Harvest’s accomplishment was even more impressive because she was competing in an open class.

The win was also a true reflection of the grit, determination, and passion that Harvest has brought to the sport since her first riding lesson in October 2019, which was originally designed to be therapeutic and fun.

Her mother and fellow eventer, Kalei Colridge, explains: “Harvest was born with apraxia [a motor speech disorder] which impacts the motor movement of her mouth and the connection to her brain. Harvest also has dyspraxia, which affects her fine motor skills; ADHD, general anxiety disorder, and a general developmental disability. Riding horses has been an incredibly powerful and positive experience for her, especially because so many of her other therapies can be hard and frustrating.”

Renfro’s love of horses began when her family moved to a more rural area near a horse ranch. Visiting the horses soon became a part of her daily routine, and while she was fascinated with them, she was initially a little timid about touching them. That all changed the day she took her first riding lesson.

From that point on, she was hooked. She recalls learning to jump at a hunter/jumper barn in Marin County and loving it because: “It was just really fun!” she said. Soon enough she found her love of eventing, and competed in her first horse trials doing Grasshopper at Ram Tap in the fall of 2022 on her pony at the time, Fruit Loop.

When it came time for Fruit Loop to move on to a less strenuous job, Renfro and her mother embarked on a search to find exactly the right partner. So what did she look for?

“I was mainly looking for something that is nice at home, a good listener, and not too fast, but not too slow,” she said

An 11-year-old, 15-hand Connemara/Thoroughbred cross of unrecorded breeding, Robbie has been a great fit for Renfro.

Colridge explained that too much of a kick-ride would be physically taxing for Renfro. Ultimately, Renfro herself made the final decision and knew when the potential for a strong partnership was there.

Renfro, Colridge, and her younger sister, Piper Renfro, all train with Area VI chair and long-established trainer, Andrea Pfeiffer, at Chocolate Horse Farm in Petaluma, California. Like so many junior riders, Harvest has to fit her riding in around her studies, getting home as late as 8 p.m. on the days she rides after school, and spending her weekends at the barn.

“Harvest’s dedication and commitment to continuing to learn as much as she can about horses, horsemanship, and honing her riding skills, inspires me to be my best everyday. She is a bright light, and brings her A-game every day she comes to the barn,” said Pfeiffer, who has coached numerous riders to Advanced level.

“Even more so as I came to understand that for Harvest, the concept of riding a circle, or starting a movement at a particular letter, can be challenging on occasion, as she may not be able to recall the shape itself, or recognize the letter,” she added. “It’s really critical that from the USEA level on down, we work harder to embrace all-comers to our sport, and do our best to consistently accommodate passionate equestrians who may need a little extra support.”

In Harvest’s case, having her dressage test read out loud is helpful—although not a guarantee of success given her occasional challenge matching words to shapes or letters. However, she is not currently permitted a reader for her tests at Starter level. “The USEA is currently reviewing its policies on how to make Starter level more welcoming to all-comers to the sport of eventing,” said Pfeiffer.

“For Harvest, riding, caring for her horse, competing in eventing, and being a part of this warm community is priceless,” said Colridge. “Harvest has aspirations to build a vocation around helping others enjoy horses, and we are really excited to watch her journey continue.”

Note from the author:
I wanted to share Harvest’s story because she is an inspiration to all of us at Chocolate Horse Farm. She will be the first to greet you at the finish line after cross-country. She will eagerly help you pack or unpack your trailer at a show. She knows the name, dietary habits, and likes and dislikes of every horse at the barn, and Harvest will be the first to tell you if a horse is having an issue in its stall. We can all learn from Harvest: she embodies the true spirit of our eventing community.