United States Eventing Association

Sundance Farm Shines After First Two Horse Trials

Sundance Farm is a 40 horse, 100-acre boarding and instruction facility in Plymouth, Wisconsin. Steve and Kelly Mahloch bought the original 60-acre dairy farm in 1990. Over the last 25 years the farm has grown from a small boarding and training facility to a cross-country schooling hotspot. Kelly Mahloch had been a passionate competitor for years and saw a need for another show venue in her area. “We felt that Area IV needed another horse trial. While there are already 5-6 horse trials in Wisconsin each year, they are situated in the extreme southern and western areas in the state. There wasn’t really anything for the East and North,” Mahloch explained. After the purchase of an additional 40 acres nearby in 2012, Sundance Farm was poised and ready for its Horse Trial debut.

Their first recognized show was in the Fall of 2014. “The [first] Horse Trial went quite well. We received rave reviews from spectators, riders, trainers, and even officials, which was gratifying for all my stewards and myself,” Mahloch reflected. Sundance Farm now has two successful Horse Trials in the books as well as a wealth of knowledge and appreciation for the difficulties of hosting an event.

“As was predicted for a first time horse trial in Area IV, we had 50 entries. It was projected that we would double in size for 2015, which it did. This year we had 100 entries.” Although the doubling of entries eased Mahloch’s financial burden, it increased the farm’s organizational difficulties. “Now you need more prizes, more volunteers, more judges, more dressage rings, more stalls, more everything. Personally, I went through more stress on this year’s HT than I did on the first one.” In addition to the increase of competitors, Sundance Farm also added new divisions including Starter Novice, Preliminary/Training, and Young Event Horse (YEH) classes. Mahloch not only organizes the event, she is also the course designer, so these additions meant an increased workload for her.

Eventers know that hosting a Horse Trial is no easy feat, but there are many responsibilities that are so behind the scenes that many competitors are unaware. According to Mahloch these include how many farm transportation vehicles they would need, organizing the collection of jump judges score sheets, scheduling and placements of volunteers and the list goes on. Sundance Farm has another unique hurdle in that their Horse Trial is spread across two venues. Mahloch explains, “We have the added challenge of hosting the stabling, dressage, and show jumping at the [Sheboygan County] Fairgrounds on Saturday. All horses trailer two miles down the highway to our farm for the cross-country. This makes for extra chasing about for us in the organizing, and for competitors to walk courses and get horses to the course.” Because of the large geographical spread, Area IV Eventers are accustomed to stabling for an entire weekend. Having the show spread over two locations means trailering throughout the weekend in order to compete. “Some people don’t mind [the travel] and others really are not happy about it. Midwesterners aren’t used to tying their horses to a trailer between divisions. It’s done all the time out East, but, it’s not the norm here, so it’s a problem for some,” Mahloch reflects as she also explains that Sundance Farm will continue to explore the idea of adding day stabling to the cross-country venue to make the traveling more convenient for some competitors.

Despite the increased responsibilities, Sundance Farm was aptly prepared because of the implementation of lessons learned from the previous year. Kelly elaborated, “We had already learned a few things from the previous year. The weather was 72F and sunny, but our volunteers and officials were cooking in the sun. [This year] We built a portable Officials stand that could go from the stadium ring to the cross country course to keep our Announcer, Judge, and Control in good working condition.” This was one among many improvements which helped the Horse Trial volunteers, competitors and staff go about their weekend happily. Mahloch has also learned that because of her amble acreage, her cross-country course will always offer something different for competitors. "

Mahloch continues to strive toward perfection for her event. “We are already gearing up for next year. With some new ideas and plans. This year, after the horse trial, one of my amazing volunteers sent out a Google Doc to competitors and volunteers asking for input for next year. We received some valuable input,” said Mahloch. Until next fall, She and her family will continue working to fulfill the suggestions to make The Sundance H.T. the best it can be. “Have no fear, we have plans to be doing this for a long time, but bear with us and remember how important the volunteers are and consider what you are really asking for when you suggest improvements. The Mahloch family enjoys sharing their paradise for a weekend and helping to promote the sport we love. "[The cross-country track] will never run the same two years in a row. I have so many fields, wooded trails and tracks that I can use, along with a passel of movable jumps that I vow to always have a new course route every year," Mahloch promised.

Despite the enormity of hosting an event, the Mahloch family doesn’t have any plans to stop now. “Through all the stress of organizing and running a recognized HT, it is still an enjoyable venture. There is nothing like watching someone gallop across your land, navigating the courses, and happily crossing the finish line.”

Photos courtesy of Kelly Mahloch and Sundance Farm.

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