Golden Years and Mary Caroline Nolan
Finally Farm traveled to Wellington, Florida, in January to spend the winter riding. training and showing. Our beautiful stables located just off the show grounds allows us to prepare with ample turnout, a lovely ring, a huge grass polo field and a round pen for preparation.
Even though we had new partnerships and some who had taken a break from showing, our results from WEF 1 were awesome and provided a great hint at what’s to come.
Elle Boyd made a clean sweep of the Small Green Pony section on two catch rides, earning the championship with Cornerstone Equestrian LLC’s First Dibbs and the reserve with Amanda Lyerly’s Charlie Brown.
“First Dibbs is with trainer Kelly Mullen, whom I rode for when she was hurt this past summer,” said trainer Liza Boyd. “She said she had a Green Pony that would be great for Elle to ride this winter. Elle has had lessons with Kelly, which has been great. It’s hard to train your own children, so it’s nice for own kids to hear the same thing maybe worded differently. Elle will keep showing First Dibbs during the circuit.”
Sydney and Elle Boyd
Elle also piloted Sydney in the Medium Green and Regular Green sections, winning two classes and earning great ribbon for a reserve championship.
“Sydney is a recent import, and we found him through a connection of my brother Hardin,” said Liza. “He has good contacts over there, and when we were in Europe looking at horses we heard about this pony. We got him this winter, and his first show was in Aiken in December in the Greens. He won two Green Pony classes the first day, and I’m so proud of him. He’s a nice ride for Elle, really soft and how she likes to ride. Right now we’re working on teaching him the handy classes. He showed as jumper in Europe, but it’s different here. He’s really smart, a quick learner and we’re excited about his future.”
LuLu Wells also collected impressive ribbons in the Pony Hunters with her Heaven’s Gift, and she made an impressive start to her career on horses aboard Fiat. The pair earned top ribbons in every class in the Younger Children’s Hunters and captured the reserve championship.
Carousel and Ashley Neudorff looking picturesque in the Adult Hunters in the Grand Hunter Ring.
“This is another new partnership. Lily Epstein had him last year and had success,” said Liza. “He’s a great first horse for LuLu, who still has the large pony whom she had so much success with last year. Fiat is a great teacher. She spent a lot of time taking lessons on him in December, and she and Elle practiced the equitation tests together. Fiat knows it all, and he can easily cross over to the hunters, equitation and even the jumpers. It’s been fun to see LuLu’s progress. She came to us on a Medium Pony, and in the blink of an eye she’s on a horse.”
Modern Music and McKenzie Miller were impressive in the Low Children’s Hunters. In a section with more than 50+ entries, she won a class and placed second for a reserve championship.
“It’s exciting for her. She’s worked hard and done a lot of lessons this winter,” said Liza. “She’s had the horse a year and knows him well. I have to give [assistant trainer] Theresa Tolar credit. She knows that horse and his prep, and he’s set up really well for McKenzie. She and her mother are so dedicated. I appreciate their commitment to get here and show, and it’s nice for her to reap the benefits in the ring.”
Ashley Neudorff enjoyed her first week at WEF with ribbons in the Adult Amateur, 36-49 section, and Liza rode to her Carousel to top ribbons in huge USHJA 3’ Hunter section.
“I’m super proud of her and the horse,” said Liza. “They walked straight into the Grand Hunter ring. She didn’t get to show much last summer, so to do that was a big step. He’s really matured. I showed him in the Green Hunter Incentive Championships and was sixth overall, and he had a top finish two years ago, too, with Patricia Griffith. It’s nice to see a horse come up the pipeline with pros, and now she’s reaping the benefits. He’s quite a made horse now who had a great foundation with Patricia and myself bringing him along.”
Over in the Jumper rings, MTM Axel and Meredith Huddle picked up a second in the competitive older Adult Amateur Jumpers and earned other great ribbons. And Malbay Dreamer and Grace Ann Nolan continued their winning ways in the Low Adult Jumper, 18-35, section with 40+ entries.
Malbay Dreamer pick up where he left off with a win in the Low Adult Jumpers with Grace Ann Nolan! Fun fact: “Scooby” and GA won the Low Adult Jumper circuit championship at WEF 2020 and reserve circuit championship 2021!
“She’s been doing him in the 1.0m jumpers, and she’ll move back up to the 1.10m,” said Liza. “With her other mare, Miami Bass, Grace Ann is moving up to the 1.15m. This is a young mare we got from Ilan Ferder this summer. She and Grace Ann are coming up the ranks together, and she’s a lovely mare. They have a big future ahead of them.”
This year, we have a great team, and I’m so happy because we’re never holding up the show,” said Liza with a smile. “We are well staffed with great people. Theresa Tolar shows and gives lessons, and she’s great with the kids. We have a farm off property this year, just out the back gate. It has a great ring and paddocks and a huge grass polo field that we can use during the day. It’s so good for the horses’ minds, and physically getting them on the soft turf is so great for their mentality.
“We have a great group of pony kids, and the Kelly family is a new addition this year,” added Liza. “Theresa comes back to the farm and has a round pen and gvies them lessons with no reins and stirrups to build their strength and balance. It’s so nice to have access to that, and we’re so fortunate to have so many types of trainers here.
Frances Kelly with Girl On Fire and Adeline Boyd with Baby Blue showed off their ribbons from the Small Pony Hunters at WEF 1.
“Olivia Murray is a graduate from SCAD and did the IHSA program. I’m so impressed with the knowledge base she learned at SCAD,” added Liza. “She’s so updated on equine injuries and medication rules and ground work, such as longeing and using side reins correctly. I’m so impressed with that riding program that gave her such a great foundation. Her flatwork is really good, and I think that has a lot to do with the IHSA program. Olivia gives really good flat lessons and is excellent at prepping the horses for the show. She’s a light and supple rider, and so I feel lucky to have her.”
In addition, Randi Button, who has been with Finally Farm on and off, is back. “She’s Jack’s right-hand person. She doesn’t miss a beat and helps the vet and pops back and forth from the barn to the show and monitors and watches over everything,” said Liza. “We have so many eyes on the horses and such a great staff. We couldn’t do it without them. Our success in the show ring doesn’t happen without the team. Carlos Ramirez is back with us again and holds onto that knowledge that Alberto taught him, along with that commitment to the animals.”
