Eufemia Has An Unbelievable Ride At Jacksonville

The aptly named gelding snags his second consecutive series title with Mary Eufemia aboard.

Most riders have had a year, maybe two if they’re lucky, to bond with their green hunters before they head to the show ring. But Mary Eufemia and Unbelievable had an unusually long time to get to know each other since she and her husband Kevin raised and trained the Anglo-Trakehner alongside owner-breeder Paula Pell right from the start.

Their strong partnership helped them to their fourth consecutive second year green hunter championship at the Jacksonville A To Z, Jan. 28-Feb. 1, clinching the series title as well as the $5,000 Bruning Foundation High-Point Hunter award in Green Cove Springs, Fla.

“He’s such a neat horse,” said Mary. “He stepped right up in the second years. He’s one of those where you never have to pick up the reins. Riding him is an absolute thrill.”

Mary picked up a second series award at Jacksonville, riding Madison Miller’s Black Pearl to the green conformation title.

“I truly think that Mary’s the best-kept secret on the circuit,” said Pell. “I couldn’t ask for a better show rider. She and Kevin do an amazing job.”

During last year’s trip to Jacksonville, Unbelievable (Zarr—Rhapsody II) snagged the circuit championship in the first year division, the start to a fantastic season that included winning the U.S. Equestrian Federation reserve national championship and the Silver Stirrup Award.

Pell fell into breeding when a friend from New England asked if she would take on a retired event horse. That retiree turned out to be the perfect foundation mare for Pell, whose busy schedule as a pediatric emergency room physician keeps her from spending as much time in the tack as she’d like. She had to sit out most of last season to serve as president of the Southern Medical Association in addition to her duties at the hospital, but she and Unbelievable returned to the show ring at Jacksonville this year, earning tricolors both weeks she competed in the pre-adult amateur division.

“I get out as much as I can,” said Pell. “I know that Kevin and Mary are sick of hearing me say, ‘They put me on the schedule again.’ But they’re so supportive. Work is so serious, but it’s great to be able to come out and spend time with the horses.”

The Eufemias run Ravenwood Farm, an equestrian oasis amidst sprawling subdivisions in Palm Harbor, Fla. They work together to prepare their horses from the ground up, with Kevin breaking the babies and Mary taking over the reins later to put on the flatwork and get them show-ready.

“We do it all ourselves: we break them, we ship them, we longe them, we unbraid them,” said Mary. “It’s a lot of work, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It works out perfectly because Kevin and I each have our own thing: he’s great with the babies and nothing can faze him, and I love to horse show.”

In Her Family’s Footsteps

For Laura Pfeiffer, her performance in the show ring has always been about more than winning classes. Even though she’s only 16, Pfeiffer feels acutely aware that every time she steps into the show ring she represents her family’s farm, Fox Meadow Farms, which she hopes to help run one day.