Meet our newest blogger, junior rider Morgan Geller. Geller, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., rides her Fabricio in the junior hunter and equitation divisions. The pair won the USEF Junior Hunter Finals-West (Calif.) and the ASPCA Maclay Region 8 qualifier, and they’re now on the East Coast for the fall indoor shows. 

We’re in Maryland for the Capital Challenge Horse Show! We’ve been working and riding all day. Fabricio/Champ/Rico (he has lots of names) was amazing and has adjusted well to the climate. 

Just as we finished it started raining… hope the weather improves over the weekend! This weekend is very important because it sets the stage for the major finals the following weekends. Most of the people competing at this show are the same people that will be at the equitation finals. It is also important to do well to boost one’s confidence before going into a high-pressure situation in an equitation final.  

After Capital Challenge, we go to Harrisburg, Pa., for the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Rico and I will show in the junior hunters and the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals. Next on the list is Lexington, Ky., for the National Horse Show. Rico and I will show in the junior hunters again and also the ASPCA Maclay Finals. This is the first year the National Horse Show is at the Kentucky Horse Park, and I have never been there, so I’m very excited!

Rico will be back east for a little over a month, and I will have to fly back and forth because of school. It’s often difficult to keep up with school work between showing and caring for my horse, but I have to make it work. School is very important if I would like to stay in the horse business long term, and a rider cannot rely on solely their abilities to sustain them in this industry. I will be giving an update on how everything turns out—it’s going to be a tiring but exciting month!