If you focus on today, the future will develop as it should. Macy Clark, of Macy Clark Eventing in Eads, Tenn, thinks and plans in hours, days, and weeks. As a result, her months and years have been filled with personal and professional growth and much success.
As everyone knows, training horses and riders is an all- consuming career. A true love of developing horses and riders is key to success and longevity. Though only 25 years old, Macy has a full schedule with a wide variety of clients. She works equally well with junior and older Adult Amateur riders as she does with young horses and mature 3* horses. Just last fall she earned her United States Dressage Federation Bronze medal riding her fourteen-year-old Swedish Warmblood Mandolin R or “Douglas.” She competed Douglas in Eventing through Intermediate and 2* and she is currently competing Douglas 3rd level Dressage. Most days start well before sunrise and end late in the day to care for horses, ride her own and client horses, give lessons, and manage the business side of her work.
Macy was born into a horse family and started riding her first pony as soon as she could sit up! She has lived and rode horses all over the country including Atlanta, Seattle, Madison (Wis.), Lexington, Ocala, and now Memphis. She has always been the quiet, attentive student/rider. She found her match of a coach at 16 years old in Lexington 5* rider, Allie Knowles. With Allie, Macy rode developing horses, lower level horses and upper level horses, and her own while at Jim and Katie Obrien’s beautiful Valley View Farm in Lexington. Macy has patterned her own Eventing program after Allie’s and continues to work with Allie.
Windyrein Farm in Eads, Tenn, is home to Macy Clark Eventing. Facility expansions have taken place this winter while Macy made the annual winter move to Windyrein Farm South in Ocala, Fl. More stalls and out buildings were added to the Eads farm to accommodate the business’ high demand.
Eleven horses, personal and client, made the move to Florida this year. While in Ocala Macy not only trains, but continues her education, always learning for herself and her students. In Florida she works with Allie Knowles and gold medal Dressage trainer Bryan Haffner at the beautiful Gold Mark farm. She competes Dressage and Jumper horses at World Equestrian Center (WEC) and participates and competes at local schooling shows. She also competes Event horses at Majestic Oaks at Ocala Horse Park, Rocking Horse, and Three Lakes. The owners/riders of the horses in Ocala visit, lesson, compete, and enjoy the sunny Florida weather.
Macy Clark Eventing is a program based on positive, friendly fundamentals where good jumping always starts with good flatwork. Her program includes lessons in the arena, hacks around the jump field, Cross Country schooling, clinics, and competing, if that’s the student’s goal. Macy focuses on the horse’s positive attitude toward his/her work. Her Eventing program includes correct Dressage work, various types of jumping (cavalettis, grid work, courses) and fitness work including walk sets, trot sets, and relaxed hacking. She incorporates work in the jump field and keeps the horses happy with variety and field trips.
A 2020 graduate of the University of Kentucky with dual majors in Economics and Management, Macy served as President of the UK Eventing team for two years. She remains on the USEA Intercollegiate committee and is now the coach of the Old Miss Eventing Team in Oxford, Miss. During college Macy had an internship at the United States Eventing Federation, assisting with the schedules of international level American Eventing team members. Giving back to organizations that helped her is a natural response for Macy.
Going forward, Macy is planning more time for learning, riding, and teaching Dressage. She hopes to qualify for championships again this year with her Dressage rides. She will clinic and show at Mid-south Dressage Academy and travel to recognized shows locally and surrounding. Macy is campaigning El Regalo, a 17-year-old Andalusian gelding at 3rd level. She rides Scott and Tanya’s Friesian mare Tamina, who they plan to bump up to 2nd/3rd level this year. A solid Dressage score in Eventing is key, as sometimes horses will “finish” on their Dressage score (i.e. with no penalties in Cross Country or Stadium, the Dressage score wins.).
Macy’s unique gift is that she learned to ride many different types of horses at a very early age. She was only eight years old when she started Eventing as a member of Maplewood Pony Club in Seattle. “Switch riding” was the norm for her during this time in her life. It served her well with the ability to not only teach students, but jump in the tack for them as well. She feels the best way to help a student is to ride the horse herself and feel what the student is feeling. She then develops a program to help that student RIDE that horse themselves.
Training clients who are committed to progress with their horse brings Macy great joy. “I try to keep my lesson fees in a range that encourages students to continue working towards their goals through regular lessons,” she explains. Helping students discover and work towards goals, whether competition or not, is a key tenant at Macy Clark Eventing. Sometimes that might lead to a change in direction if the horse displays talent and interest in an unplanned discipline. Ultimately, Macy is laser focused on the mental and physical health of the horse and its rider, always seeking the best for each pair.
When asked if she could have predicted her current situation she said, “I never thought I’d have my own business training and taking 11 horses to Florida for the winter, though I knew I wanted to ride the rest of my life.” Macy attributes her success to optimizing good opportunities and exposure and with the support of her parents who are “SUPER helpful!” “My mom, Kim Carpenter Clark, is a voice of reason, helping with tough choices. Dad is the example of investing in everything fully! He always puts in 100% no matter the size of the task. He is so competent. He makes hard things feel easy by a ‘just do it’ philosophy,” Macy emotes of her parents.
Not just a Trainer, Macy feels a sense of responsibility toward the horses and people: “Did I prep them well enough? Are they ready?” When describing a typical week she notes, “There are so many variables.” With as many as 60 students to balance as well as personal horses, her degree in management is put to use daily. Given her long list of accomplishments to date, it’s easy to see the future of Eventing and Dressage in the mid-south are better for having Macy Clark.
