By JESSICA SHANNON
It was not long after Kerry McCahill started riding that she knew that horses would be a part of her future. She began in the sport at a very young age and spent most of her childhood developing a firm foundation within the American system, moving up the hunter and equitation ranks.
McCahill, however, had big plans for her future, and knew the jumper ring was her goal. She dreamed of becoming a professional show jumper and international Grand Prix rider. McCahill remains in awe and has gratitude for the amazing opportunities she’s had in her career from whom she was able to train and learn from. Each professional she has been able to train with has greatly inspired her own career in developing her niche within the immensely competitive global show jumping industry.
After 10 years of training among the best in the industry as an avid student, McCahill turned professional and launched her own business in November 2023. The business has several professional services which make it unique in the industry; such as traveling around the world to source horses to match with riders, young horse development, sales, and training students.
She grew up riding in New Jersey, and eventually trained in the Hamptons on Long Island, NY for several years.
McCahill is optimistic and excited to return to her roots in creating a new northeast base from spring to fall each year, while also continuing to spend winters showing at the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). McCahill’s keen observation skills, developed over several summers spent show jumping in the best programs in Europe and the United States, allow her to notice the slightest details in pristine barn and horse management, as well as management of students.
Most importantly, McCahill says, “Love of horses remains paramount for me, both in my business and my daily life in this industry, even though I am a professional athlete who loves competing and bettering myself.” She repeats the phrase “love of horses remains paramount” like a motto that is deep in her core, affecting every decision.
Opportunity For Inspiration
McCahill left the United States at only 17 years old for an opportunity to fully commit to the jumpers, where she trained with Ireland’s Darragh Kenny at Oakland Stables based in Holland. McCahill split her time between Europe and Wellington, FL. She rigorously trained and competed at the best shows in the world, which helped shape her as a young professional on a world stage. Her experience with Kenny is one she will never undervalue or forget. One of her many successes while part of Oakland Stables was the opportunity to be a team member on the Global Champions League on the Global Champions Tour across Europe, where she was able to learn from team members she admired and move up the ranks, jumping at the 5* level.
In 2018, McCahill joined another Irish Olympian, Greg Broderick, based at BallyPatrick Stables in Tipperary, Ireland. While riding with Broderick, she spent a year in Europe and competed in the Sunshine Tour Montenmedio Tour in Vejer, Spain. While abroad, she had many international wins with her team of horses and grew her skills of young horse development in Broderick’s program. After 3 1/2 years dividing her time between Ireland and Florida, McCahill wanted to continue to push the envelope regarding who she could train with as a young professional in the industry.
McCahill was presented with the opportunity to learn from some of the most decorated and well respected figures in the show jumping industry, Markus and Meredith Beerbaum. McCahill joined the Beerbaum’s farm in Germany and spent winters in Wellington with the Beerbaums. While deeply immersed in their program, McCahill learned how to manage her own team of horses and develop top quality young horses to the highest level, while honing more skills as a rider and horsewoman. McCahill fully absorbed all the knowledge she could from the Beerbaums, who also became McCahill’s good friends and mentors. Surrounded by her idols on the difficult German show jumping circuit. She collected top results with her team of horses who she was both developing, as well as older horses, in highly competitive FEI divisions in both Europe and Florida.
McCahill spent a total of nine years training, living, and competing in Europe. She rode to top finishes in 5* classes in the Global Champions Tour, as well as wins and placings in 2, 3, and 4* classes and Grand Prix. She had similar results at WEF each winter. As her skills developed, McCahill watched what top riders and trainers did in barn management, training, young horse development, and riding.
“With this industry you never stop learning, so I try to take what I‘ve been able to learn from the best programs and apply it in a way to create a unique, top notch professional program,” she says. “The best ways I’ve also learned are from making a ton of mistakes. Many of the greats say that is when you learn the most, something I’ve really taken on in my showing and entrepreneurial experience.”
Under the Beerbaums’ tutelage, she enjoyed learning how to operate as a professional in the industry, both abroad and in the United States. She was taught about horse management, including safety education, while producing quality young horses and intentional preparation for training experienced and younger horses for top level shows. McCahill’s training in Germany heavily influenced the direction of her boutique business, as well as igniting her passion for training and producing young horses.
As she learned to manage her young horses, she found that simplicity, patience, and tailoring a show schedule based on what the horses are ready for is key. McCahill also noted the importance of focusing on safety while bringing along young horses, which is something she carries with her as a vital part of her own business for both horses and students.
“Although I have every ambition in continuing my huge aspirations as a professional rider, I never want to be stretched too thin for the demands of my business,” she adds. McCahill aims to remain flexible for students’ and horses’ needs. She wants her business to be about the individuals and horses within the program and to cater to all of their goals and needs, allowing their time to be devoted to all they want to accomplish.
Boutique Means Individuality
Having a boutique business means McCahill can realize students’ aspirations and get the most out of their horses. She says, “I never want to be a business owner who doesn’t have time for their students or the horses. That is a mistake I see happen quite often, and although I love being busy, I want it to be while dedicating time wisely to the horses and students. It’s something I want to remain stringent on in order to get the best results for everyone involved.”
Along with McCahill’s strong background in show jumping, flatwork has always been a constant for her. She has had the opportunity to learn dressage-based flatwork from top riders, including Olympic dressage riders who have majorly shaped her understanding of flatting her own horses as well as training students on the flat.
“Good flatwork is vital for your connection with your horse,” she says. “It helps promote the soundness of your horse and rideability, which in turn bonds riders with their horses. It also hugely improves results in the show ring.” She also thoroughly enjoys the flatwork, and she finds it to be a necessary part of any successful program.
Responsible horse management is the highest priority for McCahill’s business. The ribbons are a result of being focused on the horse’s and rider’s well being, their goals, and what they are ready to push and do, or not do. Ensuring horse and rider are well matched is a huge aspect of this, as well as what McCahill focuses on in her sourcing horses for the right riders.
McCahill aims to build confidence and comfort in her riders, who appreciate the care provided for each horse and rider combination. She finds it is vital to understand the goals of the riders she helps, as well as ensuring they’re matched with a horse that is capable of helping them feel confident and able to progress with whatever that goal may be. McCahill also never undervalues the importance of her highly educated team members around her. Her top grooms, vet, and farrier are key aspects to her business and horses’ success. And she listens intently to their expertise in doing what is always best for the horse, which, in turn, helps the rider.
For the training and sales of McCahill’s boutique business, she thoroughly enjoys the process of young horse development and sales. She finds deep satisfaction and joy in seeing horses she has developed have success with their new owners and riders. McCahill has been developing horses for about seven years, and some of the horses McCahill has produced have gone on to jump 5* level both in the United States and abroad.
“Seeing the time, hard work, and joy you’ve put into the development process of these young horses result in their huge success with new people after me is hugely rewarding. It’s a reason I also wanted to pursue that in my business. There are not many women who also do it in the in the US too, so that also makes it really exciting,” says McCahill.
From ages 17-27, McCahill put the riding and training aspects of her career as her primary focus. She is currently enjoying the new entrepreneurial part of running her own business and applying her skills to the unique services she provides to help others. “Even though I have no intention of ever losing my drive to achieve being the absolute best rider and competitor I can be, I have discovered a shift in my career as far as how much I enjoy seeing the success of the horses I’ve developed after they’ve sold, as well as the rider’s success that goes along with it. This also ties into the horses I’ve matched with riders.”
Red, White, and Blue–and European
McCahill adds that when was a teenager riding in the United States, she started to become confused at times as to where her place in the industry would be when the sport seemed to be glamorized as an expensive hobby, rather than the incredible sport it is with a horse first mentality. She felt she was always a sports person and aspiring athlete growing up, and she wanted to move more into treating the sport as a serious professional athlete, and eventual entrepreneur, who loves what she does and works hard.
Her time riding, training, and living in Europe ignited her direction and passion as to what the sport can be. “The top level of the sport over there and generations of loving horses is so heavily rooted in European show jumping culture, and that is exactly what reminded me of why I loved this sport as a child,” she says.
A fan of both the American and European systems, McCahill combines the best values of what each culture offers, creating what she believes to be a practically perfect system for success.
McCahill is currently based in Wellington, FL during the winters and New York during the spring to fall months, where she looks forward to welcoming clients. After the winter in Wellington, McCahill’s next step is to be based in the Hamptons.
“I’m looking forward to all the possibilities for my business in the northeast, including in the Hamptons next season,” she says. No matter where she is working, McCahill repeats her mantra, “Love for the horse is paramount.”
To learn more about Kerry McCahill’s program click here.
