MacNair's Country Acres

This Memorial Day weekend, we pause at MacNair’s Country Acres to honor the men and women who gave their lives for our country – and the horses who quietly served beside them throughout our history.

Long before engines and airplanes, horses carried soldiers, pulled supplies, and helped deliver messages through fear, noise, and uncertainty. Today, our horses carry a very different kind of load: they help riders build confidence, learn responsibility, and find calm in a busy world.

As you enjoy time at the barn and with your families this weekend, we invite you to take a quiet moment of gratitude – for the freedom we enjoy, the people who protected it, and the horses who have stood by humans in times of both war and peace. From all of us at MacNair’s Country Acres, we wish you a safe and thoughtful Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

In observance of Memorial Day, there will be no lessons on Sunday or Monday at MacNair’s Country Acres. We look forward to seeing everyone back in the barn after the holiday, and we wish you a safe and thoughtful Memorial Day.

Thank you to all our amazing sponsors and riders for making the last two shows such a success. We appreciate you so much! 🥰🐴 Now, our focus is on getting the summer camps, show season, and IEA ready.

We’re **hiring** for our 2026 Summer Horseback Riding Camp staff in Raleigh, NC! 🌞

- Camp Counselors (paid) – oversee campers, lunch, crafts, and help keep riders on time 🐎
- Apprentices (volunteer hours) – help with horse care, tacking, grooming, and lessons 🤝
- Lifeguard (paid, certified) – supervise afternoon swim… we still don’t have this position filled 🛟
- Fill out the Summer Camp Staff Interest Form on our website under “Summer Horseback Riding Camp” → “Summer Camp Staff Application” 🖱️

Update on Horse Riding Summer Camps
- Kids camps are WAITLIST ONLY, except the last two weeks, which still have openings ✅

We still have availability for the Advance Camp. Camp Weeks are:

**June 15 – June 19, 2026 – IEA Prep Week (IEA Tryouts are June 20!!)
**July 20 – July 24, 2026 – Different Disciplines Week
**July 27 – July 31, 2026 – Fun in the Sun Week
**August 10 – August 14, 2026 – Lease a Horse and Show Prep Week

Tag someone who’d love spending their summer with horses, kids, and our MacNair’s barn family! 💚

Thank you to MsCucalon Photography for sharing these beautiful photos. We’re so honored to have her as our photographer. Reach out to her to book your photos at the upcoming schooling show on May 9.

Offsite riders 📌 Sign up today to waive your ground fees.

Also, visit our website for details on the May Covered Ring Derby, Showmanship questions, and updated point standings. If you have any questions about signing up, please reach out ASAP.

The Derby for the front ring will be a traditional jump course with a song in honor of Mother’s Day weekend. Moms get to choose the song for their rider; don’t forget to send in your song choice.

Our Leadline class was a big success last month! If you have a little one (a younger sibling, child, friend, or grandchild) who’d love to earn their first blue ribbon, let us know, and we’ll get them signed up.

And don’t forget our Rusty Stirrups division for adult riders and boarders who want to get in the show ring in a fun, low‑pressure environment.

Come for the ride or come to watch the show and have a bite. Louie & Co ice cream will be there to satisfy your sweet tooth.

See you Saturday!

📌🏇MacNairs Schooling Show - 9 May 2026 🏇📌

It feels like it was just yesterday we had our April Show. So much fun!

👉Off-site riders- Register by Monday to have the Grounds Fee Waived.

For our feature class, we will honor all of the moms who work hard behind the scenes.

Come hungry, come thirsty, and don't forget to bring your sweet tooth! We'll have concessions and ice cream from our sposor Louie & Co, while Maria captures all the best moments.

🔆 Team MacNairs Spotlight 🔆 Sarah Garcia

Background:
Sarah Garcia serves as Head Trainer at MacNairs Country Acres and leads the MacNairs Team Show program. With years of experience developing both riders and horses, Sarah focuses on building strong fundamentals that allow partnerships to grow with confidence in and out of the show ring.

At MacNairs, Sarah exclusively trains riders in our Board and Lease programs. In this role, she works closely with riders committed to developing their horsemanship, strengthening their partnership with their horse, and progressing through the show experience.

Philosophy and Style:
Sarah is passionate about fostering a positive and supportive learning environment. She believes encouragement, patience, and consistency are essential to developing confident, capable riders and happy, well-trained horses. Her teaching goes beyond simply telling riders what to do. She places strong emphasis on helping riders understand the why behind each exercise, creating a deeper level of horsemanship and connection.

In competitive riding, training can sometimes be intense and demanding. Sarah believes riders grow best in an environment where high standards are paired with respect, patience, and clear communication. She is a firm coach who expects riders to stay focused and accountable, while her emotional intelligence allows her to guide and correct in ways that build confidence and resilience.

Beyond the Arena:
Sarah spends time with her family, going out on the boat in the summer and traveling.

Families can follow the MacNairs Team Show calendar here: https://www.macnairscountryacres.com/show-team/

We just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who showed up this weekend. The weather was beautiful, the riders had fun in the "Buck Challenge Derby" and we are looking forward to another successful May 9 - MacNair's Country Acres Show.

It takes a village, and our humans delivered.

Ready for April 11? - We are! The MacNairs First Schooling Show of the Season is coming up soon.

For our feature class, 💵 Get Ready to Ride a Buck Challenge 💵

Open to all showing riders.

🏇Riders ride with a 💲1 bill between their horse and one thigh.

🏇Riders in the Walk-Trot class use a saddle; all others ride ba****ck. Riders are eliminated when they lose their dollar. As riders are eliminated, the challenges progress. The last rider competing wins all the dollar bills from their round.

‼ Riders coming from offsite, don't forget to sign up by 📌Monday, April 05 to have your fees waived. ‼

👉For prize list information and additional details, please visit: macnairscountryacres.com/schooling-shows

🍕🌭🔆 Don't forget to come hungry! Concessions will be available.

Lastly, Bob Savage will be the judge, and riders will also be able to get amazing photo shots from our best MsCucalon Photography and, of course, some well deserved icecream by Louie & Co ice cream