John Wert, President

Director

Erin MacCardell: When she was 8, Erin's parents gave her a few riding lessons as a Christmas present not knowing that it would snowball into a lifelong love of horses. As a junior rider, Erin competed in hunter/ jumpers on Arabs and Morgans and was active in Patsy DuPont's Pony Club and the local 4-H club where she won trips to Nationals representing Maryland for both Horse Bowl and Hippology. After high school, she attended Wilson College in Pennsylvania with a double major in Equine and Equestrian studies and began to branch out into dressage, riding under the direction of Col Alfred Kitts and schooling up through Prix St.Georges. In the years following college, she worked in many areas of the equine world, including as a foaling attendant for Sylmar Farms, a NICU nursing assistant for New Bolton Center, a professional groom and as the Horse Health Care Manager for Hilltop Farm.  All of these jobs, along with experiences with her own horses helped to expand Erin's wide base of horse knowledge. In 2015, Erin took a break from the professional horse world to be able to focus more on her own horses and riding and currently owns a plant nursery that specializes in native plants and reforestation.  

Erin's passion for endurance began in 2000 while working for a local veterinarian, Dr. Jane Fassinger, VMD who bred Arabians and had previously competed in endurance herself. She did her first 25 mile CTR on her small but mighty Morgan mare Misty's If You Please and was hooked from there. Although her work and traveling schedule kept her from attending as many rides as she would have liked over the years, she has been able to accumulate some miles and volunteer or crew at several other rides. In 2020, Erin also started trail running and the following year, was thrilled to be able to combine both her sports by doing Ride and Ties and Equathons.  

Never one to like sitting still, when she is not doing conditioning rides or trail running, Erin likes to do ground work and dressage with her horses and has recently started driving. She also teaches and trains whenever time is available. She loves to help new people get started in endurance and is excited about the opportunity to promote teamwork in the sport through being a USA Northeast Endurance Board member.

Director

Teri Caroll has been involved with horses since childhood.  What was supposed to be a single camp experience quickly went down the road of lessons, leases, horse shows, more lessons, and ultimately owning that first horse.  That first horse happened to live at a barn owned by a dressage trainer whom Teri rode with for many years, and whose husband was the late Pete Fields.  Every time Teri and her father came for lessons, Pete went on and on about this thing called “Endurance”.  He convinced them to volunteer at the Old Dominion and all it took was one look at the horses crossing the Shenandoah River to hook them for life. 

Over the years, Teri has ridden, trained, crewed, volunteered, mentored, and performed  every other job you can do in the Endurance community.  She has organized clinics and mentoring programs and sits on the board of both the Old Dominion Equestrian Endurance Organization as well as the Northeast Endurance Committee.   While training and competing are at the heart of Teri’s passion for Endurance, she finds great joy in sharing that passion with others. 

Photo credit Becky Pearman Photography

Photo credit Becky Pearman Photography

Photo credit Becky Pearman Photography

Board of Directors

Treasurer

Holly Corcoran, CPA has been a sole practitioner in public accounting since 1991 owning and managing her own firm until 2013 when she partnered with another local practitioner. Now her practice, Corcoran Business Advisory Services, LLC, helps veterinary practices with business and tax planning. Holly started riding before she could walk and had Morgan horses in her family until age 18. In her mid-30s she brought horses back into her life and this time it was Arabians. Initially she and her young children competed in the Arabian circuit and 4-H. Overtime, though, Holly started exploring endurance riding and in 2003 entered her first limited distance ride. She never looked back and now her favorite distance is 100-mile one day rides.

In 2008 with LD’s and a couple 50s under her belt, Holly read about the USA team competing in Malaysia and became fascinated with becoming a USA Endurance team member. At that time, she realized that she had several pieces to put in place which she did, and in 2014, 16 and 18 she had two of her horses qualify for the world championships. For the 2020 world championships, which were postponed to May 2021, Holly and her 14-year-old gelding, Poète, represent of the USA in Italy.

En route to International Riding Holly also competed in the 2011, 13 and 15 North American Endurance Team Challenges (NAETC). In 2015 she entered two horses with one being ridden by a young rider, Emily Heffner, and the Northeast team won the gold medal! Holly has 6500+ endurance miles with an 88% completion rate and has been riding FEI since 2011 with a 75% completion rate. She has attempted over 35 one-day 100 miles and completed 30 of them.

Holly has ridden endurance internationally in Brazil 2014 and Dubai 2018 as well as Italy 2021 with her heart-horse, Poete with whom she has had a wonderful career, winning two National Championships and earning AERC Decade Team in addition to competing FEI . Holly is passionate about the sport of endurance, improving her own knowledge and skills along with promoting and enhancing the sport. Holly served on the AERC-international committee from 2014 to 2022. After which Holly and fellow board members decided to formulate the not-for-profit USA Northeast Endurance, Inc. to help serve the needs of endurance in the Northeast area. She is excited to see team competitions becoming popular in the Northeast, as well as encouraging riders from other disciplines to attempt endurance, whether it is through introductory clinics, conditioning rides, CTRs or higher distances. Holly wants to see Endurance become a growing sports again in the US as it has been the fastest growing equestrian sport internationally over the last several years.

Currently, Holly serves as the Treasurer for USA Northeast, Inc.

Vice President

Steven Hay became interested in horses as a young child, always wanting to visit his grandma who had Morgan horses. At the age of six years old, Steven started taking weekly riding lessons at a hunter jumper barn, which later progressed to spending every weekend trail riding.  His first horse was a small, stout, black Morgan horse, Eli. Steven and Eli, participated in 4-H and competed in local shows, but this didn’t fulfill their need for a challenge. In 2002 they ventured into the world of competitive trail riding with the Eastern Competitive Trail Riding Association (ECTRA) and AERC endurance in 2003, and Steven was hooked!

Over the past 20 years Steven has logged nearly 6,000 miles with the AERC in including 11 one-day 100-mile completions, and he has over 7,000 miles combined with ECTRA and AERC.  In 2009, Steven learned about the FEI young rider competition, which sparked his interest to add another challenge to his endurance career. In 2011, Steven was fortunate to team up with Natalie Muzzio, and her awesome horse Khalil Asam (aka Sammy), to compete in the North American Young Riders Championships.  Later that year, Steven and Sammy were chosen to represent the USA at the Junior and Young Riders World Championships in Abu Dhabi – the team placed bronze. Steven continued his involvement in FEI competitions competing at the North American Team Challenge in 2013, in addition to crewing at young rider world championship events in France and Chile.

Steven brings a unique perspective to the USA Northeast Endurance board, beginning in the sport as a junior, and growing up with parents who weren’t involved with horses, and had no extra money to spare. When he started in endurance, he had a goal of meeting as many people as possible in order to make connections in the endurance community to learn as much possible about the equine endurance athlete. He attributes his success in the sport to the enormously supportive endurance community with everyone wanting to see others succeed. He’s hoping his involvement with the USA Northeast Endurance organization can help him give back to the endurance community that he grew up with.

Secretary

Mary Howell

After reading about the Old Dominion 100 and Tevis in a book, Mary bought her Half-Arabian gelding, Count Shiloh, in 1995. She met Valerie Kanavy during a Virginia Horse Council event where Val received an award for her 1998 World Championship win, and Mary began competing in 1999. The next year, Shiloh and she finished their first 100 at Biltmore, followed by the Old Dominion 100. She was hooked!

Tom & Rita Swift helped Mary learn more about international endurance. She then passported Shiloh and qualified to represent USA East at the 2001 Pan American Championship in Vermont. Mary also qualified for the 2003 Pan Ams in Washington State, but gave up her spot due to closing on her first horse property.

In various roles as volunteer, crew or chef d’equipe, Mary attended the 2005 North American Endurance Team Challenge (NAETC) in MD, the 2011 NAETC in CA, 2013 NAETC in FL and 2015 NAETC in Ontario.     Mary also crewed at several North American Junior & Young Rider Championships in KY & provided  her passported mare Siena to several young riders, most recently Sarah Buckley of ME at the 2016 Young Riders Team Challenge in SC.

Mary participated in several USA Endurance Team selection events between 2006 and 2018, volunteering at the 2009 pre-ride/2010 World Championships in KY and 2018 pre-ride/World Championships in NC. Mary has also competed, helped manage and/or volunteered at several AERC National Championships, including 2005, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2022.

As an AERC director from 2015-2019, Mary chaired the Membership Committee and was successful in having AERC formally adopt the Greenbean Program. After managing an FEI ride in 2013, Mary worked to become a licensed Endurance Judge and served as an official at numerous FEI rides between 2014 and 2021.

Mary has started under saddle several of her horses, including Siena, Canadian Chrome and BR Vashti, and have Decade Team status with Shiloh, Siena and Gryphon. Her nearly 13,000 AERC miles include a 2014 Tevis finish (best day of her life!) and sponsoring many juniors. Two of her greatest joys are witnessing the incredible performances of well-trained horses and their riders, and introducing the sport she loves to young riders.

Director

Dr. Heather Hoyns has had a lifelong interest in horses. As a teenager, she was an active 4-H member. As an active Endurance competitor, she has competed in AERC rides since the early 1980’s, having over 10,000 miles.  She also competed at the FEI level,

She has competitive experience in other equine disciplines, including Hunters, Combined Driving and Competitive Trail Riding. She is currently an AERC Control Veterinarian, an FEI Endurance Veterinarian, TD, Judge and Steward, and a n FEI Combined Driving Veterinarian.

She graduated with a BS in Animal Science from Cook College, Rutgers University, with a special interest in Nutrition, then going on to Cornell University, where she received her DVM degree in 1981. She practiced Equine Medicine in New Jersey for 5 years before relocating to Vermont in 1986.

In keeping with her mission to provide the best care for equine athletes Dr. Hoyns provides advanced Equine Dental, Acupuncture and Chiropractic care.

Dr. Hoyns is a member of the American Endurance Ride Conference, American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Veterinary Medical Association, Vermont Veterinary Medical Association, USEF, and the Green Mountain Horse Association.