Equestrians cross paths with a wide swath of people in the horse industry, and sometimes those chance encounters turn into long-term partnerships. That was the case when eventer, judge and technical delegate Ava Chase met five-star eventer and four-time Olympian Boyd Martin at a clinic back in 2021. She and Martin enjoyed discussing the sport of eventing at the clinic, and the conversation led to an opportunity for her to join a syndicate of horse owners. Chase jumped at the chance to experience eventing in a new way and give back to the sport she loves so much.

Eventers at Heart

Chase and her husband, Jordan, were high school sweethearts who grew up eventing alongside one another on the West Coast. After high school, their lives went in different directions, and they married other people. However, they reconnected 35 years later and got married. Both had taken a hiatus from riding, though they quickly got back into the industry once they reunited.

“We came back to eventing about 15 years ago, because we really love the sport,” Chase said.

Chase and Jordan previously owned Far View Farms Equestrian Center, a boarding and training facility in San Marcos, California. In an effort to refresh their riding skills, they took lessons and participated in clinics. Chase happened to be auditing a West Coast clinic with Martin that Jordan was riding in, and she decided to chat with Martin during the lunch break.

“I go toddling over, plopped myself down and started eating lunch with Boyd and the clinic organizer Lisa Sabo,” Chase said. “I found Boyd to be so engaging and felt like we really connected.”

During this fortuitous lunch, Chase talked about her involvement in the sport as a rider and facility owner, and Martin apparently took note of her love for all things eventing. A few weeks later, Sabo reached out to Chase to relay that Martin wanted to connect. Sure enough, she got a call from him about an exciting opportunity: joining a syndicate for a horse he was hoping to purchase.

After learning more about the syndicate opportunity, Chase consulted Jordan about potentially adding horse ownership for a top international rider to their eventing resume.

“Jordan said, ‘I absolutely think that is number one an honor and number two we’ve supported the sport in every other way. We had supported some local riders, but we’d never supported an international rider. And I mean, who better?’” Chase remembered.

The Chases took the leap into international horse ownership, first with Barney Rubble, a 2014 Hanoverian gelding, as part of the Barney Rubble Syndicate LLC. Martin carefully produced “Barney” through the four-star level, and the pair earned numerous top-10 finishes in FEI competitions.

Part of the Family

Once they became owners, Chase and Jordan felt like part of Martin’s family with visits to his home and dinners together at horse shows. Continuing with his generosity, Martin gladly obliged when Chase asking him about doing a clinic where she now lives in Charleston, South Carolina. And when the one-day clinic quickly filled, Martin told Chase, “Let’s add another day, mate.”

The family feeling extends to the syndicate members, which Chase said Martin carefully selects to be a harmonious group.

“It’s so funny because when I look around at the syndicate members, we’re all really different. We’re a very eclectic group, but now we’re all the best of friends,” Chase said. “It’s fascinating how Boyd has such a good handle on people and finding a group that will gel.”

Chase and her husband are often asked what they get out of being owners in a syndicate. For Chase, being an owner is twofold.

“Number one: We love eventing and it’s another way to support the sport,” Chase said. “Number two: It’s given us amazing access. I can call Boyd and ask him a question anytime. And whenever we go to events, we’re at all of the owner functions where we’re around lots of different top riders and I’ve gotten to know them all very well.”

Martin regularly communicates with his syndicate owners, keeping them posted on the horses’ progress and competition plans with emails and videos. One of the things that Chase appreciates about Boyd is his genuine nature as he regularly expresses his gratitude to his owners for their support.

“What you see is what you get with Boyd,” Chase said. “He’s just who he is and that’s what I love about him. I’m not a person who likes to be around arrogance, and he’s just not that.”

For aspiring riders who might want to syndicate a horse in the future, Chase suggests following Martin’s example as a rider.

“You don’t want to just buy a horse for somebody and then never hear anything,” Chase said. “You want to be included; you want to be involved. And that’s what Boyd does so well.”

Joining the Annie Goodwin Syndicate

Another special horse came into Martin’s barn due to an unfortunate situation. Four-star eventer Annie Goodwin tragically passed away following a cross-country schooling accident in 2021, and her family was trying to determine the next steps for her horses. Goodwin had been one of Martin’s students, and he had helped with her top mount, Fedarman B. Her parents sent “Bruno” to Martin and ultimately decided that he should take over the ride on the KWPN gelding. Martin and Goodwin’s parents wanted to form a syndicate called the Annie Goodwin Syndicate to support the talented horse’s future.

Martin reached out to Chase to see if she and her husband would be interested in being part of Bruno’s syndicate. Chase was touched by the story and called her husband to get his thoughts about joining the syndicate, which were: “Why did you even call? Of course!”

As Martin and Bruno developed a partnership, they began tallying impressive results. In the fall of 2022, the pair was named to the U.S. Eventing Team for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Netherlands CCIO4*-NC-L in Boekelo, the Netherlands. Several of the syndicate members made the trip to cheer on Martin and Bruno as well as to experience the notable event.

“Boekelo was a crazy, wild ride,” Chase said. “There are 60,000 spectators and beer tents lining the entire cross-country course.”

However, the highlight of the trip for Chase was meeting and becoming friends with Goodwin’s parents, Putter and Tina. Boekelo was a major milestone for Bruno, who had been produced from an unbroken 3-year-old to the four-star level by Goodwin. Martin and Bruno finished seventh individually, which was a meaningful result on the international stage.

“That was the first big competition Bruno had been in since Annie’s passing,” Chase said. “As part of the syndicate and getting to be with Annie’s parents, it was so special to watch the pride they had because Annie picked that horse out.”

The Olympic Experience

As a young rider, Chase had aspirations of competing at the Olympics. While that dream didn’t come to fruition, another Olympic experience became a reality when Martin and Bruno were named to the U.S. Eventing Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Since there are a limited number of barn-access credentials for horse owners at FEI events, Chase and Jordan weren’t able to go fully behind the scenes at the Olympics. But they still attended the event with their fellow syndicate members and had a blast.  

“When I went to Versailles, I felt like I was an Olympian,” Chase said. “It was my way of being an Olympian because I’ll never get to do that as a rider.”

The syndicate members grew closer as friends during the experience, traveling together, sitting together at the competition and walking the cross-country course together. They were also treated to special outings, such as a private tour at the Palace of Versailles and an owner’s party.

“Being at the Olympics was just so fun,” Chase said. “I mean it’s what everybody dreams of.”

Takeaways From Being a Horse Owner

It has been a thrill for Chase to experience the sport of eventing as a horse owner. From making new friends to attending the Olympics, a lunchtime conversation with Martin at a clinic opened up a whole new world for the lifelong horsewoman. After having a front-row seat to how a top rider functions, Chase has a newfound respect for the sport.

“I’ve been involved in the sport in so many ways, but being an owner for Boyd has me looking at eventing from a much more global perspective,” Chase noted. “It’s fun to see all the excitement people have competing at the lower levels, but if I didn’t have the international experience, I don’t think I would have as deep of an appreciation for eventing as a whole.”

While being a horse owner may not be in the cards for everyone, Chase encourages those who are curious about it to do research and ask questions. If it seems like something doable, she suggests reaching out to a rider whose training practices you admire to see if horse ownership is a possibility.

“Don’t be afraid to put your toe in the water. You don’t have to start out at the top levels; we supported some local riders first,” Chase said. “I believe it’s important to support those up-and-coming riders, and almost anything can help them.”

Editor’s Note: Barney Rubble passed away unexpectedly in September 2025 from a suspected aneurysm. The Practical Horseman staff sends its condolences to all of Barney’s connections.