Earl and Jennifer McFall run a very active show barn.  They specialize in the breeding and training of World, National and Regional Champion Morgan Horses in Hunter Pleasure and  Western Pleasure.  As well as, Morgan/Thoroughbred crosses and various Warmblood breeds and Thoroughbreds in Hunter, Jumper, Dressage, Western and 3-Day Eventing.

They also have a full academy lesson program for the instruction in all of these disciplines.

The McFalls purchased a home on acreage in Wilton, California in 2005 and are gradually developing a well thought out facility.  Located in beautiful Northern California, this is the permanent home of Dragonfire.

At present, the facility features a 21-stall main barn with a recreational room, vet/farrier area and tack rooms with lockers.  Also, an all-weather arena that encompasses a full acre and turnout paddocks.  Pastures for mares and foals are separated by trails that run through the creek and a galloping track around the pastures. A 10-stall mare motel houses the mares due to foal.

Dragonfire participates in three different Horse Show Venues: Morgan Shows/”A” Hunter-Jumper Shows; Horse Trials/Three Day Events and Dressage/Schooling Shows.  Their lesson program extends from the beginning first time rider to the advanced International competitor.

They have numerous lesson horses available for Adults and children alike at Dragonfire.   The instructors provide a safe and enjoyable environment for you to become the best rider that you can be.

They also offer a three day Boot Camp, includes all of the fun of camping with your horse, playing games, riding at a beautiful facility, and hanging out with the fun-loving Dragonfire group without the charge of lessons.

 

Earl and Jennifer are concerned not only with the performance of the horses they train, but also with involving their owners. They have a number of very active amateur riders, several of whom are competing in the “Masters” division (50 years of age and over). The younger set also provides an active presence.

Earl and Jennifer stress the importance of becoming a skilled and knowledgeable rider, as well as encouraging sportsmanship, responsibility and the enjoyment of horses and the people involved with them.

 

Diana and Jackie got to know Dragonfire and the McFalls when they went on a trip to look at Morgan breeding and training facilities in the Sacramento/Grass Valley area.

While touring Dragonfire they met the mare Caduceus Marika, who was trained and shown by Jennifer and had earned many Regional and National blue ribbons and a World Championship in Hunter Pleasure.

Merriewold purchased Marika and then bred her to Dragonfire Kirin to produce Merriewold Java.  Java, now a two year old, is a good example of the qualities that Merriewold is breeding for.

Merriewold then sent two horses to Dragonfire to be trained and shown.  Merriewold Galaxie would continue her career in Dressage and Jennifer started her in the Hunter division.  And Merriewold Hanah was started under saddle and began her career in Dressage, Hunter and Jumper divisions.

 

The Merriewold Dragonfire partnership has been very successful resulting in numerous wins for Galaxie and Hanah in Morgan and Open rated shows and a Grand National win for Galaxie!

Written by Jennifer McFall
and Bj. deCastro

 

 

Earl and Jennifer have won numerous year end awards, including the 2006 “Lifetime Achievement for Sportsmanship” award. This national award is granted on a yearly basis to the trainer voted most deserving by their peers. The pair has also won the national Sport Horse Trainer of the Year award every year for the past four years.

 

EARL McFALL, Trainer/Instructor:  Earl is a graduate “A” Pony Clubber, and is still actively involved in the program, teaching at several of the local pony clubs and giving clinics at the pony club summer camps.

Earl has competed successfully in Grand Prix Jumpers and through the Advanced level of 3-Day Eventing, and was long listed for the 2000 Olympics in Eventing. He is an active 3-Day competitor/instructor.

Earl was introduced to the Morgan breed by Jennifer, and has won National and World Championships in Dressage, Working Hunter, Jumpers, Hunter Pleasure and Western Pleasure.

 

JENNIFER McFALL, Trainer/Manager:   Jennifer also began her equestrian career in the Pony Club, and evented successfully with her 15.2 hand Morgan gelding, Dragonfire Kublakhan, one of the few registered Morgans ever to compete at the Advanced level. She continues as an active 3-Day competitor, most recently with her lovely young Holsteiner, High Times.

Jennifer, however, is better known for her many World Champion Morgan Horses. She trained and showed such notables to World Titles as WC Dragonfire Kirin, WC Caduceus Marika, WC Dragonfire Marley, WC En Excess NKS, WC WH Zimbabwe, RWC Lightyear, WC Dragonfire Voltaire, WC Dragonfire Savannah, WC Renegade Rose and RWC Dragonfire Nefertiti in the Hunter Pleasure divisions.

In Western Pleasure, she took WC DLH Dakota Blues, WC Briar Oaks Pep in my Step, RWC Merriehill The Lion King and WC Movado.

And she won with WC Dragonfire Kublakhan, WC Dragonfire Kirin, WC Dragonfire Marley, WC Briar Oaks Pep In My Step, WC Equinox Adelle, and RWC Blue’s Shining Star in the Dressage and Hunter/Jumper divisions.

Sally with Merriewold Galaxie. (Ironforge Starman x Ringbrook Renaissance)

 

Sally’s family started breeding and purchasing Morgans with the influence of her Great Grandfather, F. E. Radtke.  Her Grandfather started breeding Morgans and utilized the big and free moving horses for the 20 mile migration to the mountains in the summer with the Radtke Ranch cattle herds.

 

After many years, Joe Daly was purchased by Sally’s Grandfather and the big Morgan increased the size and athleticism in their breeding program.   Later, Sally’s mother would find and purchase Iron Forge Starman.  He would become their senior stallion and award-winning dressage champion paired with Sally – who like her horse-training brother, Brad, had followed her passion for horses to become a professional dressage trainer.

Sally has trained and competed two Morgan horses through Grand Prix and is only one test away from her AMHA Gold Medal.  Her retired gelding, MEHRS Eloquince, became one of the eight Morgans to win the AMHA (American Morgan Horse Association) Gold Medallion Award for competing at the Grand Prix level.

 

Sally Radtke Anderson and MEHRS Eloquince compete.

 

Iron Forge Starman is the third Morgan stallion to compete at Grand Prix and was also the Montana Dressage Society Champion for 2007.  Together, this pair have won many more awards and compliments throughout their years together.

In 1997 and again in 1998, she and her Thoroughbred gelding competed on the USDF Region 6 North America Young Rider Team.

Sally has also received her USDF Bronze and Silver Medals on non-tradional dressage mounts.  She has flourished with the help of instructors – such as, Jeanne Gaudreau, Mike Osinski, Debbie Riehl-Rodriquez, Steffen Peters and Conrad Schumacher.

 

Sally and Picasso

Sally and Iron Forge Starman perform the pirouette.

 

 

 

 Now, Sally is working with Merriewold Galaxie and is very pleased with the progress Galaxie has made in the arena and under saddle.  Galaxie is a born athlete.  She naturally lifts her withers and pushes from behind.  She will excel in any sport horse division, but is especially well suited for dressage.

Galaxie gets her talent from both sides of her pedigree.  Her dam, Ringbrook Renaissance, has beautiful conformation and balanced elastic gates and her sire is Iron Forge Starman.

According to Sally, “Galaxie is starting to give nicely to the bit, bend through the body and cantering a nice circle – doing so, relaxed.  She is leg yielding and has nice canter transitions.  Galaxie has also developed a good work ethic.”

 

Sally and Galaxie in training.

Mark Luis grew up steeped in central California’s cattle culture.  He learned how to rope and ride as the fourth generation in a Los Alamos ranching family.  Mark took his skills from the branding pen to the High School Rodeo arena, competing in calf roping, team roping, cutting and steer wrestling.  He won three district championships and a state final before going on to college teams.  After experimenting with some non-equestrian professions, Mark came back to his roots working for local rancher John Branquinho.  His duties included helping the Branquinho sons with their high school rodeo skills (both Luke and Casey are currently PRCA competitors).

Mark eventually took some outside horses at Branquinho’s and also gave lessons.  He was especially gifted with children.  Many a local youngster credits his guidance for the development of his or her skills.

A client talked Mark into taking a lesson with Ron Ralls, and the rest is history: Ron offered him a job on the spot and he ended up working there for five years, training and showing Reining Cow horses. When Ralls moved to Texas, Mark decided to start his own facility on the land that had been in his family for almost 100 years.  After two years on the family ranch he was able to purchase his own ranch and move his facility to Paso Robles.
Mark has been very fortunate to achieved great success in the Cow Horse world on many great Quarter Horses.  In 2003 he and his father-in-law, Chuck Doss, partnered on a colt purchased at the 2002 Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale. A dramatic fence run on that SBF sale colt, Playdox Taco Peppa, helped Mark pass the pack to become the Cow Horse Classic Limited Open Futurity Champion-his first win at a major show.

 

Mark has gone on to also be a three time Fiesta Stock Horse Champion, two time Ranchero Vistadore One Man One Horse Champion, three time Magnificent 7 Steer Stopping Champion, two time Worlds Greatest Horseman Steer Stopping Champion, and has won the prestigious Irving D. Osburn All Around Cowboy Award, a record, four times.

Mark has been a Finalist in the World Champion Snaffle Bit Futurity, the Worlds Greatest Horseman Competition, the Magnificent 7, the Hackamore Classic, the Stallion Stakes and the World Show Derby.   Most recently Mark finished in the top ten over all at the Worlds Greatest Horseman Finals in Stephenville Texas.
When a new client in Paso Robles, Joe Kathrein, asked Mark to train his Morgan and get him to the World Show, he was more than happy to do so.
Mark struck gold on “HVR Hidden Gold” winning the Region 7 Morgan Medallion Champion Reining in Santa Barbara and taking the World Show winning 1st in the Three Year Old Division, 3rd in the Open Division, and 3rd in the World Championship Derby in Oklahoma City.

Written by Mrs. Mark Luis