Carolyn Biava:
Carolyn Biava began her riding career as a junior rider in the San Fernando Valley in the early 1970's. She showed mostly borrowed horses in the equitation and jumper divisions. While attending Cal Poly Pomona, she competed on the Intercollegiate Horse Show team. After graduating with a BS in Chemical Engineering, Carolyn rode as an amateur while working as a manager at Procter and Gamble's Long Beach manufacturing plant. In 1987, she left Procter and Gamble to pursue an equestrian career. For the next several years she worked as assistant trainer and manager for Mark Mullen and Victor Hugo-Vidal's To and Fro Farms. In 1993 she opened First Field Farm, in Cerritos, CA, near her home, where she lives with her husband of 25 years, Tom Ware, and their two children. Carolyn currently serves as Corporate Secretary on the LAHJA board of directors, and has previously served on the OCHSA board of directors.
Janet McDonald:
Janet McDonald's hunter/jumper career spans 42 years in the equestrian industry. She has started many promising riders and horses, and has added numerous regional championships, national championships, and medal finals winners to her resume along the way. In the saddle at age eight, she was showing both hunters and jumpers by the age of ten. Her brother, Mark Mullen, was her trainer. Mark ran To and Fro Farms in Huntington Beach, California, along with famous horseman Victor Hugo Vidal. In 1976, Janet turned professional and became the Assistant Trainer to Mark and Victor. In that role from 1976 to 1983, Janet worked with many of To and Fro Farms' clients, honing her training and teaching skills and developing her keen judge's eye. Janet married in 1979 and had two children. From 1984 to 1993 she focused on raising her girls but kept a strong presence in the horse community, serving as a consultant to Mark until his premature death in 1993. At that time, Janet closed To and Fro Farms and joined Carolyn Biava in opening First Field Farm in Cerritos, California. To this day, she specializes in her passion: Starting young horses and developing the equitation rider.
First Field Farm's hunters, jumpers, and equitation horses and riders have achieved success at all levels of competition. Notable achievements include:
Championships in the Pre-Green, Regular Working, Junior, Adult-Amateur, Amateur Owner, Pony, and Children's hunters at "AA" shows.
Championships and classic wins in the Preliminary, Junior, and Low Junior Jumpers at "AA" Shows.
Medal Final Wins Include:
LAHJA Junior, PCHA Adult, Rosewood, California State, CPHA Horsemanship, and CPHA Foundation 14 and under, and OCHSA Equitation, along with Interscholastic Equestrian League (Orange County) Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman medal finals, multiple times.