Summers are always busy at Rebecca Farm, the nationally renowned horse farm and equestrian eventing venue just north of Kalispell. But this year might be one of the busiest ever as it prepares to host not one but two major events in July and August.
From July 20 to 24, Rebecca Farm will be hosting the 21st edition of “The Event,” an eventing competition that has cemented itself was one of the premier contests in the sport. Then, just a month later, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4, it will be hosting the United States Eventing Association’s American Eventing Championships. Organizer Sarah Broussard said this is the first time the national championships has ever come to Montana and only the second time it have ever come west of the Mississippi River. The Event at Rebecca Farm was founded by Sarah’s mother, Rebecca Broussard, in 2001. Rebecca passed away from breast cancer in 2010, but her legacy looms large over the farm, Sarah said.
“My mom would have been so proud to have the national championships here,” Sarah said. “We’re so honored to be a part of this.”
Of course, preparing for two big events that will attract hundreds of competitors each (Sarah expects somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 riders and horses) is no easy task. But Sarah said she and her crew are prepared for it. She’s also excited that the national event will bring in competitors who may not have ever been to the farm. She thinks once they see the venue, they’ll be back in 2023 for The Event. When Sarah spoke to Flathead Living in June, she said work was ramping up and that it felt an awful lot like the summer of 2002, when they first organized The Event, and her wedding.
“If we can pull off those two events, I’m sure we can do these two,” she said, laughing.
For more information, visit RebeccaFarm.org.