Tara Dawn Hazen

Tara Dawn Hazen has been involved with horses her entire life. Born and raised in Florida where she started riding and competing, her family moved to Virginia in 1985. While in VA, she attended George Mason University in Fairfax for her Undergraduate and Graduate studies in Psychology. Prior to moving to PA in 1997, Ms. Hazen worked in the field of Real Estate Management while attending college.

As a child Tara Dawn rode in many different disciplines and breed shows. She competed in both western and english events at Arabian, Morgan, Quarter Horse and Paint shows. She also loved Friday night gaming shows with her equitation/jumper horse, Gambler. Her experience outside the hunter world won her many ribbons and championships from the Gaming classes to AQHA Congress and the Morgan Citrus Cup.Her true love however has always been the hunter/jumpers. As a child she competed at the rated shows in Large pony hunters, Children’s and Jr. Hunters, Equitation classes and the jumper ring. Her first horse, Spend A Buck, was her Children’s hunter horse. He was her teacher and savior who helped her climb her way up the ranks. As a teenager she had an amazing mount named Gambler who could move from the jumper ring to the hunter ring with ease and win in both.

Ms. Hazen began training horses and students as young as 13 years old.She has had the opportunity to ride with many trainers. From George Morris, Don Stewart, Scott Hofstetter, Ray Francis, Jack Trainer, and while in PA with Jill Shull and Julie Ely.Tara Dawn has trained many horses who have gone on to compete with their new owners in the jumper, equitation, hunter and hunter breeding rings.

Ms. Hazen, her horses, and students have won ribbons at many prestigious hunter shows. Capitol Challenge, Devon, Washington International, Culpepper, Lexington, Wellington, HITS Ocala, Monmouth, Blue Rock, St. Christopher and Quentin just to name a few. Ms. Hazen's students enjoy lessons for fun or for showing. The focus is on Equitation and Tara Dawn tries to perfect every aspect of their riding. She holds high expectations for her riders and expects them to work to achieve the best for themselves and their horse. Her students have gone on to qualify for the Penn National Horse Show, Washington International and New York. Her students involved in 4-H have always moved on to States, many of them winning or placing at States year after year. Her students have received many end of year awards through local organizations such as: PHSA, EPPHA, and CPJHSA. Winning in divisions from Leadline, Pleasure, Short Stirrup, Prechildrens, and Jr. Hunters. Her passion now is training ponies and young imports. She has trained ponies that have gone on to the Pony Finals. One of her most recent imports, Trust Fund, is currently competing in the jumper ring. Trust Fund most recently helped earn his current rider, Brooke Kemper, to be named the Leading Jumper Rider at the 2007 Lexington National Horse Show.