Local horse competition brings in competitors from Gadsden and Leon County
Patricia Smith
Guest Columnist
Snuggled in the outskirts of Monticello down a winding canopy dirt road on Fox Hollow is a beautiful equestrian facility named First Flight Farm, LLC. While many locals and town visitors were enjoying farm tours this past Saturday, equestrians from Jefferson and other surrounding counties, such as Gadsden and Leon, competed in the Forgotten Coast Horse Show event at First Flight Farm.
FFF is a fourth-generation horse farm that specializes in hosting horse shows and provides horse/rider training along with boarding — they even broker horse sales. The farm 
was founded — and is currently owned by — Dacia Johnson, an equestrian coach, Current Large “R” judge, and former World Hunter Champion Rider.
Johnson’s daughter, Riley Haines, is deeply rooted in the family equestrian business alongside her and is a UCEF Certified Trainer. Haines is also an ANRC Rider who uses training techniques that were developed by Frederico Caprilli. Training is provided for beginners all the way up to the highly experienced. If interested in training, boarding, or competing at FFF, they may be contacted via email at rhromwell@gmail.com.
This year’s title theme was “A Day in 
the Country,” and the morning competitions began at 8:30 a.m. The hunter jumps were fashioned toward what riders might expect to jump during a fox hunt. It is the beginning of a new tradition at FFF in hopes of enticing the competitors to return to the facility as they excel to higher skill levels.
Competitor’s will be returning to FFF on Nov. 19 for the finals. Equestrians that are interested in competing may contact Forgotten Coast Horse Shows through
their website at www.forgottencoasthorseshows.com.
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