Our Team
Carolyn Biava began her riding career as a junior 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. Carolyn currently serves on the LAHJA Board of Directors, and has previously served on the OCHSA Board of Directors.
Carolyn Biava
Owner
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, trained by her brother; the legendary Mark Mullen. Mark ran To and Fro Farms in Huntington Beach, California along with famous horseman Victor Hugo Vidal. In 1976, Janet became a professional and joined Mark and Victor as their Assistant Trainer. 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 has 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.
Janet McDonald
Laura Ware, daughter of Carolyn Biava, began her riding career at First Field Farm, taught by her mother and Janet McDonald. Competing in the Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation as a junior, Laura’s career highlights include winning the LAHJA Junior Medal Finals, Rosewood Medal Finals, CPHA Foundation 14 & under Medal Finals and earning the Reserve Championship in the Large Junior Hunters 16-17 at the Devon Horse Show. After graduating from UCLA in 2012, Laura spent time in Switzerland as a working student for Ecurie Oeuvray Smits where she competed with young horses at the National Level. Laura also spent time working for Anne Kursinski, where she had the opportunity to compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington. Laura has been a USHJA Certified Trainer since 2019.
Laura Ware
A successful showman on the A Circuit, Christie has worked alongside Olympic-quality trainers and coached championship riders.
Christie's riding career started at the age of 5 with some of the leading English coaches in Southern California. She successfully competed on the hunter/jumper circuit as a junior before deciding to pursue horse training as a full-time career. Christie apprenticed with trainers in several different disciplines and is experienced in hunters, jumpers, western pleasure, horsemanship, equitation, trail, western riding, reining and saddle seat. She has competed at USEF "A" rated shows, as well as on the Morgan and American Quarter Horse breed circuits.
Christie Nissenson
Megan started her riding career at age 7 at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center riding western, then moved into Dressage before finally finding her place in the hunter/jumper discipline with Julie Golden Stables. She began her professional career at 18, which included starting a Riding School at Orange County Fairgrounds, and riding and teaching for several trainers at the LA Equestrian Center, including David Josiah, Ginny Planke, and even a saddle seat trainer. There, she was able to further herself as a rider and gain a lot of experience. Now, as a mom to 2 year old son Bryan, she has been looking for a job that can also be a “home,” providing stability for herself and her son. “I am so excited to be a part of First Field Farm, surrounded by great people and great horses!”