CASEY BALLOCH JOHNSEY
Owner, Balloch Equestrian Athletes
Manager, Icon Equestrian Center
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Casey is our barn manager and head trainer at Icon. She also oversees our show schedule at Icon. She has been in and around the horse industry her entire life. Following in the footsteps of her mother, her passion for horses began at an early age. At the age of 11, she got her first very own horse, Daisy, purchased from the Thrifty Nickel Newspaper, and from there, her passion for training and showing began to blossom.
At the age of 18, she left home in pursuit of her professional career. Intent on reaching her dream of competing at the Kentucky Three Day Event, she began grooming for several Olympic level Three Day riders. These opportunities would give her experience working internationally in Canada, Belgium, and of course, a significant amount of time in Ocala, Florida. Her hard work would quickly move her from grooming to barn management at the FEI level.
In 2011, Casey found herself moving from the Eventers back to the Hunter/Jumper world. Casey quickly built a solid foundation on teaching and helping others achieve their goals in the hunter ring, and in 2013 she opened Balloch Equestrian Athletes. Since its inception, BEA riders have found themselves successful in the local equitation and hunter rings and on the A circuit. Never losing sight of her dream to compete in Kentucky, Casey jumped at the opportunity to campaign an upper-level eventing horse, Tenny. Finishing Reserve Champion at the American Eventing Championships, this summer. You can find her at a horse trial competing Tenny and coaching her eventing students who continue to knock out their goals when not in the hunter ring.
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When away from the barn, you can find Casey on her farm, where she and her husband have five hunt horses and a pile of dogs. Foxhunting, gardening, and spending time out on the water are just a few things you can find her doing in her spare time.
MALLORY UPHOFF
Trainer
Camp Manager / Pony Parties
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Mallory has 12 years total of equestrian experience. She began riding in her younger years - and when a barn was built in her neighborhood, she just couldn’t keep herself away. Her career started off as a typical barn rat (like many of her students) spending all day and every day at the barn. Her first position as a working student began at that same farm, Paige Farms, for two years. Paige Farms was owned by Ashely Farrington and Mallory received training from Kim Davidson and Casey Balloch. She then advanced to head groom and barn manager for Balloch Equestrian Athletes for four years. It was during this time that she won Grand Champion of the 2015 ETHJA Junior Medal Finals, and 2016 ETHJA Adult Medal Finals the year following. She spent two months during this time to further her education and be a professional groom for #1 rider in the world, Kent Farrington. Eventually, it became time for her start her own batch of students! She began training alongside Casey Balloch Johnsey with her own Hunter/Jumper clients from a beginner to intermediate level, going on five years present. Mallory is passionate about taking her students to horse shows and even encourages them to attend Fox Hunts, so that all of them are equipped to handle anything they may encounter while in the saddle. When she manages to find a quiet day, she enjoys her time off with her family and dogs, typically outside and never too far from a body of water. Mallory joined the Icon family two years ago and is so excited to be leading the lesson program and hosting camps for Icon Equestrian Center.
