Event rider Pippa Moon has enjoyed working other people’s horses the four years she’s lived in Southern Pines. But now, the 27-year-old native of Portland, Maine, is ready to focus on her own business.

At least one aspect of that business, Pippa Moon Training and Sales, based at White Star Farm, will benefit other area riders as well. Moon is hosting a series of summer schooling shows at the farm, catering to green horses and inexperienced riders. The mid-week shows will start at 5 p.m. with 18 inch rounds and conclude at dusk, or when jump height reaches 3 feet, 6 inches. The rounds — no timers, no judges — are $5 each.

Schooling opportunities in Moore County tend to fall off in the humid summer months, which is why Moon decided to run her shows later in the day. Twelve horses took part in Wednesday’s inaugural show.

“I’m trying to make it very horse and rider friendly,” Moon said. “Right now, I’m planning on holding them every three weeks.”

Moon grew up trail riding and driving Morgans at her family’s farm and didn’t begin eventing until she was 11.

“I didn’t even know what eventing was,” she said, laughing. “I wanted to show jump and wound up buying an event horse. We went to look up his record and didn’t even know what the USEA (United States Eventing Association) was.”

That horse, a thoroughbred/quarter horse cross named Aurora Boris, took Moon up to training level and convinced her to switch disciplines. Largely self taught, Moon trained with dressage coaches in Maine and didn’t actually ride with an eventing instructor until she spent the summer of 1999 training with Bobby Costello in Massachusetts.

During her sophomore year at N.C. State, Moon traveled with her family to Kilkenny, Ireland, in the hopes of finding her next event horse. The Moons returned with three horses and sold two of them.

The spirited chestnut stayed.

Named Ribbo, the 14-year-old gelding has taken Moon up to the advanced level. Moon was hoping to compete Ribbo at the Rolex Three Day Event this spring, but soft tissue injuries to both front legs forced him to the sidelines. The gelding is back in full work now with Rolex 2011 as a goal.

While at college, Moon boarded Ribbo and drove down for weekly lessons with local eventer Bobby Stevenson. After graduating in 2005 with a degree in business management, Moon moved to Southern Pines. She established a successful freelance business, which allowed her to pack up Ribbo and travel to events whenever she wanted.

“The last four years I’ve been doing the freelance thing so Ribbo could be the goal, and I’d have the freedom to go and show him when I wanted,” Moon said. “I didn’t really think about building up a business other than my freelance clients. It was pretty easy and straightforward, but now I’m ready to take on more.”

The next schooling show will be held July 14. Anyone interested in riding or attending can e-mail Moon at pippamoon@gmail.com.