By Jessica Grutkowski
Portraits By Sophia Donohue
Growing up in Marlboro, Massachusetts, Elizabeth “Liz” Perry learned about horsemanship through her local 4H program. “My parents were not ‘horse people,’ but they supported my passion,” she said. “When I was 13 years old, they allowed me to adopt a chestnut Saddlebred Arabian mare named Tianta. We built five stalls in our flat-top garage according to a 4-H schematic.”
Adjacent to the stalls were three acres of land they used for turnout. “Our neighbors also boarded horses on our property,” Liz said. “I essentially started my own business as a teenager.”
For her 16th birthday, Liz’s father gave her a horse trailer. “He worked for Hewlett-Packard and we used a hand-me-down company car to tow the horses,” she said. “I could finally trailer in for lessons at our local barn, Stepping Stone Farm.”
Throughout high school, Liz immersed herself in different disciplines. “I even dabbled in sidesaddle,” she said. “But for the most part, I competed at 4-H shows held at state fairs.”
From 4-H to IHSA & Beyond
After graduation, Liz moved to Virginia to attend Intermont College, now Emory & Henry University. “I rode on the IHSA team, and competed locally in the hunter-jumpers,” she said. “I participated in a Nations Cup-style jumper championship and won a sportsmanship award. It was a great time.”
When she wasn’t riding for the team, Liz sought out learning opportunities with local professionals. “I worked for Paul Melon in Middleburg learning to gallop horses on the track. We focused on horses that were recovering from an injury, and how to modify their training,” she said. “Paul piqued my interest in rehabilitation.”
Thanks to her 4-H roots, Liz enjoys horsemanship and riding—equally. “I remember doing a presentation in college on grooming,” she said. “I prided myself on knowing about every single brush and its purpose.”
After college, Liz moved to Pennsylvania to work for Bruce Davidson. “The Davidson family is legendary in the eventing world, but it wasn’t my passion,” she said. “I wanted to get back into the hunter-jumper world.”
Liz took a trip to New Jersey to seek out the advice of her close friend and former college roommate Carol Hunter. “She told me that Nona Garson needed an assistant in Tewksbury,” she said. “The next day, I knocked on Nona’s door and pitched myself for the job. Looking back now, it was crazy—but it worked!”
For the next six years, Liz worked as Nona’s assistant. “I was there when Nona won bronze at the Pan American Games,” Liz said. “My years with Nona were like finishing school. I participated in lessons and clinics, and showed with George Morris—Nona’s coach at the time—and did my best to soak everything up like a sponge.”
By 1999, Liz felt like she had enough experience to start her own business. “I leased a farm in Pittstown, New Jersey, and met my husband that same year. Together, we established High Brass Farm,” she said. “We were traveling and growing and began a small import business.”
Underwater Success
While on a business trip in Holland, Liz was introduced to an underwater equine treadmill prototype. “I had always envisioned our lower barn as a rehabilitation facility,” she said. “I knew this technology would put us on the map, as it was a new modality for rehabilitation at the time.”
The couple secured a loan to purchase the treadmill, and Liz invited local veterinarians to hear her vision. Slowly but surely, they got on board. “It’s a controlled environment that promotes straightness and develops proper muscle and toning—especially compared to swimming, where you can’t control the speed or depth,” she said.
By 2001 the couple finally owned the property at High Brass Farm. It was a dream come true. “Having a multi-pronged business model proved to be a competitive advantage,” she said. “I’m always looking for ways to expand my services.”
Liz continued to explore new ways to supplement her education. “I was tired of being confused by a client’s score, and decided to get my judging license,” she said. “I saw it as a way to be on both sides of the in-gate—and if I enjoyed it, I would have a plan for later in life.”
To ensure she would enjoy the process, Liz signed up to judge local schooling schools. “I spent long days in the back of a pickup truck—sometimes with an umbrella and sometimes without,” she said. “Rain or shine, I truly loved it. I saved every penny I made from judging and used that savings to pay for my license.”
In the winter of 2015, when traveling to Ocala for circuit, she approached USEF ‘R’ Judge Scott Hofstetter about getting her license. “Scott encouraged me to go for it and became my mentor,” she said. “The time I spent shadowing him was key. I did double the requirements with him in Upperville, St. Louis and California. He taught me the ropes!”
Liz was riding high, and excited for the future, when suddenly everything she had worked so hard for came to a screeching halt.
A Living Nightmare
One morning, Liz awoke to a legal letter from the new owners of the small airport next door. “They were suing us for trespassing,” she said. “It didn’t make any sense. We had owned our property for more than two decades.”
The property was originally a Saddlebred horse farm that became an ASPCA abuse case. “The neighboring small airport owner purchased the land in bankruptcy court. He wanted to build a series of homes and extend the runway so residents could literally fly home,” she said. “There were 100 acres of land, of which we owned 45 acres. To make room for the development’s enhancements, our farm’s driveway was relocated. It wasn’t a big deal at the time.”
Unfortunately, the township never recorded the new driveway location on the property map. “That oversight by the town clerk opened up a major legal loophole,” she said. “The new airport owners unleashed a five-year lawsuit that cost us nearly everything, including the marriage. Essentially, we had purchased a landlocked property 23 years earlier.”
Giving up was never an option for Liz. “I was newly divorced, saddled with debt and navigating a global pandemic. I picked myself up and moved down the road with a few amazing, loyal customers I consider family,” Liz said. “I lived in my camper behind the indoor arena for three years and did everything myself.”
Liz also rebranded her business to start fresh and signify a new chapter. “When my father’s parents immigrated from Portugal, their last name was Pereira, but it was anglicized to Perry,” she said. “Pereira means pear, and that’s how Pear Tree Show Stable was born.”
Those first few years, Liz was unsure of which direction Pear Tree Show Stable would take in terms of focus. “I moved in with eight horses, and considered staying small and judging more,” she said. “But then my phone started ringing, and I knew everything was going to be all right.”
Treading Water to Riding Waves
The underwater treadmill also played a huge role in her comeback. “My rehabilitation business took off,” she said. “We use it as sports conditioning for healthy client horses as well as injured horses who need therapy for recovery.”
Liz remains passionate about developing young hunters through their import program. “I believe in a slow and steady approach, with a strong focus on groundwork and horsemanship,” she said. “Our 2015 KWPN gelding High Society was just champion with a fellow professional in the 3’ Green Hunter Division at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. I am so proud!”
At Pear Tree Show Stable, Liz also trains a mix of Amateur and Junior clients. Her clients have been Grand Champion at Harrisburg and Champion at WIHS and Capital Challenge, Lake Placid and more. Many also earned top honors at the 2025 USHJA Zone 2 Finals at Harrisburg—where Liz was awarded the George Patterson Perpetual Trophy. “So many greats in our sport are engraved on that trophy—I’m very honored to be added to that list of industry leaders!” Liz said. “I serve on the USHJA Zone 2 Committee and USHJA Child/Adult Task Force. I love giving back to the community that supported me when I needed it most.”
Liz has also become a sought-after judge and is grateful for the opportunity to sit in the booth. “Last year, I was invited to judge at the High Desert Classic, HITS and the World Equestrian Center,” she said. “My dream is to judge a prestigious hunter final such as Harrisburg, the National Horse Show or Washington.”
Last Fall, while judging the Octoberfest Horse Show in New Jersey, Liz experienced a full-circle moment. “I realized the highest-scoring Thoroughbred was a horse that had previously come through my rehabilitation program,” she said. “I had a huge smile on my face.”
In the process of rebuilding, Liz also found her soulmate—Patrick Beers—a foxhunter who works in healthcare marketing. “Patrick proposed to me at the Kentucky Derby last year,” she said. “We’re getting married at Patrick’s farm in New Jersey with friends, family, our beloved dogs and horses—all under a sailcloth tent on the jumping field.”
In their very little downtime, Liz and Patrick enjoy sharing their passion for horses, and often foxhunt together. Liz joked that they picked the week between the Maryland Horse and Pony Show and Capital Challenge Horse Show for their wedding because it was the only time their friends could attend. “Typical horse people stuff!” she said.
Follow Pear Tree Show Stable on Facebook or on Instagram @peartreeshowstable
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