Written by ASHLEY HUMPHREY
When Mark and Tara Rein met at a horse show in Canada, they had no idea they would one day be watching their horse compete at the Olympics.
After getting married, the Reins moved from the greater Toronto area to Raleigh, North Carolina in 1999 for Mark’s job. He ultimately co-founded Epic Games, the company that developed the video game Fortnite.
A few years ago, Mark and Tara decided to start Rein Family LLC. They own about 25 horses that specialize in show jumping. They train at one of their three stable locations: Raleigh, North Carolina; Wellington, Florida; and Valkenswaard, Netherlands.
They instilled a love for riding in their two daughters, Carly and Cassidy. Carly Rein graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in May with a Business Administration degree. Cassidy Rein studies at Penn State Online while she trains in Florida and the Netherlands year-round. In the Netherlands, she trains alongside USA Equestrian’s Laura Crout and has dreams of representing Team Canada in Los Angeles in 2028. The Reins’ son, Carson, is also at UNC-Chapel Hill pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Computer Science. The Reins are dual citizens of Canada and the United States.
“My parents, being from Canada, really wanted to go back to their roots by supporting the Canadian Equestrian Team,” Carly Rein said.
The family’s horse Nikka Vd Bisschop is paired with Canadian Equestrian Erynn Ballard. It is both Ballard and Nikka’s first Olympics. Ballard is known as a “catch rider” who can bond with horses easily. The pair only rode together for three months before being officially selected by Team Canada this summer.
“It was a fast turnaround,” Carly Rein said. “They ended up only competing in 13 competitions before the Olympics which is not a lot compared to the other riders who have been working with their horses for years. So, the fact that Erin and Nikka clicked so quickly was amazing and explained why they did so well.”
The Rein family stands in their Team Canada gear. (Photo via Carly Rein.)
Nikka (left) and another one of the Rein family’s horses at their enclosure. (Photo via Carly Rein.)
As Nikka’s owner, Mark and Tara Rein had athlete credentials, allowing them to visit and feed Nikka throughout the competition. The Equestrian Competition was held outside of Paris at the Palace of Versailles. The entire Rein family went to watch Nikka and Ballard.
“It actually felt incredibly surreal just watching the show, seeing the palace in the background and the nature. I couldn’t have imagined a better place for an equestrian event,” Carly Rein said.
In Versailles, Nikka, the 11-year-old Bay mare, had only two rails down total, once in the team competition and once in the individual. Because of Team Canada’s overall score, they did not move on to finals, and because of Nikka’s time in the individual competition, she did not move on to finals.
“These jumps are the highest jumps in the world, they’re the widest jumps,” Carly Rein said. “Overall, we’re really happy with the round and proud of how they did. We couldn’t have asked for a better horse.
After competing across Europe for the rest of the summer, Nikka and the Reins will go to Florida for the Winter Equestrian Festival from December through April 2025.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly spelled Tara Rein’s name. It has since been updated.
The Chapel Hill Media Group is partnering with the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media to publish stories reported by students in Paris, France for the 2024 Olympic Games. Ashley Humphrey is one of 25 student journalists working under the direction of professor Charlie Tuggle, who are publishing their stories through a variety of North Carolina outlets.
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