Meet Emma Sargent

An Interview by Ponies and Parlantis Ponies and Parlantis was founded on June 30, 2015 by four young equestrians. They strive to update everyone with the popular aspects of the equestrian world! We will also be interviewing successful junior and professional riders.  Visit their site at http://poniesandparlantis.weebly.com   Written by founder Pearl Bensimoun Wisconson's sixteen year old rider Emma Sargent has had quite a successful career in the jumpers as a junior. She owns six horses, and also rides one for her trainer. Donald Cheska. She shows one of her horses in the low junior jumpers, three in the high junior jumpers, one in the Grand Prixs, and one is still in training.  Her favorite thing about riding and showing is "working with the horses and have it turn out well with both horse and rider. It's a good feeling and it is very rewarding." Sargent's favorite horse shows are any that are held at the Kentucky Horse Park because the ring is so big and beautiful, and also has a huge grass field with ample room to gallop in. Her most recent accomplishment was competing in her first Grand Prix with her horse, Winchester, at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival and only having one rail in her first round. Her short term goal is to be in the top ten for the NAJYRC and then Prix des States. In the future she would like to make a career out of riding if possible. "I normally don't have just one but [a particular] rider I do really like is Lucy Davis because she sort of came out from nowhere and just used her own skills and talents to make a name for herself," responded Sargent when asked who her riding inspiration was. Photo taken by Andrew Ryback Video taken by ShowNet

Meet Charlotte Novy

This interview is by Ponies and Parlantis Ponies and Parlantis was founded on June 30, 2015 by four young equestrians.  They strive to update everyone with the popular aspects of the equestrian world! They will also be interviewing successful junior and professional riders. Check back daily to stay updated with what's happening on the A Circuit!  *Parlanti is a copyright of PassionEq*  visit their site at http://poniesandparlantis.weebly.com   Charlotte Novy is a fourteen year old rider that owns three horses. She owns Closeau aka Clu who she shows in the 12-14 Equitation as well as the 3'3" junior hunters. Novy also owns Entourage aka Waffle who she shows in the 3'3" junior hunters. She also owns a small pony called Rockefeller aka Rocky who is currently leased out. She trains with Lynn Jane of Our Day Farm. "My favorite thing about riding is working and making connections with the horses. I am a huge animal lover, and I love seeing how I can work with my horses to train them to perform well over jumps and on the flat. Ever since I started riding at age 7, I have loved every second of being on and with the horses. My favorite thing about showing is seeing how well my training pays off, and seeing where I can improve. I am a pretty competitive person, so I find showing very fun!" responds Novy when asked what her favorite thing about riding and showing is. Her favorite horse show is the Washington International Horse Show(WIHS) because "It is very exciting to compete against the best of the best in a well-known venue in downtown Washington D.C. It's funny to think that when the Verizon Center isn't hosting WIHS, it is home to D.C.'s basketball teams and hockey team!" Novy's biggest riding accomplishment is ribboning several times at Harrisburg and Washington last year on her old pony, Hillcrest Songbird. They ribboned fifth in the handy and tenth in the stake at Harrisburg; and 2nd in the hack at Washington. Another accomplishment for Novy is moving up from short stirrups to placing 4th in the handy at WIHS on Rocky in the small pony hunters in under a year! Her goals for showing are to move up to the 3'6" Junior Hunters and start showing in the Big Equitation classes, as well as to qualify for Indoors in 2016. In the future, Novy would like to become a professional, get a first at indoors, and to compete in a Grand Prix. "My riding inspiration is George Morris. I was fortunate enough to talk with him a few times at WEF last winter, and will hopefully get to participate in some of his clinics next winter. He is so dedicated to the sport- he said that he always has a book about riding or horses sitting on the foot of his bed; that he is always learning. He is such an amazing rider and person!" said Novy when we asked her who her riding inspiration was. Video taken by USEF Network

Meet Hannah Hoch

Ponies and Parlantis was founded on June 30, 2015 by four young equestrians. 

They strive to update everyone with the popular aspects of the equestrian world! They will also be interviewing successful junior and professional riders. Check back daily to stay updated with what's happening on the A Circuit!  *Parlanti is a copyright of PassionEq* 

visit their site at http://poniesandparlantis.weebly.com

Eleven year old Hannah Hoch owns one medium pony named Anisette. She shows her in the Medium Pony Hunters and trains with Littlewood Farm out of Libertyville, IL.   Hoch has many things she loves about showing and she says "One of them is hanging out with my friends and cheering each other on because riding is all about having fun! I also love being in the show ring one-on-one with my pony. It gives you the ability to show the judge all the hard work you have put into this (sport)."   "My favorite show would have to be Washington International (WIHS) it is so astounding to be in the middle of D.C, and having non-horse people walking up to you and saying "Can I pet your pony?!" I've never been to another show like it!"   Hannah's biggest riding accomplishment is getting 10th in the over fences at Pony Finals on her small pony Go For The Gold aka "GoFor". "I went into the ring expecting to goof up, or make a mistake. When I went out of the ring with a great round (78, 81, 82) I didn't know what to do. I was so excited!"   Hannah's short-term riding goal is to get a score over an 85 on Anisette. "I feel like you really have to know your pony and be very confident to get a score that high, and I would like to build a bond like that with my pony." Her long-term goals for riding and showing would be moving up to the jumpers after ponies, and continue to move up to the junior jumpers. She loves the general concept of jumpers, and loves that it requires skill, carefulness, and speed. Hoch's riding inspirations are Victoria Colvin and Reed Kessler. "You can tell that they have worked so hard to get where they are, and their hard work has definitely paid off."

Meet Elizabeth Woods

An interview from Ponies and Parlantis 

Ponies and Parlantis was founded on June 30, 2015 by four young equestrians. 

They strive to update everyone with the popular aspects of the equestrian world! They will also be interviewing successful junior and professional riders. Check back daily to stay updated with what's happening on the A Circuit! *Parlanti is a copyright of PassionEq* 

visit their site at http://poniesandparlantis.weebly.com

Thirteen year old rider Elizabeth Woods has had quite a successful career recently on her large pony, Hidden Springs Woodstar, aka “Woody”. She shows him in the Large Pony Hunters. She also owns a Children’s Hunter named Peroni, whom she has owned for about a month. Woods has hopes of moving up divisions to the 3’3” and 3’6” Junior Hunters. She trains with Emily Elek of StoneWall Farm. Her favorite part about showing is being able to see all of her horse show friends at shows because she usually is only able to see them at shows! Her favorite part about riding is “that I just love being around horses and it’s so much fun!” Woods favorite horse show is The Devon Horse Show. “There are so many fun things to do there, the pony hunt teams are so much fun, their lemon sticks are my favorite!” She also likes the Washington International Horse Show(WIHS)  because “the show is in downtown Washington D.C. and that’s just so cool to me, and there are so many fun classes they have there to watch.” Her biggest riding accomplishments are getting top ribbons at Indoors and Devon on her large pony Woody, as well as getting top ribbons at Pony Finals with her old pony, No Drama. Her goals are to get great ribbons at many shows that she attends, and to qualify for PNHS and WIHS this fall. Woods looks up to Gia Rinaldi because she can ride many different types of horses well!

Gia Rinaldi: Excelling in all Three Rings

An interview from Ponies and Parlantis

Ponies and Parlantis was founded on June 30, 2015 by four young equestrians. They strive to update everyone with the popular aspects of the equestrian world! They will also be interviewing successful junior and professional riders. Check back daily to stay updated with what's happening on the A Circuit!  *Parlanti is a copyright of PassionEq*

visit their site at http://poniesandparlantis.weebly.com

Written by founders Emma Mabry and Pearl Bensimoun
Giavanna “Gia” Rinaldi is a 15 year old rider from Illinois. She currently owns two horses, G.P.S Brilliant Disguise aka Hugo, and Cayambe aka Sancho. She also co-owns a large green pony hunter called Top That aka Parker. She shows Hugo in the high junior jumpers and the grand prixs. Rinaldi also shows Sancho in the big equitation. She shows on the A/AA circuit and has won champion or been in the top ribbons at many prestigious horse shows such as indoors, Devon, WEF, and many others.

"My favorite thing about riding and showing is the feeling I get when I'm on the horse. It's a feeing of life, it feels like you never want it to stop. You just want time to stop at that moment because it lights you up inside," says Rinaldi when describing her favorite thing about riding and showing.

Gia hopes to excel this year at all of the big finals(especially in the equitation, she hopes to lay down solid rounds. Her long term goal is to start her own business and become a professional trainer and rider. She also hopes to show in the most prestigious places in the world; such as France, Italy, Canada, and Germany.

Gia said she loves all aspects of riding, but her favorite and one she says is the most thrilling is jumpers. “I love being able to go around the ring and feel like I'm flying. Equitation is about looking pretty and getting the job done well and no one noticing what you're doing. It has to look effortless. Hunters is a blast as well. I love the handy's especially!”

 Rinaldi said she does in fact get butterflies before showing in big classes such as grand prixs, but not because she's nervous. She said “It's not so much nerves as much as I just want to get in the ring and do what I love. I do get nervous sometimes just because I always set very high standards for myself and I always strive to get there each and every round.”

“My horses, trainers and supporters mean the world to me. I am extremely grateful for all of the positive comments they make. It makes my day to see them. Without each and every one of them I wouldn't be where I am today. To be an excellent rider you have to understand how to learn from your mistakes, comprehend them and move on. You learn from your mistakes and understand where you went wrong and what you could have done to fix them and move past it. My parents and trainers have always said that to me. The one thing I don't like to do is dwell on the past.” Says Rinaldi.

Photo by photography intern Grace Schinsing

Annabella Sanchez: From Ponies to the Junior Jumpers

We are pleased to bring you blogs from Ponies and Parlantis.

Ponies and Parlantis was founded on June 30, 2015 by four young equestrians. They strive to update everyone with the popular aspects of the equestrian world! They will also be interviewing successful junior and professional riders. Check their site as well to stay updated with what's happening on the A Circuit!   *Parlanti is a copyright of PassionEq*

http://poniesandparlantis.weebly.com

Photo by Andrew Ryback

At the age of only thirteen Annabella Sanchez has had quite a successful pony career and has now moved up to the junior jumpers. She has been riding for around six years. Sanchez stated that she got into riding when she visited her uncles horse farm. She had always took an interest in the horses that were there. After that, her mother asked around about where she should start riding. 

Sanchez started her showing career in the short stirrups. She had quite a bit of success and won IHJA Short Stirrup Champion at the end of the year. She then started showing in the pony hunters. Sanchez went through two medium ponies before she found her pony Newsflash. Just after getting him, she got a sixth place ribbon at USEF Pony Finals.

"Yes it is nice to win but at the end of the day it is based on how you rode your course," Says Annabella.

Sanchez's goal is to one day represent the United States at the Olympics. She currently owns a jumper named Zara and a medium pony hunter named Flash, who is leased out. The first time she showed Zara she competed in the low junior jumpers and was champion!

Annabella rides with Katie Kappler at Kappler Farms. She says she believes her biggest riding accomplishment was winning the IHJA Pony Medal Finals and getting 10th overall at Pony Finals. Sanchez says that winning the IHJA Pony Medal Finals this year meant a lot to her because the year before she was runner up.

"I am so lucky to have had such great horses and amazing trainers that have helped me get to where I am today. Without them I would not be where I am and would not have as many opportunities as I do now. I am so grateful to all the staff at Kappler Farms and my parents for always supporting me," says Sanchez.

Annabella also says she sees herself being around horses in the future, and that she has always found something special in horses.

"People say it's just a horse or she is just your horse. Well to me my horse is a best friend, a partner, a team mate, and a teacher. No matter what she is not just a horse. Without horses I wouldn't be who I am today."

Why Continuing Riding in College was the Best Choice for Me

by Lily Kubly

A big decision presents itself for young equestrians when it comes to graduating high school: do I continue in college or take a hiatus? With new change coming, it seems many want to take a break and focus on classes and their future careers (unless riding will be or involve their future career, of course).

When presented with this dilemma, I knew that I wanted to ride by any means possible. It really wasn’t even a decision that I made; I knew in my heart that I wanted to ride beyond high school before I even applied to colleges. I would not commit to anything right away in order to make sure this was for sure something I wanted to continue with the challenges of college work, but deep down I knew that it was something I wanted to continue even if part time.

 

Lily and Gunner

At the point of making college decisions, riding was a major part of who I was. Traveling for shows was not uncommon especially my junior year and the first half of my senior year of high school. I had traveled to Florida that winter of my junior year (2011) to compete in the 3’3 juniors with my young horse, Gunner. After florida, I began competing again in the junior Eq classes (I had traveled and done them my sophomore year also) and traveled all over to get qualified for the USEF Pessoa medal finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg. That was successful and I went on to go to Capital Challenge for two weeks before the medal finals as well that fall of 2011.

With all the change that was coming my way, I couldn’t imagine also giving up something I had been so passionate about all my life. It would mean a complete lifestyle change without riding; moving cities and also discontinuing something that had been such a big part of most of my life. College marks the end of riding for a lot of junior riders who either decide to focus on something else or loose interest, and I knew I didn’t want to fall in those catagories and give up all that I had worked for.

The next fall (2012) I began my freshman year at University of Missouri in Columbia or Mizzou (an out of state school for me as I am from Milwaukee) and, as planned, started riding as soon as I could. As small of a town as Columbia is, I was fortunate to find an awesome Hunter/Jumper barn just 15 minutes from campus. I was able to consistently ride at least five times a week even with my schoolwork. I met a few good friends right away at the barn also who helped me adjust to campus socially.




Things started off well on campus, but as the first semester dragged on, I slowly started to realize Columbia was not the right place for me. I felt disconnected to the people around me and homesickness hit me really hard. I was constantly torn between staying and seeing if it gets better next semester, and leaving and starting over as soon as possible. I felt really lost and unsure of myself and my life, as I imagine most students do first semester, so I decided to stick out the year and see if things get better. And things get better for a while. During the first few weeks of second semester, things finally felt like they were falling in place. I was still riding consistently, classes started off better for me, and I was starting to really connect with the friends I had made first semester, but after relatively short a period of time I started to feel lost again.

During these periods of feeling lost, the barn was the place where I was able to find myself the most. Getting of campus was definitely the best thing for me as well in order to remove myself from the situation and get my mind off everything. Just being around the horses was therapy enough. The way they are always excited to see you (even if you just left them for a few minutes in the isle) was just what I needed.

 Here, I did my most rational thinking and was able to really sort through the issues in my head. I was able to work towards my riding goals and put my spirit into something else other than school. I can truly say the barn kept me in school and grounded during that period of time.

In the end, I ended up leaving Missouri which was by far the best choice for me. And now about two years down the road and in Madison, WI, I am still consistently riding and competing when possible and I am so happy I did so. It means I’m constantly busy, but I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to ride as much as I do.

 

Lily and Desi

There have definitely been parts of my college career where I took some time off due to a horse with lameness, being without a horse to ride, or transferring schools (which I did twice; from Mizzou to Milwaukee then to Madison). And to be honest, at this point I was looking forward to a little break to find myself again through these changes and make time for other things in my life. These periods of time helped me realize how much riding does for me and how it affects my life. I realized my motivation in general is way higher when I am riding consistently. My grades are always better during the times I ride most even though I have less time for schoolwork. It keeps me focused and motivated and allows me to better manage my time by staying organized and on task. This applies to keeping in shape as well. Riding in itself is active, but I have also always been an active person and enjoy pushing myself at the gym or on runs, but I noticed I actually was less active during time off depending on the length of time. When I took about a month and a half or so off of riding, my longest break ever, I slowly stopped going to the gym as much as I had before. If it is only a week or a few days off I tend to be more active, though.

 It’s also a great way to get off campus. As much as I love school, hanging with friends, and my roomates, it’s a good way to escape from stress associated with campus at least for a few hours and also feel more at home in your college town. The drives to the barn are when I realize how beautiful the area around Madison is. The drive always involves a scenic view of the capital and the rolling hills around the area. I also get to see and realize how much goes on outside the city and how much suburban life there is beyond the downtown area.

 

Lily and Uno in Kentucky 2014

Another thing it has done for me is keep me grounded. Having a horse to ride is both a privilege and a responsibility. College social life (especially in Madison) is abundant and it’s easy to get distracted by all the things there are to do and all the fun people you meet. With a horse to ride consistently, there is still time to be social, but it keeps me from overdoing it. I look forward to riding and know I need to keep my grades up in order to continue it.

Continuing to ride in college isn’t possible or plausible for everybody, but from my experience I could not be happier that I am able to and chose to continue my passion beyond my junior years. It provides a balance and happiness in my college life that would be hard to find otherwise and I could not be more thankful for it.

From Chronicle of the Horse

August 7, 2015

Hold Tight! Staying On The Overjumper

By: Blogger Taylor Flury

Staying with young horses like Carrasca Z when they overjump can help them develop into confident jumpers later in life. Photo by Lili Weik

 

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I ride a lot of young horses, and sometimes you just don't know what you're going to get when they leave the ground! Sometimes they make an effort for a 4' fence when the top rail is half that.

One question I am always asked is: “How do I stay on when my horses jump so big over the jumps?”

First, I must say I am so lucky to have such superfreaks in my life. We breed and look for horses with phenomenal talent, but I like to say that they only jump like this because they are food motivated. They take after their rider! Just like my horses, I love food, and just like my horses, I am an overachiever which sometimes makes life difficult.

My horses speak English and every time before they show I tell them that if they jump clean and are good they will get their special treats; they about eat me in their haste to eat their cookies after their rounds. People laugh at me all the time asking if they understand and let me tell you, they totally do. My horses and I have full conversations.

Young horses frequently make unexpected extravagant efforts over smaller jumps. Here Vuvuzela Z is way above the top rail, but I'm doing my best to stay with him and out of his way.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography

I grew up riding Role Model and people used to say all the time that her jump looked so difficult to stay with, but the first horse I rode that really jumped me loose was Clever Girl (Clevi). She was a young mare we had bought as a broodmare and then within a year of starting to show she was very competitive at the 1.40-meter level. She was a special mare and I am excited for her daughter, who I recently started.
On that note though, I realized that if I wanted to give Clevi the ride she deserved I was going to need to get stronger. I was getting jumped loose and then didn’t get back into the saddle fast enough on the landing to be organized for the next jump.

What’s more, if I wanted her to keep jumping this good and trying so hard I had to stay with her in the air to give her the support she needed while at the same time not hanging onto her mouth. It is important for your seat and hand to be able to be independent of each other. You don’t have to be jumping big jumps to get jumped loose and it is important at all levels to be able to stay with your horse.   

We hear it all the time that you have to be fit and you should work out to be a stronger rider but until this realization, I really didn’t accept or acknowledge that. I rode a lot every day and did lots of barn work and I thought that was enough. I had worked out off and on but never really had the time or the energy to commit to it.

But I decided that I wanted to be the strongest rider I could be, because I wanted to help the horse, not hinder it. Furthermore, it is doubly important when you have young horses that you stay with them because you have to help them with their balance and give them confidence. If I hang on their mouth or get left behind they are not going to want to jump the next jump and especially not in a confident, athletic manner. Usually, the first few times a young horse jumps they will jump really high because they are nervous and this is such a fragile time in their life. Then they will land on their front end unorganized and out of balance.

You have to be secure in your leg with your heel down, not pinching the knee, holding your core strong to hold your body in the air, and looking forward (because this does make a difference in your body position), with your hands keeping a slight feel on the horse’s mouth but not to the point where you are balancing off the mouth. I would rather see someone with their hands on the mane than pulling on the horse’s mouth. However, I think it is important to be strong in your seat and leg so that you can keep a slight feel of the horse’s mouth especially when they are young so that you can help them land balanced.  

My heel might not be down as much as I'd like in this photo, but I'm staying balanced in my body despite Carrasca Z's huge effort. There's a also a nice slack in the rein to let him use himelf.
Photo by Alison Hartwell

We expect our horses to be in peak condition and why should we accept less of ourselves. I am the first one to tell you that I know I could stand to lose a few—or several—pounds, but beneath that I would like to think I am very physically strong and balanced. What really helped me to get this way was Pilates and Yoga and it is my go-to workout whenever I can.

When I cannot get to the gym I will do 15-20 minutes of exercises on my own. Pilates really taught me body control, helped with my balance, and it made my core very strong. People will say, “Oh Pilates is an easy workout,” let me tell you, it is not. I never realized how strong it made me until I worked out with a personal trainer at the gym and he could not believe how strong I was and how easy everything was for me.
Yoga makes me more supple in my body, which is so important for me because I am one of the tightest people ever. I think it is so important for riding to have a strong core because then it makes your back stronger and your seat more independent/balanced. In the air you want to be able to hold your body still and not be balancing off the horse’s mouth; a strong core makes this possible. When I hurt my back a year ago, being fit, strong, and limber made my recovery so much faster.   

Riding-wise I think you can also do exercises to improve staying with your horse over the jumps. You can practice jumping without stirrups, or jumping with one hand behind your back to not have to balance off of the horse’s mouth but rather your seat.

I am definitely not perfect and my riding style is far from traditional but I always want to try to give my horses my all like they do for me.  Even if you can’t fit in a workout you can still get stronger just by riding and I think the most important aspect is to be confident and positive about your riding. Believe in yourself.

Chronicle blogger Taylor Flury rides out of her family's AliBoo Farm in Minooka, Ill., and competes primarily in the jumpers, specializing in bringing along young horses. She also runs AliBoo's breeding program. Flury's former top mount is the U.S.-bred Role Model (Roc USA—Darling Devil), who claimed U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year titles in 2011 and 2012 in the 5- and 6-Year-Old Jumper divisions and won at grand prix.  
Read all of Taylor's blogs here.

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