Riders come in all forms, in all disciplines with different levels of interest and commitment. Every so often there is a rider who stands out to me not just as a competitor but as a true horseman. Someone who surrounds herself with the best and puts her horses, their happiness, and their welfare way ahead of her own ambitions.
It has always been that way as we have watched Sophia. She has faced numerous adversities in her journey. After qualifying for Pony Finals , she lost her best buddy, her first pony, to colic on the day he was being readied to load for the trip. Sophia's heart was broken not for having to opt out of the show but for the pony, I believe she was only 8 years old at that time.
Sophia has developed a tremendous understanding of the skill set and dedication it takes to actually ‘partner’ with her horses. [In my experience], until this is solid and true, the consistency in the ring can never be a given. and she has come to realize the importance of that trust. She is very aware of her responsibility in this role and does not take it for granted.
The other piece of her success to be sure has been a 7 year long loyal relationship with her trainer Jonathan Martin, of Hunt Hill Farm. It is every trainer’s dream to have a client who truly wants to be a student of the sport and is willing to do whatever it takes to earn her place in that world. Together they have worked on finding good partner horses and have spent countless hours developing what has become an impressively sophisticated set of skills for such a young rider that will clearly be her tools for life.
After competing medium and large ponies, Sophia added small junior hunters to her schedule in 2020 and that move to horses seemed to be defining. There were great ribbons at indoors, a move up to 3’6 and a new interest in pursuing jumpers.
From there light bulbs and opportunities seemed to go off rapidly. Learning the skills of Equitation and competing successfully in those divisions really made the rider connection, the cause and effect ‘ factor even more apparent for Sophia. Now she is continuing in the hunters having just come off a very exciting win at WEC Ohio in the National Hunter Derby! Big Eq was a natural next step and Sophia has had recent wins in both the Medal and Maclay.
We can’t wait to see where her journey goes next but with her passion, humility and commitment we know for sure that anything is possible.
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Then there is Meg Pellegrini.
]]>Then there is Meg Pellegrini.
In a moment of serendipity and in a true small world fashion, I had a chance meeting with Meg Pellegrini’s parents who had flown out from their home in California looking for a potential farm property in Pennsylvania . They had an appointment to look at a farm that I had previously had the privilege of leasing for almost 32 years as I ran my breeding program. They indicated that they were looking in the area because they had a daughter who had already moved to the area and was in a serious training program for 3-day eventing with an eye for the future.
Fast forward to last year, when I had the pleasure of meeting Meg at our store in Malvern, PA. She was all of 16 years old at that time. The conversation was something I would have been impressed to have with a professional twice her age! It was abundantly clear that this young lady was laser focused and a true student of the sport.
Competing at the inaugural Maryland 5-Star, October 2021
Meg started riding at the young age of 5. She started in hunters and then moved forward into eventing when her family relocated to California. Clearly the passion kicked in. With so much of the 3-day eventing community located here on the East Coast and specifically in Chester County, Pa, Meg moved to the area to begin training with Lillian Heard, who works out of Boyd and Silva Martins great Windurra USA facility.
Meg has competed up to FEI CC13* level and is continuing to grow. We just had the privilege of watching her compete at the Inaugural Maryland CC13*L where she finished as the 2021 National Young Rider Champion and 4th place overall!
Taking a victory lap as the 2021 National Young Rider Champion at Maryland 5-Star event in Elkton, MD.
Plenty busy with a string of young horses coming along and her top horse proving his talent through their bond, this young equestrian athlete has a future with the United States team in her sights and we see no reason why that could be a reality for this great young superstar!
Wishing Meg continued success.
]]>It is so easy to start a conversation with, ‘These kids today……..’ and have it reflect values and habits that lack the connection to our sport that has made the great rides from our past shine through.
This past Fall I had the pleasure of helping a young lady get fitted for her first pair of tall riding boots. What I found instantly refreshing about this particular encounter was the excitement and recognition that this was a BIG deal and a ‘rite of passage’ as this young rider was emerging from the pony ring into her future in the junior hunters.
Successfully fitting her in two different boots she was left to decide which pair she wanted and she turned to her mother for guidance. Her mothers reply was, ‘they both look beautiful, it is YOUR money so you can get whatever you like.’
We don’t hear that too often, I walked away to let her decide and she came to the front desk with the Tucci boots she loved the best and proceeded to put her hard earned money down onto the counter.
She never made mention of how she acquired these funds and was a bit shy, so her Mom finally said that she had to brag about this special daughter of hers.
It turns out that Ava was aware that she was going to need tall boots as she started her adventure with her new 4 year old Mechlenburg, 'Raisin’ who is her first partner coming off of ponies.
At the age of 12, she set out to start her own business designing and baking a fantastic line of horse treats known as ‘Perfect Pony Pops.'
After researching ingredients and baking techniques, she used her creativity to decorate these special, individual treats in a variety of charming themes and presented them in great packaging with her own logo.
After her ride at the horse shows she attended she would roll up her sleeves and set up pop-up shops. She would work for the rest of the day to sell her Pony Pops to her friends and fellow horsemen.
Hard work paid off and Ava is now sporting gorgeous new boots and I am delighted to represent her great product in our store in Malvern!
Ava is as dedicated to her riding and her horse as she is to her business and it will be great fun to watch her continue her pursuits.
]]>We are surrounded every day with enthusiastic young riders that have caught the ‘horse bug’. It is always fun to see that pure enthusiasm and where it ultimately takes them
In the case of Katie Pugliese, I would say it was a little more than a ‘bug’ that got her and from when we dressed her at 6 years old to take her first riding lesson we have watched the evolution of a young rider that is destined for big things. Under the coaching and encouragement of Diane Little, Katie, at the age of 14, recently caught the eye of Dianne Langer, the chef d’equipe of the USA Children’s team and was asked to represent the USA in the Nations Cup in British Columbia. That was this Summer and Katie along with her talented team mates brought home the ‘gold’ and an experience of a lifetime. Katies long term goals are to represent the USA on the big International stages of Aachen, Hickstead, with hopes of someday having an Olympic experience.
Katie has an insatiable quest for understanding and knowledge, she is a true student of the sport. We have spent hours together in the store together discussing the form and function of every product, bit, saddle, show jacket etc, all so she can make an informed decision for herself and her horses. I absolutely love those discussions and admire Katie so much for her curiosity, tenacity and true dedication. She is not driven by trends and social media noise she, at this very young age has found her own place and her own voice which is very rare to see in our industry today.
We look forward to following this talented young lady as she grows into the sport she is so clearly passionate about.
Katie's Stats:
2011: Started riding at the age of 6
2013: Started showing
2016: Started training with Diane Little moving into the ‘rated shows’ and the start of the jumper divisions
Attended clinics with Anne Kursinski and George Morris
2017: Competed for the first time at WEF
2018: leased ‘Bowser’ from Kristen Vanderveen
2019: Competed “Bowser ‘ at WEF placing in the top 3 consistently for the season
March 2019: approached by DiAnne Langer to join the children’s team competing in the Nation’s Cup for the USA in British Columbia
Nations Cup put in 3 clear rounds to help seal the gold for the USA along with her talented team mates
Present: Just acquired an exciting new mount looking forward to competing at WEF 2020
Congratulations to Amanda Beale Clement who officially became a three-star rider at the Ocala Jockey Club International in November, where she was the youngest competitor in the division. Malvern Saddlery is proud to sponsor her with KEP Italia Helmets, Franco Tucci Boots and Ego 7 riding apparel from Italy in an effort to encourage her journey to the top of her sport.
Read on for more on Amanda from Eventing Nation:
...That wasn’t the only big thing to happen to her last fall — she also became a freshman at West Chester University in Pennsylvania.
Eventing is all in the family for Amanda. Her mother, Susie Beale, is an accomplished four-star rider who owns and operates the bustling Cairn O’Mount Stables in Malvern, Pennsylvania. In addition to Susie’s long list of competitive accomplishments, her student’s many achievements speak to her passion for training and teaching which her daughter shares. The 18-year-old piloted her mother’s 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding Get Ready to a 17th place finish in the star-studded CIC3* at Ocala, adding only time to their dressage score.
But even with a four-star rider as a mother, Amanda wasn’t interested in eventing from the get-go. Up until the age of 11, she wanted to try all kinds of other activities and sports instead. “My mom was completely supportive and I think kept secretly hoping I wouldn’t want to ride,” said Amanda. “All the other sports were much cheaper!”
“I know how proud she is of me though; we have both worked hard to get me to this level. She is my biggest supporter, but I also have some amazing owners and sponsors who have come on board this year.”
2017 would be a big year for Amanda and it was kickstarted by being named to the USEF Emerging Athlete Eventing 18 list participating in the winter training session last January, which she says was a turning point in her riding thanks to the newfound confidence it gave her. At that time, she had only recently begun her partnership with Get Ready, known as “Brooklyn” around the barn, and rode her previous mount, Peter Pan, whom she piloted to team gold for Area II in the CH-J1* at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in 2015 and later competed through the CCI2* level.
“Peter Pan taught me so much and I left the January E18 session ready to take on the new partnership with Brooklyn,” Amanda reflected. She sings the praises of the lectures and demonstrations from top equine industry professionals, the group of other riders with whom she made strong friendships during the camp, and last but certainly not least, the “phenomenal teaching styles and techniques” of Emerging Athlete Coach Leslie Law.
“Leslie’s way of teaching immediately made sense to me and I felt completely at ease with him and his style. He is a superb instructor with an innate ability to help the rider understand the concepts that he is teaching. He is an excellent coach — he focuses on the training scale which is the basis of good riding. His dressage lessons and jump lessons are extremely helpful and positive.”
The boost of confidence that the E18 training camp provided helped Amanda to make her (and Brooklyn’s) debut at the Advanced level at Fair Hill in April, which would set them up for a very successful rest of the 2017 season. Before turning their attention to qualifying for a CCI2*, they ran Advanced again at the Horse Park of New Jersey in June and managed to knock four marks of their dressage score and 20 seconds off their cross country time from their debut at the level.
Amanda was also able to train with Leslie on a few other occasions throughout the competition season. First, at a two-day E18 training session at Phillip Dutton’s True Prospect Farm before they contested the CCI2* at Fair Hill International, and then again during a four-day intensive training session in Florida prior to the Ocala Jockey Club International. The extra preparation with Leslie was instrumental in helping her and Brooklyn jump clean around both events, says Amanda.
Having had such success due in part to the opportunities provided through the E18 program, it was a no-brainer for Amanda to apply to Eventing 25.
“With all this under my belt I knew that I had to apply for E25. I thought it was a bit of a long shot as I am only 18 and there are so many great riders already named to the E25,” she said, “but I am so excited to be given this opportunity by the USEF.”
As a first-year college student, Amanda also had to learn how to balance school with riding once the school year started. She admits it has been a challenge, but the feat has thankfully been made a little easier by the help and support of the people around her.
“There were days when I would be asking myself, ‘How is this going to work?’ I would have four horses to ride, a paper to write, a test and quiz due. I crammed all my classes into Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday which made those days long, but having Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to ride and compete was amazing.”
“There was some resistance to that schedule from the school and my advisor; they kept insisting that a freshman couldn’t do that schedule and classes had to be over all five days. I could not have done it without the help of the staff at the stable and my mom, but the schedule that I picked did work. Without that schedule and some really nice Wednesday professors the fall FEI events would have been out of the question.”
Amanda plans to ride and teach professionally after college and she hopes her major in psychology will help her along her path. Throughout the rest of her education, she’ll continue to work alongside her mom at Cairn O’Mount Stables by teaching, going to shows and coaching, and training the young horses.
Moving forward into 2018 with a semester of college under her belt, Amanda has plans to continue her eventing education as well, starting with participating in next week’s the Emerging Athlete winter training session.
“I know it will be another great experience and I am really looking forward to it,” she said. “I am really hoping to polish up on my flying changes! Now that I am going Advanced and three-star they are rather important — that’s where Leslie comes in!”
Amanda will then start the 2018 competition season by bringing four young horses to the new Grand Oaks Horse Trials in Florida to run in Novice through Preliminary levels. She and her mom have recently started a new venture bringing horses over from Ireland.
“I am really excited to get the new horses out competing,” she said. “This spring I will help my mom ride and compete at most of the events while also coaching our students. We have a great partnership, I am very lucky that I have an opportunity to work under her as I get my name out in the eventing world.”
Brooklyn will make his season debut the following month and will warm up with a run at Prelim before gearing up and aiming for Jersey Fresh later in the spring. Overall, Amanda wants to focus on technique and improving her skills at the upper-levels throughout the spring.
Long-term, Amanda has three concrete goals: Graduate from college, ride at the Kentucky CCI4*, and one day, represent the United States on a team.
“I love to compete, the nerves and the adrenaline of the sport is something that keeps one coming back for more. I love the challenges and the knowledge that I will always be learning something new from every horse I ride.”
Go Amanda. Go Eventing.
]]>Consisting of 30 scenic acres in Berks County, Pennsylvania, Magic Hill Farm is an ideal setting for raising and training young horses & ponies for both the hunter breeding and performance rings.
Emily Donaldson Dressage offers a variety of services for horse and rider, such as: Full and short-term training packages, training and competing horses, lessons: haul-in or at your farm, show preparation and coaching, clinics and sales.
Cairn O’Mount Stables is a full service training facility operated by international event rider Susie Beale. Whether you are a seasoned competition or just getting started in Eventing, Cairn O'Mount Stables promises an opportunity to grow and compete in a safe and fun environment.
Derbydown is nationally recognized as one of the foremost show hunter barns in the country. It is a training, boarding, showing and sales business. Derbydown is a multi-level horse facility providing all levels of instruction from summer camp to A-quality showing.
Ramble On Farm, owned and operated by Dominique Damico, is a top of the line training, showing and sales facility convenient to both the Main Line and Chester County areas. ROF has produced Hunter, Pony Hunter, Jumper and Equitation riders to National and Zone Championships.
Kimber-View Stables is a full service hunter, jumper, and equitation show barn. Located on a 56 acre farm purchased in July 2012, Troy and Annette Hendricks offer boarding, training, lessons, and showing from a convenient location in Chester County, PA.
Mill Stone is a show quality program. Our endeavor is to direct all horses and riders to the show ring to test their skill in a different venue. Lessons are homework, and showing is the test of that homework. Mill Stone shows at a great variety of shows. We offer schooling shows for those that are just starting out, and USEF “A” shows for those looking for zone and national awards.
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Life, at the end of the day is all about choices.
]]>In choosing my mentors and role models over decades of riding, I have learned that if it is indeed excellence that you are striving for, you need to surround yourself by the same. I have been very fortunate to have been guided by some of the best.
In my business I have used the same guidelines in the products and people we choose to work with.
When it comes to getting behind one of our athletes to support their goals in the best way we can, my decisions are based on an assessment of their ability to help elevate our sport and bring the highest level of talent and integrity.
On this blog, we will proudly feature a few of the individuals and product lines that I feel hold the key to the future.
~Jill, Owner & Shop Curator
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