2010 Equiery Perpetual Hunter Award Winner Sarah Boston
by Katherine O. Rizzo
Pony-Crazy Little Girls How does a 10-year-old girl become the top hunter rider in the state? Great parents, great training and of course, a great pony. Sarah Bos- ton’s road to the top only started three years ago when she took her fi rst riding lesson at the McDonogh School in Owings Mills. “At McDonogh, the children get to ride for four weeks as part of PE,” said Sarah’s mom Sharon Boston. But before those fi rst formal lessons, Sarah and her twin sister Grace spent lots of time begging to ride ponies at fairs. “I have loved ponies for as long as I can remember,” Sarah said. When Sarah was in second grade, she caught the eye of McDonogh trainer Amy Dawson Moore during a weekly lesson. “She had a per- fect tiny little position and always did what her trainer asked,” Amy com- mented. Amy went on to say that Sarah looked a tad bored in the lesson and fi g- ured she needed something a bit more challeng- ing than regu- lar lessons. “I leaned over the
wall and told her if she tried really hard during her lesson I would give her my best pony and I would lead her in the leadline class myself at the next show. She gave me a thumbs up and that was that!” Amy added. After winning most of the leadline classes
she went to that fi rst show season, Sarah moved into the short stirrup di- visions and then into the pre-children’s
classes.
Last season, as a fourth grader, Sarah was paired up with Hillcrest Trea- sure Chest to ride in the children’s pony classes.
A Girl & Her Ponies With Hillcrest Trea-
sure Chest, aka Charlie, Sarah won big all season. She was the 2010 Zone 3 Finals Children’s Pony Champion, the Mary- land Horse and Pony Show Children’s Grand
Champion, the Mary- land Horse Show Asso- ciation Children’s Pony Reserve Champion and the MHSA Chil- dren’s Pony Resident Champion (for which she scored enough points to win T e Equi- ery Perpetual Hunter Award). And all of that was just with Charlie, who Sarah describes as “very handsome and he knows it!” With Charlie, Sarah
Sarah Boston and Hillcrest Treasure Chest with trainer Amy Daw- son Moore at the Maryland Horse and Pony Show
The Boston twins Sarah and Grace
even qualifi ed to com- pete at the Washington International Horse Show on local day. She said that riding in the Verizon center was “really cool” and that she also enjoyed watching the big grand prix jumper classes. “I learned a lot there,” she said about WIHS. “I thought it would take her at least the season to learn how to win on Charlie. I was way wrong, [at the] fi rst show [she was] champion, and that is how her year continued,” Amy said. In 2010, Sarah was also fortunate enough to ride Cherry On Top, and earned another impressive set of awards. With Cherry, she was the Maryland Horse and Pony Show Classic winner, rode in the BEST Small/Medium Pony
MHSA Medal fi nals, was champion or reserve champion at every show she went to, and was the year-end MHSA Children’s Pony Resident Reserve Champion. Yes, that is right, Sarah not only won the MHSA/Equiery Award, but the next top rider for the award was herself. Amy added that she gave Cherry to Sarah to ride because the two po- nies are completely diff erent and as a trainer, she thought riding the two ponies would be a big challenge for Sarah. “Wrong again. Champion or reserve at every show,” Amy stated.
Lessons From Riding
Sarah learning a course with McDonogh School trainer Amy Dawson Moore
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580
Sarah’s parents feel that she has learned a lot about life in general from her fi rst few years of showing and riding. “She is sometimes a little re- served, but I think horseback riding is helping her become more confi dent. She has also
learned how to overcome nervousness. T is is a trait that serves her well when she needs to speak in front of her class or perform before an audience. Riding has given her confi dence to have a strong voice,” Sharon said. Sarah herself has learned that hard work re- ally does pay off . “Charlie and I worked hard.
One of Sarah’s fi rst interactions with ponies
I was very excited to win this award and am really proud of achieving this goal. It makes me feel like a good rider,” she said.
continued...
EQUIERY PERPETUAL HUNTER AWARD When T e Equiery fi rst spoke with the Maryland
Horse Show Association about sponsoring an award, similar to awards already given by T e Equiery in dres- sage, eventing and foxhunting, two goals were quickly agreed upon. First, the award needed to promote the hunter discipline among Marylanders competing in Maryland. Second, the award needed to highlight an amateur rider who is aspiring to be the best he or she can with the means and time they have. T e Equiery Perpetual Hunter Award is to be
presented to the highest ranking child hunter (on a horse or pony), adult amateur or amateur owner who is a current Maryland-resident and member of the Maryland Horse Show Association. A rider may only win this award once.
JUNE 2011 | THE EQUIERY | 23
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Flying Horse Photography
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