2011 Equiery Perpetual Eventing Award Winner
by Katherine O. Rizzo Perseverance & Commitment
For Katy Gates of Monrovia, horses have been a passion that runs through her blood. Her mother Jane grew up riding and contin- ues to ride to this day, so it was not that hard for little Katy at age six to convince her parents that she too wanted to be a horseback rider. Af- ter attending a weeklong day camp, Katy was given a set of weekly riding lessons for her sixth birthday. It only took Katy another two years to show them she was committed enough to deserve her fi rst pony. “I was thrilled when she asked for riding les-
sons. It was hard to sit back and not push riding on her but I really wanted it to be a choice of her own,” Jane said. She added, “Riding really teaches your child responsibility, compassion, and dedication, and it rounds out their lives.” T at fi rst pony was a four-year-old chestnut Arabian mare that Katy describes as “as rotten as she was beautiful.” She went on to say, “pair- ing a young and green pony with a young and
2012 Award Qualifi cations
The Equiery’s Perpetual Eventing Award is pre- sented to the Maryland resident and MCTA mem- ber horse/rider combination earning the most points at the Training level at Maryland events recognized by the U.S. Eventing Association. The rider must compete in at least six of Mary-
land’s 15 USEA-recognized events on the same horse. The six recognized events must be at three or more different venues in Maryland. The winner will be featured on the cover of The Equiery’s annual eventing issue, have a brief feature article appear in the issue (which is then archived on
equiery.com), receive a “keeper” trophy and cooler and have his or her name in- cluded on the perpetual trophy.
green rider was maybe not the best idea but in the end, it was my perseverance and my com- mitment with that pony that helped me grow as a rider.” Commitment and perse-
verance are two traits that Katy has used to help bal- ance riding,
schoolwork
and now, a career within the horse industry. Jane de- scribed Katy as a shy child but said that riding, and specifi cally eventing,
Katy Gates petual
inner
horse and still is to this day,” Katy said. At the time, Gizmo was a bit scrawny and awkward looking, as many three-year-old T oroughbreds can be, but his “old soul” personality quickly showed through. Katy describes Gizmo as “ex-
gave
Katy confi dence and al- lowed her to develop into a strong, passionate young adult. “She has grown be- cause of it,” Jane added.
The Great Gizmo
Katy and Gizmo compet- ing at Waredaca in 2011
Gizmo entered Katy’s life when he was just three years old and she was 13. “He was pretty unimpressive when I fi rst laid eyes on him but he was absolutely the sweetest
Eventing in Maryland
The following is a list of the 2012 USEA-recognized events in Maryland that offer the Training level. These dates are subject to change. Please check the USEA’s online Omnibus often.
April 20-21 April 21-22 May 5-6
May 19-20
June 14-15 Aug 11-12
Sept 15-16 Sept 22-23 Oct 13-14
Fair Hill International HT (Elkton) Redland Hunt PC HT (Olney) MCTA HT, Inc. (Cockeysville) Fair Hill International HT (Elkton)
June 2-3 Waredaca HT (Unity) June 16-17 June 6-8
Seneca Valley Pony Club Spring HT (Poolesville) The Maryland HT at Loch Moy Farm I (Adamstown) The Maryland HT at Loch Moy Farm II (Adamstown) Fair Hill International HT (Elkton)
Aug 18-19 Waredaca Farm HT (Unity) Sept 8-9
The Maryland HT at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown) Seneca Valley Pony Club HT (Poolesville) Marlborough HT (Upper Marlboro)
The Maryland HT at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown) Oct 25-28 Waredaca HT & Classic Training 3-Day Event (Unity) Past Winners
1996 - Michele Buford/As Easy As 1997 - Stephanie Butts/Sir Maxwell 1998 - Curtis Green/Alterman 1999 - Laura Pitts/Luna 2000 - Mindy Soethe/Deliparad 2001 - Abigail Gibbon/Forever 2002 - Lizzie Wisner/Top of the Mast 2003 - Alexandra Curtiss/Pumpernickel
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580
2004 - Courtney Sendak/Wil’ Ya Love Me 2005 - Teresa Ormsby/Bryce Be Quick 2006 - Mardi Herman/Zoe 2007 - Molly Curtiss/Savannah 2008 - not awarded
2009 - Stephen Fulton/FMF’s Manila Bay 2010 - Mary Ballew/General MacArthur 2011 - Katy Gates/Gizmo
APRIL 2012 | THE EQUIERY | 15
tremely willing with a good work ethic.” T is work ethic allowed the pair to jump quickly into eventing rather successfully. Katy rode Giz- mo at a few starter horse trials and then when he was fi ve years old, they entered their fi rst Beginner Novice horse trials. “We had a lot of ups and downs while he fi gured out his job. In the beginning, he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to be an event horse,” Katy commented. As the pair grew together, their training progressed and Gizmo
turned into a very competitive partner. In 2004, the pair competed in the inaugural
continued...
120412-847857
Adam Somers
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