Grace Boston 2011 Equiery Perpetual Hunter
Award Winner
USHJA award, 17 champion tricolors and nine reserve champion tricolors.
Early Lessons Grace remembers fi rst being interested in
Grace with the boys: Sham’s Logan- berry and Hillcrest Treasure Chest
by Katherine O. Rizzo
Keeping It In the Family At the January 2011 Maryland Horse World
Expo, Grace Boston announced to T e Equiery staff that she would be the 2011 Equiery Per- petual Hunter Award Winner. A little bold for a then 10-year- old! Grace’s twin sis- ter Sarah was being honored that day as the 2010 winner and Grace had already started making plans for how she could be the next winner. With determination and the help of her parents Sharon and Wally,
sister Sarah,
trainer Amy Dawson, and assistant Bristol Markward,
Grace
worked her way up to being the top hunter rider on the Mary- land Horse Shows Association circuit as well as claiming other top honors in 2011. “I think it is cool that my sister won this award last year and now I’ve won it,” she said. “And getting to ride at the Cow Pal- ace in front of all those people was cool too,” Grace added, referring to the presentation of the award during this year’s Equiery’s Showcase of Maryland Champions.
At the end of the 2011 season, Grace had earned two MHSA year-end championships, two MHSA year-end reserve championships, a
Grace and Logan were fi rst partnered together for mini- short stirrup classes when Grace fi rst started showing.
horses from the pony rides she and her sister would take at the fair. “T at’s all I wanted to do,” she said. T rough the riding program at the Mc- Donogh School, Grace fi rst started taking lessons when she was in fi rst grade. Riding quickly turned into a passion and she now takes lessons four days a week. “I walk to the barn after school, ride, and then go home to do homework,” she explained.
Grace started showing when she was seven, getting her start in the leadline class- es. “Grace tried hard, even in leadline. She was super cute and enjoyed it,” Amy said of those early days. “Show- ing is fun. It’s great to be able to show what you’ve been working on,” Grace added. Sharon commented, “T is is a great time in our lives; lots of togetherness going to shows as a fam- ily.” She added, “It is important to look at this sport as not competing against other people but with other people… not ‘us versus them’.”
Having
siblings heav- ily involved in
the same sport can be a challenge but Grace said, “It’s just kind of normal. We don’t get mad at each other if one beats the other.” In gen- eral, the girls tend to compete in diff erent divisions but some- times classes are
combined. “T ey are very supportive of each other. T ey hack each others’ ponies and jog for each other,” Sharon said. One of Grace’s early mounts was Sham’s Lo- ganberry, a pony donated to McDonogh by Sta- cey Schaefer. Logan was the 2004 Pony Finals Grand Champi- on with Saman- tha Schaefer on board. “Logan is by far my favor- ite
‘go to’ pony.
He has never let me down,” Amy said.
Twin sisters Sarah and Grace holding the Equiery Perpetual Hunter Award, a trophy they have now both won
Amy added that both Boston girls got to show Logan in the leadline mini- short stirrup classes but since both girls were tiny riders,
his big canter stride
was a bit too much for them when they started jumping. He was then leased to Allyson Henry who rode him successfully in the Children’s Pony divisions.
Building a Connection
Grace and Logan at the 2011 Wash- ington International Horse Show
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 dressage, 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.
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 MAY 2012 | THE EQUIERY | 15
T e Grace-Logan team came together again in 2011 to win this Equiery award. “Once Grace got bigger and stronger, he was her perfect match; peanut butter and jelly. You could see their bond and how much they truly loved and trusted each other,” Amy said. Last year, Grace and Logan competed in the Small/Me- dium Children’s Pony divisions and won almost every show they attended. Together they were champion or reserve champion in 13 horse shows. “I like that [Logan’s] stride is very long and
continued...
Shawan McMillen
Leslie Bertram
848971-120512
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