Saxonburg to Kentucky
SAXONBURG — Willow Danehy, 11, of 188 McKay Road didn't come away with an award after competing in the recent Pony Finals in Lexington, Ky.
But Willow said she didn't come away from the experience empty-handed either.
“My pony and I didn't have the best round, but we learned and that's what really counts,” Willow said.
“I'm hoping to qualify for a higher jump and go there next year.”
Her mother, Annette Danehy, the co-owner and trainer of Double Springs Farm, 190 McKay Road, agreed.
“It was an excellent experience,” Danehy said.
“Between nerves and various things going on she did not do so well, but she competed and got around,” she said.
“We've competed a lot and neither one of us had been to the Pony Finals before,” Danehy said.
More than 600 ponies and their young riders packed into the Kentucky Horse Park for the 2017 U.S. Equestrian Federation-sanctioned event that ran from Aug. 8 to 13.
Six champions were determined through hunter classes in Small, Medium, and Large Regular Pony Hunter and Green Pony Hunter sections.
The fact the competition was being livestreamed to horse enthusiasts around the country probably didn't help, Danehy said.
Danehy said Willow was up against other competitors of a 96-member field made up of riders under 18.
Ponies, she said, are defined as a horse under 60 inches tall.
She said the competition at the Kentucky Horse Park consisted of three parts: in hand, on the flat and over fences.
“In hand is leading the horse; it's a little bit of a beauty contest. It's basically modeling for horses,” she said.
Willow said, “There were lots of really fancy ponies there. My pony isn't that fancy. I think it was still really fun, and I wasn't that worried.”Her mother said the next part of the competition was on the flat.“They are judged by the way the pony moves, how it's built, the configuration of the horse, Danehy said. “It's up to the rider to do what he can to enhance the horse.”Over fences is a jumping competition.Neither Willow nor her mother were worried about the jumping competition.Maybe it's because Willow has been sitting on horses since she was three months old, said her mother.Or maybe because jumping was involved in the Brave Horse qualifying event in Ohio.Or maybe it was because Willow said she goes to Double Springs Farm every day to help out in the barn and ride her horses.“It was a lot of pressure and good experience,” was the way Danehy put it.Willow is looking forward to the next round of competitions. “We have winter shows that we go to sometimes,” she said.
