Page 64 - 2306_full

62 SIDELINES JUNE 2011 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE S I D E L I N E S

J R

A Few Minutes with Junior Rider Allison Toffolon

By Jan Westmark

Thanks to her small size, Alli Toffolon has had a long and successful pony career that has included major wins at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, Pony Finals, Devon and WEF. Now 15, the 5’3” Bronxville, New York resident is making the transition from showing ponies to showing horses.

Alli rides with Andre Dignelli and Patricia Griffth at Heritage Farm and says she has confdence that her trainers will help her as she makes the transition. “I started riding at Heritage when I was nine and competed in short stirrup and children’s hunters. Then I moved up to the pony hunter division when I was ten.”

Even though she has spent years in the pony ring, Alli says she is fnding the move to the horse ring to be challenging. “The hardest transition with the horses has been tackling the timed courses like the Washington Jumper Phase and the USET. I am still learning to keep a forward pace and fnd all the jumps out of stride, which is very different from the pony hunters,” she said. “Riding in the low junior jumpers has also helped me a lot with this challenge.”

Sidelines: You showed your horses at WEF this year, how did that go?

AT: WEF was great. Although I have been competing there for six years, this year was different and all new to me because I was no longer riding ponies. I started out doing the Big Eq and children’s jumpers and by the end of circuit I was also competing in the junior hunters and the low junior jumpers. Competing in all these new divisions was a very exciting experience.

Sidelines: How are you handling the Big Eq division?

AT: My frst year in the Big Eq has been a challenge but I am very happy with my progress. My equitation horses are great and at WEF I was able to qualify for the George Morris Equitation Championships, which was a great experience. I feel unbelievably lucky to have participated in it. My goal is to qualify for all four fnals and I have already qualifed for the Medal and the Maclay and am hoping to qualify

Alli and Class Action compete

Photo by PARKER/RUSSELL - THE BOOK LLC 2011

for the USET and the Washington Equitation. Even though it is my frst year, I was ready to move to horses and all my training in the ponies for many years has made qualifying a reasonable goal. However, I recognize that it will take a lot of hard work, preparation, as well as training to get there.

Sidelines: What do you like about training with Andre and Patricia?

AT: I love training with Andre and Patricia because they both are great trainers. They have taught me so much and they always push me to do better so that I can improve. I would not be the rider I am today without them.

Sidelines: What are your riding goals?

AT: In the Big Eq, my riding goals are to win a fnal like everyone else. I know this will be diffcult, but this is what I am striving for. In the junior hunters, I am hoping at some point to win a junior hunter fnal. In the future, my goal is to compete in the junior jumper fnals at the Washington International Horse Show.

Sidelines: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment in the ponies?

AT: At the Pennsylvania National Horse show in 2008, I was champion on Ingénue and in 2009, reserve champion on Neverland. At Pony Finals in 2009, I was reserve champion on Braveheart in the large pony hunters and on Lands End Eros in

Favorite:

Actress : Jessica Alba

Actor: Mark Wahlberg

TV Show: Diners, Drive Ins and Dives or NCIS

Movie: Step Up

Food: Prosciutto

Candy: Take 5

Place to travel to: Venice

Class in school: Art or Geometry

Number: 22

One thing you never leave home without: Cell phone