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46 SIDELINES AUGUST 2011 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE S I D E L I N E S

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By Jan Westmark-Allan

Ten-year-old junior rider Ava Stearns may seem like your normal horse-crazy kid, spending all of her time riding, showing and playing with her ponies. There are a few differences in Ava’s horse life, however, because she and her family live on Martha’s Vineyard, an island seven miles from the mainland of Massachusetts, on their Pond View Farm.

“The only way to get to Martha’s Vineyard is by ferry,” Ava said, adding that that includes two-legged and four-legged creatures. “The ponies are usually really good on the boat. We drive the truck and trailer right onto the boat and then open the doors so they don’t get hot. People always like to come and pat them and want to give them treats. Sometimes a pony might not like the noise of the engines, but usually they get used to it. If there is a big storm and the boat is really rough, no one really likes it, including me!”

While it may be a bit of an inconvenience to take the ferry anytime they are headed to a show, the beauty of the island makes up for it. Pond View Farm sits on a peninsula and the horses, ponies and riders all enjoy amazing views of the water and beaches. “The ponies think it’s great that

A Few Minutes With Junior Rider Ava Stearns

their pasture is right on the edge of the ocean,” Ava said.

Sidelines: What is it like living on Martha’s Vineyard?

AS: I love living on the Vineyard. I’ve lived here since I was born. It is really busy in the summer when everyone comes on vacation and it is quiet the rest of the year. I think it is beautiful and the beaches are great. There are no big stores or malls and there’s no trash on the ground or litter. It is harder to get to horse shows when you live here because you need to take the ferry the day before so that you get there in time. You have to make a reservation on the boat really far in advance if the show is in the summer time.

Sidelines: What is your favorite thing about Martha’s Vineyard?

AS: My favorite thing about Martha’s Vineyard is the farm and all of my friends. I have friends who live here all the time and friends from all over the United States that come here on vacation. The best thing is when they are all here at once. And of course I love riding. My mother has been teaching riding at our farm her whole life. I grew up at the barn watching all of the older kids riding so it was something I always wanted to do.

Sidelines: Who do you train with?

AS: I train with my mom and Tracey Olsen. Tracey teaches at our farm. She does dressage and helps me with my fat work. I love training with my mom. I know that a lot of kids don’t like it when their parents train them, but I do. My mom helps me all the time and I understand what she is saying before she fnishes saying it. She knows how to explain it so that I understand. She also makes sure that I get to ride with a lot of other trainers, too. She wants me to learn from as many people as I can. All of her friends have been really great about helping me.

Sidelines: You do a lot of catch riding on other trainer’s horses, who have you ridden for?

AS: I have ridden with so many amazing trainers including Mindy

Ava shares a hug with a doggie friend at a show

Photo by Emily Allongo Photography

“I have been really lucky to have people share some great ponies with me. I never would have had the chance to learn as much as I have without people being so generous,” Ava says

Photo by Peter Simon