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FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE SIDELINES AUGUST 2011 47

Ava competing on Seafarer, one of her many ponies

Photo by Emily Allongo Photography

Darst, Rob Coluccio, Kim Prince, Val Renihan, Jennifer Beiling, Charlie Moorcroft, Patricia Griffth and Mindy Minetto. They are all such great teachers. Some people think it might be confusing to get help from different trainers, but it really isn’t. They are all famous trainers. They all basically want the same things, they just get it different ways. They each have their own ways of doing things and learning about them just helps me ride a lot of different types of ponies.

Sidelines: How did you like competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival this year?

AS: WEF was amazing! I was there from January to April full time. I went to school with tutoring that worked with my school at home. I got to ride so many great ponies every day. It was the best opportunity ever. I rode Blue on Blue, Happy Medium, Benlea Aristocrat, All Aboard, You Go Girl, Seafarer and Raggedy Anne the most.

Sidelines: Your mom says you have ridden a lot of hand-me-down ponies; do you mind?

AS: 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. I got a great start riding older ponies that had already done it all. I started with a pony named Nickelodeon that Ali Rose loaned me when I started short stirrup. My mom’s friend Amy Eidson asked her to pull him out of retirement for me to learn on. He was older but amazing. The next pony I got was Buzz Light Year. What a hand me down! He had won it all with a lot of riders. Molly Sullivan teaches at our farm in the summer and had won Pony Finals with Buzz when she was doing smalls. She talked to the Burlingames, who owned him, and they decided teaching me would be a great job for him. I had Bittersweet Spit N Polish as a children’s pony. He came to us from friends who live on the Vineyard. Their daughter had him

when she was showing. He was a pro. I showed him in the large Ponies on the ferry!

Photo courtesy of Sarah Doyle

children’s ponies and the mini medals. I got Bells N Whistles from Reed Patton after she was done with him. I have never had a pony that liked to jump as much as he did. All of these ponies were in their late teens or twenties. I’ve also been loaned some amazing ponies that are in the middle their careers. Chloe Reid loaned me her ponies Blue on Blue and Happy Medium to show. They are incredible. I have learned so much on them. Now I also have the chance to ride Reed Patton’s medium, Undawnted. I can’t really believe it! One of the best parts of getting hand me down ponies is getting to know the girls and trainers who made them famous. They can give me advice and help me understand them.

Sidelines: What would you say has been your career highlight so far?

AS: Last year was my frst year doing the small ponies. My frst big accomplishment was defnitely at Pony Finals in 2010. I was going to ride Bells N Whistles in the Pony Medal and he got sick at the last minute. My friend Kate Ross offered to let me use her old pony, All Aboard, who had not been doing much since she aged out on him. I few to Kentucky by myself, a week before Pony Finals, and Val Renihan taught me how to ride him. We won the Pony Medal for the frst time in my life during the last week of Kentucky! The other highlight was getting to ride at Devon. Mindy Darst let me have the ride on You Go Girl during WEF and then let me ride her at Devon.

Sidelines: What do you like to do when you aren’t riding?

AS: When I’m not riding I like to hang out with my friends. I like to go the beach and love to go tubing on the boat.

Sidelines: Who has been your favorite pony so far?

AS: My all time favorite pony is Buzz Light Year. He was the best. I was so lucky to have the chance to ride him. He was famous and so smart. He taught me to ride.