56 SIDELINES JULY 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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By Sarah Ward
As everyone is getting revved up for Pony
Finals, I fnd it only ftting to tell my one and
only pony experience – as it is highly amusing
and something that I still think of every day. I
originally started riding at the age of fve at
Chastain Horse Park in Atlanta, Georgia, having
fallen in love with a pony by the name of Misty.
At the time, Chastain Park was a shadow of
its former self – and the horse park was due for
a renovation. I was also struggling with extreme
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and because
of this was going through a serious germaphob
phase. I couldn’t touch a horse without having
to get my hands on some hand sanitizer (Monk
anyone? Or am I already showing my age
here?). When the renovations began, instead of
switching barns, I quit altogether.
However, I was bitten with the horse bug
and shortly before my 13
th
birthday, my mom
decided it was time to get me back in the saddle.
By this time, I was too tall for a pony so I got
my frst horse, an off-the-track Thoroughbred
named Happy. He had more than a few screws
loose; but at the time he was all we could afford
and to me he was everything I dreamed of and
more. However, the time came when I needed
something a bit more sane (I still have Happy
today, and he is happily living out his days the way he should be!).
Moose followed my grumpy Happy and when I tried my next
horse Harmony, I was introduced to a palomino paint pony by the
name of Cameron. I had not ridden many ponies since Misty and
I had the time of my life on Cameron – I was actually trying him
for another customer at Chastain. Unfortunately for my parents, I
had fallen in love. In my eyes, Cameron was the cutest sweetest
thing I had ever seen. He jumped in good form and was a blast
to ride – that’s all I cared about. In reality, Cameron was the
devil in pony form – he had a horrible attitude and was a stopper.
Fortunately, because of this, he was dirt cheap – and Cameron
somehow maneuvered his way onto the trailer with big beautiful
Harmony – everything that I should have had in a horse.
I will never forget the day Harmony and Cameron walked off
the trailer. Harmony stepped off – a shining chestnut covered in
chrome. I swear I heard people gasping when he stepped off,
he was that beautiful. However, he was followed by Cameron –
completely covered in manure stains and his ears pinned fat on
his head; but all my friends ran straight to him. Despite his bad
attitude, he was impossible not to love. When we fnally got him
cleaned up, we put a stick on him only to discover that he was
14.2 ½ - and that was us pushing the stick down. Because of this,
he became affectionately known around the barn as “Pony,” and
his bad attitude earned him the show name “Look Don’t Touch.”
I showed him in Long Stirrup before we moved into the jumper
ring, where his talent truly could shine. He loved running around
the ring like a crazy man and never have I had more fun in a
ring then when Pony and I were together. So that’s my pony
story. Pony is currently living out his days on a Saddlebred farm
in Tennessee, playing frst pony to an adorable young girl. I miss
him everyday, but will never ever forget him!
Sarah and Pony – true love!