4 SIDELINES JULY 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
of Sapphire’s retirement, with
many of her fans wanting to
know how they could get in
line to have one of her babies!
I would love to be at the front
of that line! Kenneth Kraus, of
PhelpsSports.com, was kind
enough to share his story on
Sapphire’s retirement with us,
and you may shed a tear or two
as you read about this mare’s
amazing life. It was always
thrilling to watch Sapphire
and McLain jump, whether
in person or in pictures, and
I am glad to have been a
happy bystander watching the
greatest show jumper in the
history of American equestrian
sports. With Sapphire’s
retirement, it truly is the end of
a brilliant era.
I hope you are enjoying
Sidelines’ new look and our
continued coverage of horse
people from around the
world. If you haven’t already
visited our website at www.
sidelinesnews.com and joined
our Facebook page, please
do. And to all the pony and
junior riders out there, enjoy
the journey – even if it’s on the
back of a pesky pony!
Jan Westmark-Allan
Editor
I’d love to hear from you -
email me at
ed i t o r@s i de l i nesnews .
com.
e
Letter From The Editor
My frst love was an unruly Welsh pony cross, who, despite
not being cute or especially kind, was everything I wanted in
a pony. Mainly because he was mine, and that was all that
mattered. My pony’s name was Geronimo, but I called him Mo.
Like any lovesick ffth grader, I doodled pony faces and hearts
flled with the words “I love Mo” all over my notebooks.
There’s something special about ponies, from their sweet
faces and willful spirits to their furry coats and love of treats.
The fact that most ponies like to keep children and adults on
their toes, well, that’s just one of the added benefts of life with
a pony. Many pony riders go on to have successful junior
careers, and I think it’s often due to the lessons they learned
on (and off) the backs of their ponies.
Hopefully this Pony & Junior issue will bring back great
memories of a special pony or young rider in your life. We
enjoy celebrating our pony and junior riders because they
are, after all, the future of our equestrian sport. And while our
future looks bright, it will be missing one legendary star -- show
jumper McLain Ward recently announced the retirement of his
Olympic partner and superstar mount Sapphire, leaving a huge
void in the show ring and in the hearts of her many fans.
Our Sidelines Facebook page was bursting with the news