FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2012 33
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has discovered her calling. “Karen is a great teacher and she will
further my career. It’s hard work but I love it, especially working for
Karen at the shows, helping with the equitation kids and jumpers,”
Hannah said. Since turning professional, Hannah said she has
determined that she made the right career decision. “I discovered
I can do this. I can hang in there and be competitive.”
Being competitive isn’t anything new for this talented young
professional, as her junior career was jam-packed with highlights.
Hannah is also quick to point out that being in the show ring is a
lot more fun then attending Hollywood functions. “I went to the
Emmy’s with my dad when I was younger. It was a really long
awards show and not very fun.”
What was fun was earning her own awards and Hannah
racked up a series of prestigious wins over the years, including:
the Silver Team Medal at the Prix de States in 2005; the 16 year
old Equitation Championship at Capitol Challenge in 2006; the
Junior Jumper Reserve Champion Zone 10 Horse of the Year with
Bauer in 2007; winning the USEF Talent Search Medal Finals on
W.C. Swing in 2008; placing fourth in the $75,000 BP Cup at the
Spruce Meadows Masters in 2009; winning the $35,000 Blenheim
Summer Classic II Grand Prix in 2010; and winning the $10,000
Blenheim Summer Classic 1.35 Classic in 2011 and placing
second in the $80,000 1.50m TD Cup at Spruce Meadows.
It was Hannah’s experiences at the North American Junior/
Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) that stand out as
highlights in her life and taught her valuable learning experiences
as well. “In 2006 I went to Young Riders for my frst time, in
Lexington, Virginia and competed on the junior team on my horse
Bauer who I had purchased earlier that year from Jimmy Torano
as one of my frst junior jumpers. That year we fnished with a
team bronze medal. In 2008 I competed at Young Riders again,
this time in Parker, Colorado on the Young Rider team. Again I
Hannah and her boys,
Barla (left) and Bauer
Photo by www.esphoto.com
Hannah and her
frst pony Taffy
Apple
Photo courtesy of
Hannah Selleck
was on my horse Bauer who I knew much better at this point. We
ended up winning both the team gold medal and individual gold
medal and I also won the style of riding award. Winning Young
Riders was a goal I had for a long time as a junior so it was very
rewarding to accomplish it,” she said.
Hannah added that her double gold medal wins aboard Bauer
in 2008 were made even sweeter because the year before, in
2007, during her last junior year, she was unexpectedly unable
to compete on the Prix de States team at Harrisburg. “Bauer had
injured himself and needed time off. I had to give up my spot on the
team and that was disappointing. Letdowns like that are always
hard but I knew I could not dwell on the disappointment and had to
keep focused on my goals. Winning Young Riders a few months
later taught me that there are always ups and downs with this
sport and if you are going to be a real competitor you have to get
used to it. That was defnitely not my frst disappointment in my
riding career and will not be my last.”
A Special Horse
While Hannah has some new horses in her stable, she said one
“oldie but goodie” is still proudly part of her show string. “My horse
Bauer has been so great to me, so at the end of 2010 we decided
to give him an early retirement. He had sustained a minor injury
and needed a few months off, not to mention he had done so much
for me over the years, taking me into the junior jumpers, winning
double gold at Young Riders and into some World Cup qualifers.
Well that didn’t suit him and he jumped out of his pasture a few
times over the course of 2011, so at the beginning of this year we
decided to bring him back to work. Right now he is showing in the
1.45m and will hopefully be able to do some 1.50m classes here
and there. He is truly a special horse.”