60 SIDELINES JULY 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Arianna Delin
Many people say they grew up in a barn, but Emma Schauder
actually did. Riding and training with her mother and father,
Christina and Fred, she has spent her entire life at her family’s
Country Lane Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. Emma is a rider
who can say she was born into the business, raised in a barn and
learned how to ride before she could walk.
Emma began her riding career in leadline on a miniature pony
named Champagne. From there, she went on to ride two ponies,
Perfect Gentleman and Beaudacious, who taught her the ropes
of the short stirrup and children’s pony divisions. Hidden Springs
You’re Kidding and Glenmore Cloud Nine were the frst green
ponies she worked with and took to Pony Finals.
In addition to training at home, the high school senior also
rides with Stacia Madden at Beacon Hill Show Stables in Colts
Neck, New Jersey, before large horse shows. “The preparation
is enormously helpful and it has been a team effort the past four
years to get me where I am today,” Emma said. “Stacia is so
professional and gets me prepared for the shows, but it’s nice to
be able to come home and relax. My mom always tells me to have
fun. There is always so much pressure placed on riders to be the
best and win, but it’s important not to lose sight of what made us
want to start riding in the frst place.”
Emma has been staking her claim in the equitation rings, winning
various medal classes. She won the ASPCA Maclay (Section
A) sponsored by Sidelines during the 2013 Winter Equestrian
Festival in Wellington on SS Whisper, owned by WEE Enterprises.
“I also catch ride a variety of horses in the Big Equitation. I am
very fortunate because Stacia has given me the opportunity to
ride some truly amazing horses over my junior career,” she said.
The talented junior has much to be excited about so far in her
career. Over the past few years, she has had some major wins
in the equitation arenas at prestigious shows such as Devon,
Wellington and the Washington International Horse Show.
Emma and Ah Ha
Photo by Richard Killian Photography
“Winning the USEF Talent Search
at the Devon Horseshow in 2011 is
defnitely a moment that I will never
forget because it had always been a
dream of mine to win a class at such a
prestigious show,” exclaimed Emma.
“I also consider being 12
th
at WIHS
Equitation fnals in 2012 a major
achievement. I had never been to that
fnals before and I only missed the top
ten by a point or two.”
Starting off her 2013 season on
the right foot, Emma placed ninth
in the George Morris Excellence in
Equitation class at WEF, where she
was able to ride in the International
Ring on SS Whisper. As she heads off
to the University of Georgia to join their
Hunter Seat Team in the fall, Emma is looking forward to the new
challenges that college varsity equestrian will bring. Meanwhile,
she hopes to fnish her junior career with ribbons at one of the
major equitation fnals.
“
I have been in the top 20 at USEF Talent Search, ASPCA
Maclay and the WIHS Equitation fnals, so I think it is defnitely
my time this year,” Emma said. Looking back over her career,
Emma has many memories to choose from. “Doing the Challenge
of the States at the New England Equitation Championships is
something that I always look back at and smile. How could I not
love dressing up in crazy costumes and competing on teams with
my friends? I’m defnitely going to miss that when I’m an amateur!”
On a lighter note, Emma is just like any other teenage girl and
likes to have everything in order. She even wears two hairnets
to make sure her hair stays neat and tidy. She also has a self-
proclaimed sweet tooth and told Sidelines that she cannot live
without chocolate ice cream and chocolate milk.
e
Growing Up
in a Barn
Emma and Constantine FZ
Photo by CS/Bigeq.com