24 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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Nancy Hooker
Photo courtesy of Nancy Hooker
Nancy Hooker Enjoys the Ride
By Nicky Graf Ussher
Nancy Hooker of Wellington, Florida, was a horse-crazy kid from
the start. Growing up on a farm in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey,
she begged her parents for a pony until they finally gave in when
she turned 5. Nancy earned her first ribbon in the pony hunters
when she was just 9 years old, and she cherishes that ribbon to
this day. With so many years in the show ring, she has recently
achieved some of her greatest success with stellar performances
at Devon and the Lake Placid Horse Shows.
Nancy has maintained her lifelong passion for horses and
competition, with great success on both the hunter and jumper
circuits. She currently leads the North American League (NAL)
2014 Adult Jumper standings with Corianos Boy, a horse that was
purchased as a Junior Jumper for her daughter Heather a few
years ago. Heather enjoyed showing him at Wellington, Devon
and the Lake Placid Horse Shows, but when she went to college
Nancy took over the ride. “He’d had some time off, and he was
kind of without a job, so I brought him to the farm to live with me,”
said Nancy. “I slowly put him back to work, and got him fit last
summer and fall, and then toyed with the idea of showing him
myself.”
The newly formed duo started in the show ring late last
December, and are really connecting. “He’s a little difficult to stay
with because he has a very powerful jump, but we’re building
confidence together and our performances are getting better,”
said Nancy. The pair seem to be hitting their stride, and they won
the Adult Amateur Jumper Classic at both the Devon and Lake
Placid Horse Show.
Nancy has always admired riders who make it look easy, yet
have empathy for their horses. Leslie Howard was a big influence
on her when she was young, and she greatly admires Louise
Serio, Scott Stewart, and her trainer, Ken Berkley. “I enjoy finding
a balance between the hunters and the jumpers,” commented
Nancy. “I love the challenge of smooth perfection in the hunter
ring, yet the technicality of the jumper ring intrigues me too.”
Corianos Boy and Nancy’s most recent accomplishments were
in Lake Placid, where they were crowned Champion and Reserve
Champion in the Adult Jumpers Over 40 division at the I Love New
York Horse Show and the Lake Placid Horse Show respectively.
“The first week at Lake Placid was so fun on the big grass field,
but my nerves kept me off the winning jump-off pace,” said Nancy.
“The second week I forced myself to really ride for the win!
“I actually first came to the Lake Placid Horse Show in 1976!”
she continued. “At this point in my life I only go to shows that have
several outstanding reasons for attending, and Lake Placid has
many great things to make me enjoy it year after year. One of my
favorite things is that every class is a big deal. The sponsors and
presentations make it feel like any ribbon is a treasure!
“I’m a lucky rider because I have such a great support team in
my life,” added Nancy. “Both my kids, Charlie and Heather, are my
loudest cheerleaders, and our horses are treated like members
of the family, so the entire family takes pride in the success. I’ve
been riding for so many years that the ribbons and accolades are
beautiful rewards, but what I treasure the most are when hours
of practice and preparation all come together in the ring. Nothing
feels better than having a great ride, and knowing that your horse
felt it too. It’s corny and difficult to explain, but it’s like the perfect
sweet spot of any sport.”
Nancy and Corianos Boy at the Lake Placid Horse Show
Photo by The Book LLC
