SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
2
Thursday, July 21 2022 / Published in Weekly Feature

Sabina Chambers: Full Circle—Riding to Judging and Back

By Laura Scaletti

Portraits by Ruby Tevis

All it took was a nickel to get Sabina Chambers started with horses as a child. With a shiny coin in her hand, she gleefully inserted it into a mechanical horse ride outside of the local department store and began cantering away. When her nickel was up and the ride came to a halt, Sabina was hooked. “From that moment on, horses have always been a part of my life,” Sabina said.

Several decades later, Sabina is still all smiles as she mounts up. However, today she isn’t just riding horses at the mall, she’s competing in the hunters with her off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) Leisurely, aka Henry. 

In 2020, after a 20-year hiatus from competing, Sabina reentered the show ring with the same enthusiasm as the child who couldn’t get enough of the coin-operated horse. “It was a gift from God to be able to take a break from horses and focus on my children, Collin and Kendall. However, I never could get horses out of my head,” Sabina said. 

A USEF “R” hunter judge, Sabina’s desire to saddle up and compete again came as she spent hours watching hunters show in front of her. “Watching others show made me realize a piece of my soul was missing not having a horse in my life,” she said. “Henry has filled that hole.”

Pony Pursuits

By the time Sabina was 8 years old, she was taking regular lessons at a local barn and learning how to jump. However, one thing was still missing—a pony of her own. 

Growing up in Kentucky, Sabina was lucky to have a friend group consisting of like-minded horse-crazy girls. “We spent a lot of time going to friends’ barns and riding their ponies,” Sabina said. 

“One day we went to the barn and our friend we were meeting didn’t show up. So we decided, with our 9-year-old mentality, we were at the barn, we might as well tack up the pony and ride anyway,” Sabina said. “Let’s just say that didn’t go over too well when our friend and her mom showed up and we were riding their pony. Her mom immediately called my parents and said I had stolen their pony.”

After some swift talking and negotiations by Sabina’s father, a deal was struck to appease the “pony bandit” situation. “We traded a load of rock for the pony, Daisy. She went on to be the pony I competed at ‘A’ shows,” Sabina said. 

Sabina was lucky to have a supportive family who embraced her horse passion at an early age. “My dad was the one who took me to horse shows and helped me as a child. He decided that we would go show in Ocala as a ‘showcation’ of sorts,” Sabina said. 

It was on that trip to Ocala that Sabina made a connection that would last a lifetime. “I was at the head of the line for the green pony conformation class and didn’t have a clue how to properly stand my pony up. All of a sudden, I heard a kind woman, Sue Ashe, giving me pointers on how to stand a pony up,” Sabina said. “From that moment on, she’s been a great mentor and mother figure to me.”

Horsing Around

A petite presence at just 5 feet tall, it took a special horse to convince Sabina to make the leap from ponies to horses. “Rick Fancher had a 15-hand mare, Rendition, that my mom bought me. Once we bought her, I moved to Rick’s barn to learn how to ride her,” she said. “Rendition was a rather unorthodox ride, but Rick taught me how to ride any horse or pony I sat on—a skill that would prove to be useful in years to come.

“I’m so thankful for my mom. Not only did she find me Rendition, but I couldn’t have become the horsewoman I am today without the countless hours she spent driving me all over the country to compete,” Sabina added.

With Rendition, Sabina learned not only how to finesse a tough ride but gained experience and success in both the hunter and equitation rings. Sabina took this knowledge with her when she competed in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) for Eastern Kentucky University.

While competing at IHSA shows, Sabina qualified to go to nationals each year. One of Sabina’s favorite horse show memories comes from the IHSA Nationals her junior year. 

“We went back for the flat phase and Peter Wylde and I were neck and neck. The judge was systematically calling riders into the center of the ring, whittling away the competitors to determine who would win. Eventually it came down to Peter and me. The judge asked us to pick up our stirrups and post the trot; my horse stepped into the canter and into the center I went,” she said. “It’s still such a proud moment to know on that one day I came in second to future Olympian Peter Wylde.”

Judging Others

With a degree in hand from Eastern Kentucky, Sabina was ready to hit the ground running and start her career in marketing/public relations. However, her dad had other plans. “My dad pushed me to judge before I got a ‘real world’ job. He thought I would be a fair judge and that it would be a great ‘backup’ job for me,” Sabina explained.

“My dad had utmost respect for the judges in our sport. In fact, when I was a child, he always had me write thank-you cards to the judges after each competition. I’m so thankful he instilled that reverence for those horsemen who give back to the sport as judges in me,” Sabina said. 

The ‘backup’ job stuck. For the past 30 years, Sabina has had the honor of judging horses at local, rated, IEA and IHSA horse shows. Today she can be found judging at the World Equestrian Center, Wellington, Tryon and the Kentucky Horse Park.

“I’m so lucky that some amazing horsemen helped me obtain my ‘r’ and ‘R’ judging cards. The hours I spent sitting with mentors like Sue Ashe, Leo Conroy, Joey Darby, Jimmy Lee, Frank Willard, Linda Andrisani, Ralph Caristo, Brian Flynn and so many more was priceless,” she said.

It was while sitting in the judge’s box that Sabina got the urge to step in the ring and compete herself again. “All of a sudden, after 20 years, I had that desire to find myself a horse and get back into the sport I’ve always loved,” Sabina said. “I took the knowledge I had from my mentors and what I’d learned myself being in the sport for so many years to help me find Henry.”

Second Chances

In December 2019, after an emotionally draining horse search, Sabina finally found her heart horse, Henry. From the beginning of her search, Sabina knew she wanted an OTTB as that’s what she grew up riding in the ’70s and ’80s.

“Growing up in Kentucky, Thoroughbreds were what we rode. I had a fantastic OTTB, Benetton, whom I started from a greenie and he ended up winning everything for me in the Adult Amateurs in Zone 5,” Sabina said. “I just love the athleticism of OTTBs and how quickly they learn.”  

Thanks to a connection made via her real estate business, a client who has since become a friend heard Sabina was looking for a horse. “Her husband is a racetrack trainer, so she had an inside track to help me find Henry,” Sabina said.

Although Sabina can’t imagine her life without Henry today, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. “The first time I saw him jump, he jumped a cross-country jump, and I wasn’t impressed. However, once I saw him jump his first hunter jump and noticed his natural bascule over it, I was sold,” Sabina said.

There was also the matter of size. “I still fit a small pony, so when I heard Henry was 16.2-hands, I said, ‘He’s too big. I don’t want a big horse.’ But I channeled my inner Margie Engle and didn’t let his size deter me,” she said.

A graduate of the Retired Racehorse Project, Henry was the 2019 Reserve Champion in dressage. “By the time I found him he had been a winning racehorse, done dressage, evented and was about to be made into a hunt horse. He was a hidden treasure just waiting for me find him in that field,” Sabina said. “We each gave each other a second chance in this sport.”

Finding Henry not only helped Sabina get back into the show ring, but it also helped her keep her sanity during these uncertain COVID times. “Having Henry in my life has given me new focus and increased my happiness. He’s brought a piece of me back to life,” she said.

Goal Getter

When Sabina started the 2021 show season, she wanted to see how the duo would fare in the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP). “I had hoped maybe we could top our region in the hunters,” Sabina said.

They far surpassed that goal. “Earlier this year, when I looked up the 2021 TIP results, I saw he was champion of the region. Then I looked further and saw he was champion of the hunters and amateur/owners for the entire international program. I almost started crying, I was so proud,” she said. “It was surreal to know this rusty amateur achieved this level of success without a trainer.”

With a plethora of tricolors from the 2021 season, Sabina has set her sights on different goals for 2022 and beyond. “After the success we achieved last year, I’ve shifted my focus to competing in derbies. I want to enter classes where I have a chance to win some of my entry fees back,” she said. “I’m hoping next year we can do the TAKE2 Thoroughbred classes and move up to the 3’ division.”

Sabina hopes by sharing Henry’s success, she can encourage others to help OTTBs find their second act in life. “Each OTTB adopted or purchased makes room for another to find a life after racing,” she said.

“I want everyone in the hunter community to know judges still love good Thoroughbreds. There is still a place for Thoroughbreds in the hunter industry,” Sabina said. “I really hope we can keep increasing the number of Thoroughbreds in the hunter rings.”

For more information, visit KentuckyHomesnFarms.com

Photos by Ruby Tevis

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: hunter-jumper, ottb, thoroughbred hunter, thoroughbred makeover, tip hunter

What you can read next

Equestrian Destination: Aiken, South Carolina
Finding Fulfillment With Dressage, Real Estate and Nursing
Susie Humes: Preserving the Classics in a Modern World

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
It's finally Spring🌷🌻☀️! Get your barn s It's finally Spring🌷🌻☀️! Get your barn set up with a Pyranha SprayMaster Misting System. 
✅Provides whole barn insect control! 
✅Easy to install with basic tools!
✅Electric pump & programmable automatic timer!

Get yours today!
@pyranhalife

#pyranhalife #madeintheusa #pyranha #equestrian #horselife #horselifestyle #barncare
Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

 ✨ALVESTA OWAIN✨
Thistledown Arctic Lore x Alvesta Fairy Lustre
13.1hh, Welsh section B
Stud Fee $750 (plus collection)
AI only and EVA negative
Fairfield, VA

Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • NANCY BATCHELOR
    Compass Florida LLC Fellow Equestrian; 21 Years of RE Experience Miami - Ft. Lauderdale Specialist M: 305-903-2850 www.nancybatchelor.com

    [Read more]

  • PORTOFINO
    A Perfect Place to Live, Ride & Train Raleigh/Clayton NC 919-740-8009 www.portofinonc.com

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island
  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Will Coleman Retains Yanmar America CCI4*-S Lead in Dramatic Show Jumping at Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International
  • First edition of the World Sport Horse Sales was a hit with $410.000 for the most expensive horse
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp Takes Third Victory in $50,000 Grand-Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field

Category

Recent Posts

  • April 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Building a Bond With a New Horse

    By Margie Sugarman I just bought a new horse. I...
  • Developing Healthy Relationships With Your Barnmates

    By Rob Jacobs The purpose of this month’s colum...
  • The Value of Self-Coaching

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp The sport of eventing is ...
  • Unbridled With Annette Longenecker

    By Britney Grover  Annette Longenecker wasn’t j...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!