PrintYears of hard work have paid off for the young handler with wins at Devon and beyond.
Emily Belin doesn’t exactly look the part of a typical hunter breeding handler. She’s female, for starters, in a world dominated by gentlemen. And she’s 26 years old, in a ring where there’s seemingly no upper limit on age. With her blonde hair, rhinestone belts and the occasional pink blouse, this unlikely candidate has found achievement in her chosen venue.
Belin’s two-year winning streak began in 2008. At the Devon Horse Show (Pa.), client Amy Trout’s Middleway’s Handsome Devil (JLA Sir William—Hailey’s Comet) claimed the tricolor for best Pennsylvania-bred pony and won the 3-year-old hunter pony colt class and the produce of dam class. Farmore Crown Jewel and Farmore American Idol brought home the blue ribbon in the get of sire class for Telynau Royal Charter.
Belin, Douglasville, Pa., concluded 2008 with her first USEF National Championship when Fox With Three Sox, a Thoroughbred gelding owned by Marcia Heylin, was the 3-year-old hunter breeding champion.
And 2009 proved even better. Jessica Hughes’ Belgian Warmblood Harper’s Baczar (Balta’ Czar JSF—Spry Sprite) won the reserve best Pennsylvania-bred horse title at Devon and topped the 2-year-old Pennsylvania-bred filly class and was second in the 2-year-old non-Thoroughbred filly class. None of Belin’s entries finished out of the top five in well-attended classes that day.
“We came off a really good showing on pony breeding day at Devon, and I was excited because I knew we had a great group of horses showing as well as ponies,” Belin said. “In the past, I’ve always seemed to have more ponies, but I’m branching out a little bit. I’m having a great time showing the horses as well.”
At last year’s Upperville Colt & Horse Show (Va.), Virginia Bank’s Justamere’s Prom Queen (Telynau Royal Charter—Fraulein Caprice) won the yearling pony filly class. And in the Sallie B. Wheeler/ USEF National Hunter Breeding Cham-pionships East Coast Phase, held at the Warrenton Horse Show (Va.), Harper’s Baczar won the 2-year-old filly class.
“The past two years we’ve been getting on a roll, and it keeps on rolling,” Belin said. “I can’t complain!”
Breaking In
Despite her wins, Belin said it hasn’t been easy breaking into the sport of hunter breeding, often dominated by an unchanging cast of familiar characters.
“It’s been interesting,” Belin said. “Some people have been pretty supportive, and others haven’t been so supportive. It’s kind of tough because you’re playing in an established group of professionals that have their own things going on. It’s a hard thing to break into, but I just do what I do and let my animals and results speak for themselves.”
With some good-natured ribbing, much of the so-called “old guard” has accepted Belin into their ranks.
Veteran handler Raymond Francis agreed Belin has done an excellent job of fitting into a largely male-dominated world. He’s also appreciative of her youth given that so few young trainers choose hunter breeding as a profession.
“It’s pretty tough—some of these babies can get a little rough—but I think she’s one of the up-and-coming handlers we’re going to have, which is what we need because most of us are getting on in the years,” said Francis with a smile.
