They say that good things come in small packages, and at the Halloween-themed October Plantation Field Starter Trials (Pennsylvania), an 8-hand, 10-year-old miniature horse named Popcorn stole the show. His owner, Canadian five-star eventer Lisa Marie Fergusson, showed up to the event as Dorothy from “The Wizard Of Oz,” ponying Popcorn as her sidekick “Toto” from the back of a 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding in the starter division. 

“I didn’t tell anybody what I was going to do, except the girls at my barn,” said Fergusson, who regularly attends competitions at Plantation Field from her base in nearby West Chester, Pennsylvania. She did, however, text longtime show photographer Amy Dragoo, saying, “Just wait until you see what I’m coming as this year!”

Dragoo’s position as Plantation Field’s official photographer involves shooting the venue’s recognized horse trials, which often draw the sport’s top riders, many of whom live locally or use the autumn Plantation Field International CCI4*-S as their last run before heading to the Mars Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill. It also involves photographing the venue’s schooling horse trials, including the annual Halloween competition, where costumes are encouraged. She and her crew of photographers often get in on the action themselves; this year, they donned inflatable unicorn costumes to join the spirit of the season. Dragoo has gotten to the point that she knows what to expect from the regular competitors, including Fergusson.

“She has always been committed with her costumes in years past, so I knew it would be epic,” Dragoo wrote.

Fergusson’s past Halloween horse trials costumes have included dressing as a polo player, complete with a mallet she toted through all three phases, and—aboard the same horse she rode this year, Marco—dressing as Little Red Riding Hood. 

Marco, who is owned by Jennifer Babcock and usually competes at training level, proved he was up for Halloween fun when he was just 4. That year, Fergusson donned an elaborate Little Red Riding Hood costume that would have rattled a less-than-steady equine youngster. 

“He’s just wonderful. I had this big red cape with a hood, and it was billowing in the breeze and covering him, kind of like a quarter sheet, and when we were cantering around the cross-country, it was, like, blowing in the wind—flapping,” she said. 

Fergusson recalls spectators being impressed by what a “cool dude” young Marco was. This year, however, most of the attention went to his companion, pint-sized Popcorn, as he gamely completed a dressage test then hurtled around the 18” cross-country and show jumping fences alongside Marco. 

“He’s an amazing little guy,” Fergusson said of Popcorn. “I thought, well, we’ll see how it goes, who knows what’s going to happen, but I’ve practiced and prepped. 

“All these kids came up to us and wanted to take our picture, and they said, ‘We’re coming to this show next year! This is the coolest thing ever!’ ” she added. “It was fun to get so many people excited about it.”

The other costumed entries also did not disappoint, including a jester atop a horse clad in coordinating clown pants; an “animal caretaker” riding a giraffe-stenciled chestnut; Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg making an encore appearance after the Paris Olympic Games, and a crepe-paper-adorned human piñata throwing candy at the judges from the saddle.

“It’s just super fun,” Fergusson said of the October starter trials. “It’s great for the young horses. I like to restart OTTBs, and it’s a great way to get them exposed. One year I took two 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, and they did the elementary. It was a nice way to get them that exposure.”

Dr. Bonnie Kibbie, VMD, an equine veterinarian who also serves as the horse trials organizer and president of Plantation Field’s board of directors, said this year’s Halloween starter trial, held Oct. 26-27, was the best yet. 

“I keep saying that every year, but it just keeps getting better,” she said. “Riders come from as far as New Jersey to participate, and the kids in the area look forward to it all year.” 

After his 15 minutes of horse trials fame ended, Popcorn returned home with Fergusson to her North Star Eventing, where he is a valuable role model. 

“The little kids come to the barn and hug his legs and stand behind him and learn to brush on him,” she said. “This past Christmas we covered him up in wrapping paper for my friend’s daughter to unwrap on Christmas morning. He just stood there with it wrapped around his legs, around his barrel, around his neck, and she ripped it all off and sat on him with the wrapping paper.

“Popcorn is literally a saint,” she added. “He’s everybody’s emotional support pony.”