Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 6

When Charlotte Morassutti brought Best Sport to USEF Pony Finals last year for the medium green pony hunters, the pony was still pretty green and learning the ropes. But this year he came out strong, topping all three judges’ cards in the medium pony hunter class to move up from third to champion in the division.

“He’s gotten way better,” said Morassutti, 11. “I think last year, I wasn’t as good. Like, usually I would push him past some distances and he would skip across the ground. And now I just stay calm, and he’s just so much better about, like, deeper distances and making them look really good.”

Morassutti paired up with the 7-year-old warmblood (Best Boy—Feine Maus) a month or so before last year’s Pony Finals, and trainer Samantha Schaefer of Shadow Ridge said she’s seen both rider and pony come together quite a bit in that time.

“Sometimes I think I forget how young he is, how young she is,” said Schaefer. “They have really created a great partnership.”

Schaefer said that last year Morassutti rode a more confirmed medium pony, but they made the decision this year to focus on Best Sport, even though he was greener, because she was so capable.

“I think the best thing about Charlotte is her grit and determination,” Schaefer continued. “You don’t ever have to be like, ‘Come on, get with it,’ and you never have to push her to want it. I think that’s so important. She’s willing to kind of do whatever it takes to be successful. I think her whole family is really dedicated to the sport. Obviously she’s here to have fun, but she’s really here to be focused. She’s a really good student, and she has a great natural feel. So [Shadow Ridge trainer Kate Conover] and I always joke, that we feed her the information, but we try not to get in her way either.”

Morassutti lives in Toronto, and she comes down to shows or to train every few weeks. (She’s only allowed to be in the U.S. fewer than 150 days a year.) To prepare for Pony Finals she came down to Shadow Ridge in Westminster, Maryland, early to prepare over a tough course, with extra-long lines and decorated fences like she might see in Kentucky.

Morassutti said she and “Bestie” have built a strong partnership over their time together, and she was excited that she managed to reach one of her highest goals—winning at Pony Finals—with him.

“He’s really, really fun,” she said. “He’s very brave—he just goes over anything.

“He loves cuddles and he loves treats,” she added. “My dad gives the ponies lots of treats, so he kind of knows him the best. But you can just go in his stall and he’ll be like so happy to see you.”

Morassutti’s championship tasted extra sweet this year because her friend and barnmate Penelope Sugg rode Heartfirst to the reserve championship in the division. Schaefer said the two riders have a friendly rivalry that pushes both of them to be the best.

“That was so fun,” said Morassutti. “I was so excited to see her be reserve. That never happens with like two people from the same barn. I was excited to win with my best friend.”

Dalton Dominates The Small Green Pony Division

Violet Dalton has been dreaming about coming to Pony Finals for a few years, and this year she made that dream come true—and then some. Dalton will leave her first Pony Finals and head back to Laguna Beach, California, with a suitcase full of primary colored ribbons after she piloted First Blue LLC’s Buttons And Blues to the top of the small green pony hunter division. Colin Shippam rode Mr. Brightside to the reserve title for Bayaert Farm Inc.

In addition to winning the over fences class that had them leapfrog up the standings from 15^th to the top of the division, Buttons And Blues and Dalton also won the small green pony Welsh award and the best presented small green pony award.

Dalton has been riding the 10-year-old Welsh Pony cross (Holyoake Czar—Knockeen Moonlight) since the beginning of the season.

“[We practice] the left lead, because sometimes we have trouble picking it up,” said Dalton, 10. “Then also in the lines we work on getting the right strides.”

Dalton said he needs a smooth ride, “and not too fast, because he has a pretty big stride, so in the lines if we go too fast then we’ll get the wrong number,” she said.

Dalton said that “Benji” is sweet in the barn.

“But he can be sassy too,” she said. “When it’s the morning he’s always lying down and I like to go cuddle with him and give him lots of pets.”

Dalton and her trainer Lee Flick of Bridgeport Farm came to Kentucky a week early to get in some practice in the Bluegrass. The two have been working together about two years, and Flick said Dalton’s focus makes her stand out.

“Violet is an awesome student, and she really tries to do exactly what we tell her to do,” said Flick. “She’s brave, and she actually likes doing the pony jumpers as well. She loves her ponies, and she’s been a joy to teach.

“She’s able to concentrate and try really hard,” he added. “When we walk a course she tries to execute the plan.”

Find full results here.

Want more USEF Pony Finals? Get all the Chronicle’s coverage here. Make sure you’re following along with the Chronicle on Facebook and Instagram @chronofhorse. You can get more Pony Finals in the September issue of the Chronicle.