There is only one place you’d have any luck in finding 11-year-old Brynn Garrett: the barn. 

With her father, Brian Garrett, DVM, an equine veterinarian, and her mother, Taryn Garrett, an amateur competitor, Brynn is growing up in quite the horsey family. Brynn has been consistent with her family’s ponies and her catch-rides in the hunter rings, earning pony division championships across the southeast at venues like Tryon International Equestrian Center (North Carolina) and the World Equestrian Center—Ocala (Florida), where she topped a USHJA Pony Hunter Derby field of 35 entries on her own Odyssey Orion in February.

Alongside her success in hunter divisions, she also competes roadster ponies, earning the junior exhibitor roadster pony under saddle championship title with her own Heartland Janie last year at World’s Championship Horse Show (Kentucky) and the Devon Horse Show (Pennsylvania), among others. Her family also recently bought a Morgan, which she is learning how to drive and plans to compete with in the coming months. However, behind her many successes and opportunities in the show rings of multiple riding disciplines is a lot of hard work. 

Her days on the family farm in Fayetteville, North Carolina, often start long before the sun is up, feeding the ponies or loading a trailer for a show, and end with mucking stalls and wrapping legs. Show mornings consist of doing all of her own necessary care, grooming and prep work for her ponies, long before she ever walks into the ring to be trained by the likes of Robin Greenwood or Cathy Geitner. Whether working with her green 4-year-old Welsh pony Bostyn WF or catch-riding a successful mount, Brynn has gained great experiences over the years. 

We asked Brynn a few questions to get a peek into what life looks like day-to-day for this hard-working pony rider. 

What is your earliest memory with horses and ponies?

Maybe my mini pony named Mini Boy. I rode him when I was little.

What has been your favorite part of growing up in a horse family? 

Living on the farm and seeing the babies grow up and born. I have a little sister named Brystol, and she rides. I usually pony her on trail rides.

What does a day at the barn look like for you? 

Getting out there, grooming, [using the Bemer blanket on] them, and probably riding about five to eight horses a day. My favorite barn chore is probably giving hay and water, and I like packing the trailer.

How do you balance your schoolwork and your barn work?

I’m homeschooled. I do school from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30, and I’m usually at the barn from 1 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

I know you work with some really green ponies long before they are even jumping the green division. How much experience do they usually have before you get on them, if any? 

I broke two of the minis [at our farm] and I’m working on a [4-year-old named Bostyn WF], breaking him, and he knows how to walk and trot. We bred him. He’s trotting poles and crossrails, and we’ve done a lot of flat work with him. Our family has bred four of our own, and we have two more coming.

What do horse show mornings look like for you? 

Yes. At shows I’m getting up at 4 a.m., hacking, feeding, watering, cleaning stalls, and doing grain. 

Do you have one main pony that you’ve been riding and competing with recently?

I have a main pony, and his name is [Odyssey Orion]. He came [to us] as a 2-year-old, I think, and he was unbroke. Now he just moved out of the medium greens into the medium division. 

What was that like to compete “Orion” at USEF Pony Finals (Kentucky) last year? 

It was really fun. We finished 19th overall. 

And you and Orion won out of 35 in the USHJA Pony Derby at the World Equestrian Center—Ocala (Florida) in February. What was that like for you, and how did you celebrate?

It was really cool to do that! That was only his second pony derby, and he was still kind of like a baby, so it was really cool. [Afterwards to celebrate] we got lunch, and we got milkshakes.

At that show I showed two of my ponies and then I also showed a little girl’s walk-trot pony in the smalls, and we were reserve champion out of 11. 

What is a big riding dream of yours?

Winning the [USEF Pony Medal Final] and [Adequan USEF Junior Hunter Championships]. 

Do you get nervous when you catch-ride? 

No, not really. I just pretend they’re kind of like my ponies and just ride them how I would on like a green pony. 

[One of my favorite catchrides was when] I rode Whinny The Blue for [trainer] Jennifer Taylor. It was in Raleigh, North Carolina, and I won all four over fences classes. He was a really cool pony to ride. I’ve always watched him, and I’ve always wanted to ride him.

Do you have a favorite horse show? 

Probably WEC—Ocala [Florida] because I love being in warm weather, or Tryon [North Carolina], because the mountains are so pretty, and there’s trail riding. I remember when I did my pony Odyssey Cassiopeia in the short stirrup at Tryon when I was probably 7 or 8.

What was your favorite part about Devon, and how did you feel about showing there in the roadster division?

It was just so cool because it’s a really old horse show. I was a little nervous but also excited.

I know you also do some driving. What pony do you do that with? 

My dad actually just bought a Morgan, Beckham. He drives and rides, and I’ve been driving him. He’s sweet, but then he’ll try to bite you, so he’s kind of just all over. Driving is a little tricky, because you have to watch the tires and stuff.

Do you have a discipline that you think that you will pursue the most going into the future with your riding goals? 

Probably the hunters and jumpers. I want to do the jumpers especially, maybe going to the Olympics.