Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 12

At this point Madeline Schaefer has ridden around the Walnut Ring more times than she can count. The 15-year-old has been coming to the U.S. Pony Finals since she was 6, bringing a rotating group of ponies from her mother, Stacey’’s Shadow Ridge Farm.

While “Maddie’s” lost track of how many ponies she’s brought, every championship is special and she’ll be adding a new one to her collection—the large green pony hunter and the reserve grand green championship with Minted. Caroline Passarelli took the overall grand green championship with So Enchanted after sweeping the small greens on Wednesday.

Though she’s been riding at U.S. Pony Finals for most of her showing career, Maddie admitted that even she gets the butterflies, though her sister Samantha and trainer Kate Conover encourage her to make her own decisions.

“They didn’t tell me much. They said, ‘If you don’t know how to do this by now…,” she trailed off with a laugh. “I will say, I was a little nervous. Green ponies are very unpredictable but I should have known he was going to be perfect.”

Maddie first paired with “Robbie” in the fall of 2015 after the Schaefers imported him. While some young ponies take a while to adjust to showing, Maddie said Robbie found his niche right away.

“He’s a good boy,” she said. “He’s a solid citizen. He’s always been wanting to help us out and win. He’s always been generally a very good boy.

“I love his attitude,” she said. “He never really has an opinion, and it’s great because when they have too much opinion sometimes it makes them a winner and sometimes it makes them a loser, and it makes him a winner, his attitude. He’s always wanting to help you out. He’s never like, ‘You can do this one on your own.’ He’s always like ‘Alright! Come on!’ ”

Making It Count

After taking reserve with A Dream Come True in the small pony hunters yesterday Kyla Sullivan was hoping to replicate her results. But she did one better, winning the medium green over fences aboard Not So Secret to take the division championship.

“It’s very exciting,” said Sullivan, 12. “I just try to focus on what I’ve doing and not what everyone else is doing, and it helps a lot.”

Kyla Sullivan and Not So Secret.

Sullivan paired up with “Oliver”, a 10-year-old cross-bred pony (Tapu Kid McCoy—Foxmor Sum Dancer) owned by Jill Shulman, five months ago. The pair hit it off and Shulman trusts his easy-going personality enough that Sullivan will show him Sunday in the pony medal.

“[He’s] very easy, really one of the easiest green ponies we’ve ever brought to the ring,” said Shulman who is known for her large group of pony riders. “I think it’s because he had some real little kids ride him in the short stirrup. He’s very tried and true, hence we’re going to do him in the medal on Sunday which is a little unusual for a green pony. With such a nice kid that we have high hopes for to do well in the medal.”

“He’s very easy going and very smooth, and he’s a lot of fun to ride,” said Sullivan. “He landed all of his leads which is really good for him, and he went very smoothly and nicely.”

Sullivan has been riding with Shulman’s Back Country Farm for just over a year and this is her best Pony Finals to date with her first championship.

“She’s great,” said Shulman. “She’s a pleasure really great work ethic, great student, very focused, fun to be around.”