Pony power! We are celebrating ponies of all breeds on YourDressage through the month of June!
Did you know dressage riders who choose ponies as their mounts are eligible for many Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards, as there are several pony organizations on our Participating Organization list?
Here, a rider from Region 1 shares how she and her New Forest “super” pony journeyed through the levels into FEI dressage, earning many accolades and inspiring pony riders along the way.
By Sarah Stinneford
My name is Sarah Stinneford, and I own a dressage and eventing farm in Northern New Jersey. I purchased Orchid’s Tamino, or “Hank” as I call him, in the fall of 2017 after he had been imported by Sara Schmitt as a three-year-old. I was making a move from showing eventing to dressage, with the goal to pursue my USDF Bronze Medal, and was in search of a partner to get me there after having to retire my old competition horse.
I had originally wanted another warmblood, but at the time, I was having a hard time finding “the one.” Sara Schmitt posted Hank in response to an In Search Of (ISO) ad that I had posted on Facebook, and I went to see him immediately. He was the complete opposite of what I had envisioned buying for myself, but as soon as I rode him, I fell in love with his rideability and personality, and I just had to have him!
It has been quite a journey to get to the FEI levels, since we are both learning everything together as we go. Hank was quite spicy – sometimes naughty – as a youngster, and for a while, I second-guessed whether he was the right match for me.
In 2019, when Hank was turning five, I reached out to 5* event rider Holly Payne for help. Hank spent three months with Holly in Aiken, South Carolina, riding through fields and out on cross country courses, even going to some jumper shows. After that, returning to the dressage ring was so much easier for both of us, and our partnership was once again in sync.
In the summer of 2022, Hank and I earned my USDF Bronze Medal; it was like a dream come true! I remember being so happy for what we had accomplished together, but also wondering what else we could do. It no longer seemed like we were going to max out at Third Level.
In the winter of 2022, I reached out to Heather Mason for lessons because I really needed someone to help me push myself to do more, and show at bigger venues. Heather was able to take us on, and it was probably the best move I made for my career. Since then, Hank and I have accomplished more things than I ever could have imagined!
In 2023, we rode at Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges, earning my USDF Silver Medal, and we rode our first-ever Musical Freestyles, earning my Silver Freestyle Bar. We competed at the Colonel Bengt Ljundquist Memorial (CBLM) Championships at Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges, and were CBLM Fourth Level Champions in the Musical Freestyle division.
We also went to the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 1 Dressage Championships for the first time ever, where we qualified for and then competed at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® in Kentucky, at Third Level! Making it to Finals was pretty shocking – I really did not think we would have a chance, being an oversized pony in the open division, but Hank really showed up to play that weekend!
2023 was quite a season, and I can say for certain that I would never have done half of those things if it were not for Heather’s help and encouragement.
After a long winter of training, we kicked off our 2024 show season and moved up to Intermediate 1. We have already qualified for Regionals and earned two scores toward my USDF Gold Medal. It all seems so crazy to say, and I am so thankful for how hard Hank tries for me. In a few weeks, Hank and I will be attending our first CDI* at Rhythm and Blues in New Jersey, which I am simultaneously excited and nervous about participating in.
Being on an oversized pony, competing against some seriously talented upper-level riders on horses I could only ever dream of owning, is pretty intimidating. I know we do not cover as much ground or have the same scope as some of the bigger warmbloods, so going into the arena, we will have to leave little room for error – but most of the time, we do hold our own!
I owe my entire dressage career so far to Hank; everything we do together is a first for both of us, and he goes and tries his little heart out every time. I am hoping that one day, we will fulfill our biggest dream: competing at Grand Prix. But right now, I am just enjoying the journey we are on and trying to be the best rider I can be for him.
I think riding a small horse or an oversized pony makes you really honest about the basics; we cannot rely on naturally big gaits or movement to win over the judges. What we lack in size, we try to make up for in accuracy in the tests – and that can help a lot! I think the biggest thing I have learned from riding a pony in the upper levels of dressage is to never sell yourself short – because, honestly, you just never know! I think the smaller horses are so fun to ride, and I encourage all of my clients to buy on the smaller side, too (whenever possible).
It has been such an incredible experience to bring along this little horse – who did not look like much of anything as a scrawny three-year-old – to now being an FEI super pony. Hank may be small, but he has the biggest personality. He is my whole world, my heart horse, and I would encourage anyone looking to get into dressage to find themselves a pony to do it on!
Good things really do come in small packages!
