Adult amateurs, it’s your time to shine! We are featuring all things adult amateur throughout the month of April.
Dressage riders who are designated as an adult amateur with USEF are eligible for amateur-exclusive year-end award divisions, including Master’s Challenge, Vintage Cup, Adequan®/USDF Adult Amateur Awards, All-Breeds Awards, and more!
An adult amateur from Region 7 shares how her Craigslist horse has built her confidence and allowed her to have fun showing again!
By Carlee Arnett
Meet Sonoma – a 15.1 hand draft/pinto cross of unknown age – aka “the Craigslist” horse.
After taking a twenty-year break from riding while I raised children and worked, I adopted an off-track Standardbred (OTSB) in Northern California. Through a series of unplanned events, I ended up with a local dressage trainer and retired my Standardbred almost as soon as I started. I was casually looking for a new horse, and I was new to dressage, having ridden hunters as a teenager.
Someone forwarded me a video of a horse from Craigslist, saying that she might be a nice dressage prospect. I went to look at her on a very windy day; the owner said that she hadn’t been ridden much, but I could see Sonoma’s sweet personality right away. My shirt was making a huge noise flapping in the wind, and a friend was standing in the trees taking video. Sonoma had a running martingale on and was going around like a deer. In spite of the weather, she was solid. She is a lovely mover, and there seemed to be no reason not to take her back to Davis and give her a shot.
To say that I am a nervous rider would be an understatement; fear is a real issue for me. I started my partnership with Sonoma by having my lesson after another rider rode her, and we only used about a quarter of the arena. She does look at things, but she rarely spooks. I have the safest horse in the barn, but I still get nervous. Sonoma takes care of me — I am her Nervous Nelly.
At some point, we advanced to 20-meter circles, and eventually, I gave Training Level a try at a local show. In spite of my helmet nearly falling off, we were able to score in the 60s. As we continued to show, my previous show experience paid off.
When I found Sonoma, I really had no idea of what to look for in a dressage horse. I wanted a good mover and a horse of a different color. I felt like I had already had a show career, and I didn’t need to repeat that. I wanted to enjoy competing and make new memories. Fortunately, I had found the right barn.
Right before the pandemic, I had trouble with the tendons in my right foot, and I was on crutches for a long time, but I was still able to ride. At that time, I felt that our partnership hadn’t gelled and that maybe I should sell Sonoma. I started to articulate that thought, and it wasn’t even completely out of my mouth before my trainer said no. She was right. We really had a partnership, but I just didn’t know it yet.
After the pandemic, it was on to First Level for us, and we were successful beyond my wildest expectations. I never thought I would conquer First Level Test 3, but we did. Now we are showing Second Level, and Sonoma is learning the flying changes for Third Level.
Sonoma has been my rock when other things in my life have been uncertain. She has given me a chance to ride and compete when I thought that part of my life was over. Sonoma loves her work and gets very serious when entering the arena. She gets very “drafty” and puts her head down so we can get the job done. Now we are working on the concept of getting the job done with the poll a little higher ☺.
Just recently, at a show, a voice said from the rail, “Can I ask you a question?” And my trainer replied, “No, this horse is not for sale.” I can’t imagine my life without Sonoma, and I am so grateful that I found her.
We will probably show Second Level again this year, but I can envision a world where I might venture to show Third Level.
The confidence that my experience with Sonoma has given me has allowed me to navigate challenges in my job. I know that I have a good part of my life outside of work where I can be successful. One of the highlights of riding Sonoma has been the confidence that my trainer has in us and the positive reception we have gotten from the various clinicians who have come to the barn.
As Sonoma’s vet just recently said, “You said you were going to make a dressage horse out of her, and you did! She was scared of everything when she got here.” Obviously, I had the help of my trainer, Eva King, and the folks at Winterhaven, but she was right – we did it.
Wonderful story!