Local Sports

Holt up to challenge at horse show

They say it's good to try new things and challenge oneself.

That was the thought of Alana Holt as she and her horse, SS Lady Madonna (Maddie) ,prepared for the Silver Spurs Horse Show which was recently held at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg.

It has been a very successful year for the pair, but it also has been a tiring one with practicing and traveling to shows around the country. So, Alana decided to take the opportunity of showing at Silver Spurs to have some fun, along with challenging herself, by entering classes she usually does not show in. She decided to show Maddie in four classes, two in-hand classes where the handler does not ride, but works alongside the horse and two riding classes.

Alana and Maddie began by participating in the Performance Halter class for mares. In this class, the judge looks at the horse's confirmation against the breed standard. It is the handler's job to move the horse around the arena and set up the horse to stand as the judge makes his evaluation. This was only the second time that Alana and Maddie had ever participated in a performance halter class, but the judge approved of their effort by awarding them the first-place blue ribbon.

The next class for the two was also an in-hand Showmanship class. This class is similar to the performance class, however, it also includes a pattern with different gaits and maneuvers that must be executed properly by both the horse and handler. Maddie and Alana again caught the attention of the judge who put them in first place for the class.

Next up for the pair were the riding classes. Their first class was a Purebred Arabian Hunter Pleasure class, open to amateurs of all ages. This meant Alana would be testing her skills against adult riders with many more years of experience. Alana was up to the challenge and when the judge's card was tallied Maddie and Alana had their third blue ribbon of the show.

Their final opportunity to compete came in the highly competitive Open Hunter Pleasure class. This class is open to any breed of horse and all levels of riders, including trainers and other equestrian professionals, showing in the Hunter Pleasure discipline. This class challenged their abilities along with being able to control their nerves against such a strong field. They turned in an excellent ride and met the challenge of being in this class. At the conclusion of the class the competitors waited in the lineup for the judge's decision. When the announcer read the judge's card Maddie and Alana heard their names as winners of the class and the first-place blue ribbon.

At the conclusion of the show, Alana and Maddie were recognized for one more accomplishment. Although they had only competed in four classes, their four first-place finishes allowed them to earn enough points to be named reserve champions in Alana's age group.

Alana and Maddie continue to train under Nicole Reed out of Ghost Pines Farm in New Kensington, Pa.