Sweet Briar graduate Lisa Hall ’98 recently wrote to Shelby French, director of SBC’s riding program, to share a success story. Here is the alumna’s account of her young riding student’s remarkable accomplishments in the show ring:

I am a graduate of SBC and the riding program. Just wanted to give you a little update. I started teaching riding five years ago in Aspen, Colo. I needed a career change and because of my teaching experience through the teaching assistantship program at SBC, I was able to get back into riding quickly. I primarily teach young children and have had many success stories. I have one in particular that I would like to share with you.

I started teaching Emma Willsky (of Aspen, Colo.) when she was 6 years old. Her very first time on a horse was with me. Through the years, Emma became a very dedicated rider. Last summer, I took her to her first A shows in Colorado with much success and a few championships in the short stirrup division. After last summer, I decided that I wanted to stay home and did not want to travel to the shows, so her mother and I started a search for a new show trainer. Aspen is a little out of the way, so finding a trainer was not an easy task. Luckily we found a wonderful lady in Vail, named Laurie Juenneman. Vail is two hours from Aspen, so Emma still trains with me on a regular basis, but goes to the shows with her new trainer.

Recently, Emma, who is now 11, went to her first show with Laurie. After only four sessions with Laurie, they were off to the Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS) circuit in Tuscon, Ariz. With so many new things — a new trainer, her first out of state show and a new pony — Laurie explained to Emma and her mom that there would be a learning curve. Surprisingly, that was not the case. After three weeks of showing her two ponies, Emma ended up with seven championships and six reserve championships in medium pony hunters, schooling pony hunters, short stirrup hunters and several different equitation divisions. Emma won almost every equitation class she entered. And, we just found out that Emma ended up as the circuit grand champion in three divisions: Maiden equitation, short stirrup hunters and short stirrup equitation. I am most proud of this because she was riding her pony that I trained, Woodlands Blue Haze (a Virginia breed pony).

Watch out for Emma in the future. I predict that she will be one of the top junior riders. Emma is a dedicated rider and I am pleased that I was able to give her a great foundation.

– Lisa Hall, SBC class of 1998