For Taylor Ann Adams, years of work and practice paid off Aug. 17 when she earned the coveted USEF Pony Medal Finals title.

Adams borrowed Sarah Garnett’s and Olivia Haslam’s Millpond Celebrity for the week. 

“I did him in the equitation through the winter, and he’s always been great,” said Adams.  “I had complete faith in him—I knew he’d be perfect.”

Exactly 200 equitation riders tackled the first round, which asked exhibitors to negotiate several broken lines and an end fence, as well as halt and trot a fence halfway through the course. The judges, Karen Healey and Bill Moroney, narrowed the field to 25, and those riders returned for a shortened course. 

The second round offered options for tight inside turns, which tripped up a few competitors, as well as an option of two side-by-side in-and-outs.
After the second round, the judges asked Elizabeth Boone and Adams to return for additional testing. Once in the ring, the riders were given their test twice, then the announcer instructed Boone to begin; she had little time to review the course.
Boone finessed her way through the test, which included a trot fence and counter-cantering a jump, followed by a tight turn back to the rail. But after the second-to-last jump, Boone took her pony to the wrong fence and hand-galloped the first element of the outside line rather than the second element.

When it was Adams’ turn, she executed an elegant test, giving Millpond Celebrity a quiet and effective ride. She easily held the counter-canter and negotiated the tight turn. Despite watching Boone jump the incorrect last fence, Adams guided her pony to the  right jump, winning the class.

“I was dying I was so nervous,” recalled Adams. “Watching Ali go, I definitely doubted my plan, but in the end I got it right.”

Adams, Eads, Tenn., has been on a roll lately. Earlier in the week the 14-year-old guided Bibby Farmer-Hill’s Sassafras Creek to the medium green pony reserve championship, and the week prior to Pony Finals she earned the small junior, 15 and under, division title aboard Stephanie Keen’s Lyle in her first appearance at the USEF Junior Hunter Finals East (see p. 22).

Adams, who trains with Bill Schaub, Farmer-Hill and Don Stewart Jr., will move up to the 3’6″ equitation following this win.