When the time came for 17-year-old Kennedy Knapic to start competing in the big equitation classes, she did not scour the circuit for a new mount—she turned to her children’s hunter.

“This year we’re looking at colleges, and for the NCAA they want you to do equitation. We couldn’t afford to get an equitation horse,” Knapic explained. “So we said, let’s see if Marlon could jump a little higher!” 

Measuring at just 15.2 hands, Marlon (who shows under the name Zedulon) has neither the typical show history nor stature of a top equitation horse. He and Knapic had their share of success in the 3 foot children’s hunter divisions the past couple of years, taking the tricolor in the 15-17 division at Zone 2 finals in 2013, but the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Marlon—Cariola) had never competed at the 3’6” height.

So when the pair finished in the top 25 at Pessoa/USEF Medal Final this year and took the reserve championship at Marshall and Sterling Junior Medal Finals at HITS Saugerties (N.Y.), it was a very pleasant surprise indeed. 

“It’s my first year doing it and Marlon’s first year ever trying something like this, so my goal was to go in and have a good experience and see where it went.” Knapic said. “It’s gone better than I could have ever imagined!” So, when Knapic trots into the Alltech Arena ring on Nov. 2 for the ASPCA Maclay Finals on Marlon, she’ll be one to watch. 

Knapic was able to get some mileage at the 3’6” height in 2013 aboard Fancy, a Quarter Horse she showed in the children’s jumpers, but not in the equitation ring and not with Marlon, who has a very different take on bigger fences than a jumper.  

“We always say he runs on half a tank of gas, so I think the hardest part when we first started moving up was he got tired so quickly,” Knapic explained. “It’s not that he’s not fit—he just goes in for the third round or the test and says ‘This is boring’, and you’re just trying to will every inch of him forward!”

Knapic rides with James Benedetto of Stonyhill Equestrian Center in Westport, N.Y., and he credits her relationship with Marlon, who she has owned since 2011, and her work ethic for making the transition to the big eq so smooth. 

“She’s a very hard worker, very diligent with her horses and very hands-on,” Benedetto said. “As a matter of fact this summer she took the horses home to keep them and make it a little bit more affordable for mom and dad so she could show a bit extra.”

Knapic’s parents purchased a property with a barn out back when she was a child to house a family trail horse, and as both Kennedy and her sister Megan’s interest in the sport grew, so did their herd. Knapic’s show horses like Marlon will move to Benedetto’s facility in the winter months, but for now they’re in her own backyard.

“My mom takes care of the horses in the morning, and then my sister and I take care of them at night,” Knapic explained. “And then we trailer in for lessons.”

While Knapic is relatively inexperienced compared to some of her Maclay Finals competitors, Benedetto has faith her attitude can make up for lack of mileage.

“I have to say, she’s a very good listener. When you tell her ‘Listen, I need you to do this, this is going to work for you,’ she’ll believe in it and she’ll execute it a 100 percent,” Benedetto explained. “Being a good student means you’re a good listener, and a good listener goes a long way.”  

Tune in at www.chronofhorse.com on Nov. 2 to see how Knapic and all the competitors in the ASPCA Maclay Finals do, as Molly Sorge and Ann Glavan will be posting a running round-by-round commentary of all the action all day long. Don’t miss a thing!