Molly Sorge

Overnight, Yasmin Rizvi got another ride added to her schedule.

Yasmin’s younger sister, Farah, was injured in a fall on the first day of the pony hunters at the Pennsylvania National, and she asked Yasmin to take over the reins on First Edition for the second day. Yasmin complied happily and rode First Edition to the small pony reserve championship. She added that tricolor to the small pony championship she collected riding her own Q2 to make a clean sweep of the division. She also captured the Best Child Rider on a Pony title.

Harrisburg, Pa.—Oct. 12

Tori Colvin, Tori Colvin, Tori Colvin. I know it seems like all we do is write about Tori Colvin. Is she really that good?

Yes, yes she is.

Harrisburg, Pa.—Oct. 11

There aren’t many “mutts” jumping around at Pennsylvania National Junior Weekend, but Wicked fits the bill.

Katie Pontone freely admits that her blue-eyed paint mare, Wicked, doesn’t have distinguished bloodlines. “She’s just a mutt!” she said. “But she’s the best.” Together, Pontone, 18, and the mare she bought out of a field just months ago topped the NAL Pony Jumper Final with the only clean round of the jump-off. They were also the top qualifiers in the NAL standings.

In a touching ceremony in the international ring during the Spruce Meadows Masters, Eric Lamaze unveiled a statue of his famous show jumper Hickstead.

With Lamaze, Hickstead jumped to individual gold and team silver at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, individual bronze at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Ky.), where Hickstead was named Best Horse, and second place individually at the 2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Final.

North Salem, N.Y.—Sept. 16

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen that trophy up close,” Peter Leone quipped as he nudged Lincourt Gino up to the table holding the historic American Gold Cup trophy.

North Salem, N.Y.—Sept. 14.

After winning team and individual gold at the 2011 Pan American Games (Mexico), Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One were hot favorites for the 2012 London Olympic Games team.

But the U.S. Equestrian Federation Olympic selection trials didn’t go as planned for McCrea and “Dutchie.” They were off form and finished out of contention for the team.

We all know what it’s like to jump a jump and then have no idea which way to turn. Now, imagine your brain freezing up like that in a class worth $250,000.

Saugerties, N.Y.—Sept. 9

As she walked in the in-gate for the last round, Patricia Griffith got to use a little bit of the advice she’s been repeating to her students for years.

“I was just thinking ‘I want to have a round that I’m happy with and whatever happens happens,’” she said. “I’ve been doing this long enough to know that it’s really easy to mess yourself up. When I teach kids, I always tell them ‘Worry about yourself.’ I think that’s what I tried to do.”

Saugerties, N.Y.—Sept. 9

As I drove from the HITS-on-the-Hudson showgrounds to the Albany airport, I passed through a furious rain shower. Then, an intensely vivid rainbow appeared. But it was a bit too late—an hour before, McLain Ward had picked up the pot of gold.

With the only double clear of the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix on Antares F, Ward triumphed over the richest grand prix in the United States. He earned $350,000 for Antares’ owners, Grant Road Partners.

Saugerties, N.Y.—Sept. 8

Dark storm clouds loomed on the horizon all day, but the real threat in the $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix was the contingent of riders from Heritage Farm.

After Rounds 1 and 2 concluded, Heritage’s Lillie Keenan is in first with her C Coast Z, Patricia Griffith is in second on Lexi Maounis’ Sienna, and Matthew Metell claimed fourth overall with Heritage’s Pioneer.

Californian Hope Glynn nudged into the standings by riding Chance Of Flurries into third.