Everyone has those horses that make a special impact on their life. I wrote a blog last year about my grand prix horse, Whisper VC, whose character and generosity helped make advancements in my career.

But even before my time with Whisper, there was another bay mare (with a much sassier attitude) that also contributed greatly to my development as a rider and person.

While growing up and showing in the Midwest, my favorite horse shows were those in Mason City, Iowa. I loved the grounds, the people, and the town itself. On the Saturday of each show week, trucks would pull up to the edge of the jumper arena from which we would watch the grand prix.

Watching our heroes with the Raven Ridge Farm crew.

Watching the talented local riders in the grand prix was such a thrill for me—I loved every second of it. When I was 16, I vividly remember trainer Kim Barone cantering into the arena on a bay mare that looked like she was going to jump out of her skin at any given moment. The mare was not large, and had a Thoroughbred look to her.

She wore a large shadow roll on her bridle and most interesting of all, when she cantered, she violently shook her head. As they started jumping, the mare would clear each fence with ease and then land as if her tail was on fire. I was worried she wouldnʼt even see the jump, but she did. Kim ended up not only being clear, but also being the fastest in the jump-off and winning the Midstates Grand Prix. I was in awe of Kim and her horse, Fiona.

I started my freshman year at William Woods University in 2003. William Woods—to me—was what Hogwarts was to Harry Potter. Everyone else understood my crazy horse obsession and I could see the barn from my sorority house window. After returning from winter break, my trainer Linda McClaren told me that we had recently received a donation horse from “my neck of the woods.”

As I walked out to the courtyard in between barns, I saw a bay mare emerge from a two-horse trailer. She held her head high and had a presence about her that made it clear she was in charge. It was FIona.

Fiona and I in our college years.

Through some turn of events, Fiona had been sold to an amateur who didnʼt get along with her. Since she wasnʼt the most orthodox animal, they decided to donate her as opposed to trying to sell her. Even though Fiona was owned by the school, she quickly became “my” horse, assigned to me as a project horse. Though at times I tended to forget that I didnʼt actually own her (Linda had to remind me frequently) she really was “my” horse.

Maybe we had similar personalities but I loved her, understood her, and she tried her guts out for me. It took a long time (and very sore shoulders) to learn how to ride her and her unique way of going. Once you cantered you could never go back to trotting and god forbid the saddleseat students try to jog a horse while you were riding because Fiona wanted nothing to do with those strange carts. And body clipping? Forget about it. Thereʼs a horse-butt sized dent in the hunter/jumper barn door to show how Fiona felt about body clipping.

When feeling homesick, her stall was where I went. I was with Fiona in between classes, after night check and always taking an apple to her from the dining hall. I can still picture opening the large sliding door into the hunter/jumper barn and seeing her face looking right at me with her head over her stall guard.

I would always give her an extra load of shavings, extra handfuls of grain and take the very best brushes out of the other grooming boxes just for her. Even though she was a school horse, she needed to still think she was a grand prix horse. And she did.

Fiona and I would go home to Minnesota to ride with my trainer Bill Nunn for the summers. I was fortunately able to purchase Fiona from the university. We graduated from William Woods together and headed back to Minnesota. Fiona and I continued to compete in the amateur-owner jumpers, traveling to Winnipeg, Canada, Tucson, Ariz., Gulfport, Miss., and St. Louis, Mo., among other places.

Fiona and I at our first show together.

At 17, Fiona started showing signs of her age and it was time to retire her. She went to live at the beautiful farm of my farrier, Keith Raleigh and his wife. It was perfect.

While showing at the Minnesota Harvest Show with Fiona years prior, I remember walking through the barn just before the grand prix and passing an aisle with a chestnut horse standing with no cross-ties, just a lead rope to the ground, as his rider tacked him up. The rider was Kate Bomgaars and the horse was her beautiful stallion, Online. Together, they had a wonderful grand prix career. When I saw that stallion standing so quietly, yet I knew how powerful and scopey he was, I thought “thatʼs the kind of stallion I should breed Fiona to.”

On May 14, 2010, Fiona gave birth to a beautiful filly sired by Online. I had just moved to Arizona and remember Elaine calling me to give me the news. Inspired by my new Southwest atmosphere, the name Fiesta instantly fit. She was a perfect combination of Fiona and Online. She had the same smart eye as Fiona and their markings were almost identical. Her shoulders and perfect neck were a reflection of her great sire.

Fiona with Fiesta as a foal.

Fiesta grew up as all young horses should, in huge green pastures with other young horses. She experienced all seasons, had run-ins with fences, dreadlocks of mud and wooly mammoth coats in the winter.

When Fiesta was almost 3, my friend Janine Weatherby was coming down to Arizona for our winter circuit and brought Fiesta to Tucson. I had visited Fiesta a few times when home in Minnesota for holidays, but our time together had been limited. As Janine unloaded Fiesta and handed me the lead rope I felt very similar to how I do with human babies as I awkwardly hold them as far away from myself as possible.

Fiesta’s arrival in Arizona.

Luckily, Fiestaʼs father, Online, instantly started to show and she calmly took in her new surroundings. She certainly had her baby moments but to her, all people were good and all people were fair. I was fortunate to have a wonderful colt starter at our facility, Thomas Clover, who started Fiesta for me. He rode her bareback on Day 1, spent hours on her groundwork and she simply could not have had a better introduction to being under saddle. I took over a few months in and it was a relatively seamless transition even though I was very cautious with my very smart, very athletic filly.

Thomas Clover breaking Fiesta.

Jumping came very easily for Fiesta and she immediately showed a fantastic hind end. Her front end? Well, it left a little to be desired, but I wasnʼt too discouraged. When taking my clients to Parker, Colo., in the summer of 2014, I had an extra spot on the trailer and decided that Fiesta got to go. With Ronnie Freeman helping me from the ground, Fiesta started in the .70-meter classes and she seemed to handle each new challenge with ease.

Her show career slowly progressed from there as she moved up through the levels. She began competing in the 5-year-old jumpers in California this spring and continued to jump clear rounds. I never expected her to qualify for the upcoming Young Jumper Championship Western League 5-Year-Old Jumper Finals, but she did. When I look at that list and see her name, with my beloved Fionaʼs name as her dam, Online as her sire, Ashbrook Farm as the owner and Ashley Stannard as the breeder, itʼs kind of incredible.

Fiesta and I won the 5-year-old jumper classic at the Blenheim June Classic II (Calif.). 

I had to make the decision to put Fiona down last summer. It was the right thing to do as her health had been fading but it was the most difficult decision Iʼve ever made. The fact that I own this small mirror image of her is really mind blowing. There are little things like how much Fiesta loves her face brushed, or how she likes her tail scratched, that help me see how Fiona is so very much a part of her.

Fiona left me with the most amazing gift who continues to defy the odds, just as Fiona did. Fiesta and I are at Showpark in Del Mar, Calif., this week to compete in the YJC finals. My little bay mare who is the only horse Iʼve ever bred out of a mare that meant so much to me will try as hard as she can, flip her tail, and we will hope for the best.

Ashley Stannard is a young professional who owns and operates Ashbrook Farm in Tucson, Ariz. She and her Ashbrook Farm clients compete at shows throughout the Southwest. Ashley is also a member of the USHJA Zone 8 Jumper Committee. Read all of Ashley’s blogs for the Chronicle.