Schaefer Raposa, 10, became one of the youngest pony riders to claim Best Child Rider on a Pony honors this weekend at the Devon Horse Show Junior Weekend, May 27-29 in Devon, Pa. Only 10, Raposa also rode Longacre Jack B Nimble to the grand pony and medium pony hunter championships.

Maggie MacAlary earned Best Child Rider on a Pony honors when she was 10, becoming the youngest recipient of that award a few years ago. Raposa, the daughter of grand prix show jumper David Raposa and top hunter rider Kara Hanly Raposa, comes by her riding talent honestly. She trains with Heritage Farms’ Patricia Griffiths, Andre Dignelli and Kate Oliver at the shows, and rides with her parents at their Clinton, N.Y., farm when she’s not showing. Longacre Jack B Nimble is a 14-year-old veteran show pony, and this year is the first that Raposa has ventured into the regular pony divisions, having shown in the children’s ponies last year. She and “Jack” just barely missed Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) circuit championship honors in April.

Lexy Reed, 15, wasn’t born with all the opportunities to show that Raposa was, but she doesn’t let it stop her. Reed grew up in Pittsburg, Pa., on a cattle farm. She always had a pony or horse and showed locally, but when a family friend recognized that she had real talent, things changed. That friend mentioned trainer Don Stewart’s name to Reed’s mother, and three years later, Reed rode Double Cinco to the grand junior and small junior, 15 and under championships and captured Best Child Rider on a Horse honors.      

Reed and Double Cinco won the over fences and under saddle classes on the first day, then returned to take the blue in the handy hunter class and third in the stake to clinch the grand title. She and the elegant bay gelding made short work of a tough handy course.  Riders had to negotiate a sharp 90 degree turn from fence 1 to an airy vertical with no ground line. After a conventional line down the long side of the ring, they then cantered a vertical, had the space of three strides to walk, and another three strides to pick up a trot and trot into a one-stride in-and-out. It was a good test of rideability and control for the junior hunters.

Hardin Towell and Caped Crusader claimed the tricolor in the large junior, 15 and under division, while Megan Young catch-rode Navigator to the large junior, 16-17 title. Remember Me and Kendle Handtmann claimed the small junior, 15 and under championship by just half a point over Daisy Johnson and Libre.

Jessica Springsteen took over in the large pony division, taking the championship on Liseter Clever Star and the reserve aboard the venerable Newsworthy, who she started leasing after the Florida circuit this year. Alex Arute took top honors in the small ponies with Far From Home. She brought the flashy bay pony along from a green pony and won the small/medium green division at last year’s USAEq Pony Finals (Ohio). After the Florida circuit this year, Megan Davis bought Far From Home, but gave Arute the ride back for Devon.

Brianne Goutal continued her winning ways in the Equitation divison, taking the Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship after winning sections of the BET/USET Medal, the Washington International Horse Show Equitation Classic, and the USEF Medal, and taking third in the ASPCA Maclay.