From a Press Release by Daniel Rieffer , Communications Manager, American Saddlebred Horse Association

Louisville, Kentucky ¬– Elena Vail, a high school freshman from Stonington, Connecticut, came to the World’s Championship Horse Show last year with her father, Don, to watch a friend of Elena’s compete here. That day, watching her friend show on the green shavings, she proclaimed, “This is amazing. I’m coming here next year.” To which her dad emphatically replied, “Then, do it!” – letting her know that it’d be incumbent upon her to make a commitment to the hard work it takes to get here.

She did and on Tuesday, competed in the very same class her friend had a year ago, the Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited Country Pleasure 13 Years Old and Under. Elena claimed a third-place ribbon aboard Bella Dahl.

Elena began in Academy classes before starting to ride double bridle last fall. Her trainer, Nicholas Villa, told her she’d go to Louisville if she wanted it bad enough. She upped her time spent with Nicholas to three or four times a week, after school and on Saturdays.

Nicholas worked for John Biggins for years, earning a reputation as a hard worker. Nicholas’ wife, Sharon, says, “He gets up early. But often times, Elena is up when he is, and that’s what it takes to get here. It’s nice to see a teenager working hard and not sleeping all day on Saturday. Whatever Nicholas said, she did.”

Two weeks ago, Nicholas said, “Be at the barn at 6:30 every morning. You’re going to ride five horses a day, every day to train for Louisville.”

“It was hard work, but it was worth it,” Elena said with a smile, adding, “I did well in Academy with him (Nicholas), so I trusted him to get me here.”

Elena described the culmination of the hard work, which put her on a journey down Stopher Walk Tuesday morning, “I was so excited warming up, but the big thrill was entering the arena with it all lit up and the audience. Adrenalin, wicked adrenalin. That’s the main thing that kept me going because I didn’t get tired at all. The air conditioning helped, too.

“I’d been thinking about it all week, not to get overwhelmed because I’m here to compete.”

Sharon prepared Elena for the experience this week by employing the nerve-calming strategy made famous in the movie Hoosiers, in which Gene Hackman, playing the head coach of a small-town-Indiana high school basketball team, tosses one of his players a tape measure to check the distances from the free-throw line to the end line and from the floor to the goal on the court they’ll soon be playing the state championship. The measurements of the daunting Indianapolis arena are the same as the ones back at team’s home gymnasium –15 feet from the free-throw line to the basket and 10 feet off the floor.

“We talked about it,” says Sharon, referring to Freedom Hall’s intimidation factor for young riders making their debut. But she assured Elena, “It’s what we do at home, at the other shows. It’s the same thing.’”

The pressure and nerves were not enough to keep Elena from finishing in the top three.

“I’ve worked all year to get here. Riding onto the green sawdust was every thing I’d imagined it’d be,” Elena said, getting a bit excited thinking about that moment again.

But it’s not over yet, she shows back in the championship this morning, the first class of the day (class 176).

Now, that she’s gotten past the initial anxiety of showing for the first time in the World’s Championship Horse Show out of the way, Elena says it’s time to “Go kick butt in the championship!”

For further information, contact:
American Saddlebred Horse Association
4083 Iron Works Parkway | Lexington, KY 40511
Voice: (859) 259-2742 | Fax: (859) 259-1628