By Kevin Morris
When Denise Van Patten and her co-workers at Smoke Tree Farm in Baldwinsville decided to start a youth equestrian team last year, the goal was just “try it for a year” and see what happened, she said.
Two weeks ago, they got their answer: “We ended up doing very, very well,” Van Patten said.
Earlier this month, three members of the team — Gabrielle Baker, Sarah Mahar and Lauren Slaven — competed at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association’s national finals. To qualify for nationals, the team first won the organization’s regional competition in Alfred that included competitors from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
At the national finals, held April 28 to May 1 in Upper Marlboro, Md., Mahar, 14, took third, fifth, and seventh place in separate competitions at nationals. She said she was “very intimidated” at first, because the competition came from all over the United States.
But, she said, once a competition starts “it all just disappears. I just get so focused, I forget about the nerves (and) just get my job done.”
Mahar’s team members also ranked highly. Baker, 14, and Lauren Slaven, also 14, took third and eighth place in their respective competitions.
The IEA was formed in 2002 to promote equestrian competition among U.S. middle school and secondary school students. Competitors don’t need to own their own horse to compete. In fact, at the competition each rider is provided a horse, which they’ve never ridden before — increasing the challenge, but leveling the playing field.
Van Patten emphasized that the organization also stresses education about the animals.
“It’s not just about riding, but about taking care of a horse on all different levels,” she said.
Mahar said her favorite part of the sport had less to do with competition and more with relationships.
“I just love this sport so much — you meet so many great people,” she said. “My favorite part is being with the horses and being able to hang out with my friends all the time.”
Her father, Tom Mahar, accompanied her to the finals. He said the sport is more than just a pastime — it also teaches good time-management skills.
"From a parent’s perspective, the involvement with the horses teaches — especially young children — a sense of responsibility and accountability,” he said. “Especially when they own their own animal.”
Van Patten is the third generation of her family to work at Smoke Tree Farm, which has been training riders and boarding horses for more than 50 years. This was the first year that the farm managed an equestrian team.
Van Patten said the idea for the team came from the kids themselves.
“The kids just started talking about it, approaching me and approaching our manager,” she said.
With this year’s success, the barn will field a team again next year, she added.