Tyler Haney,14, from Boulder, Colorado, is one of those fresh faced kids who is enthusiastic about life, yet still a little shy. Her light brown hair, streaked blonde by the sun, is pulled back in a pony tail. She has ridden half her life.

The ninth grader was Upper Level Junior Champion for Show I (August 1) and FEI Jr/Am Reserve Champion for Show II (August 2,3) and qualified for the Cosequin National Competition to be held at Devon, her first time competing at FEI levels on a horse she has ridden less than a year.

Phoenix is a 14 year old gray Holsteiner gelding imported from Germany. Haney's trainer, Sarah Martin, had a client who owned him about a year but that didn't work out so Haney's family bought him.

"My trainer competed him in Prix St. Georges last year in California before I had him," Haney said. "Now we are competing at Juniors and hopefully next year or the year after,Young Riders. Phoenix is the kind of horse who needs one main person. When I first got him, he was really touchy about his right side, so he needs one person who really takes care of him. He needs trust. He's really sweet and kind of quiet, he's not mouthy or anything. He is sort of to himself. He's gotten now to trust me and Sarah."Haney said his best gait is his trot.

"We're working on getting his hocks under him, but once he gets over his back and through he can have a really nice trot," she stated. "We trail ride near the house and he loves that and we take him galloping."