Caroline Snow Proves Herself in Intermediate at Rocking Horse III
By Amber Heintzberger
For HorsesDaily.com

Altoona, FL - February 28, 2004 - 18-year-old Caroline Snow was only hoping to qualify for a two-star event, but her performance on Prove It Again surpassed even her expectations. The pre-med student from the University of GA, Athens moved up from 13th place after dressage to win the Intermediate division at the Rocking Horse III Winter Horse Trials in Altoona, FL with 48.2 penalties after a clear cross-country trip and one rail down in stadium jumping.

This was the pair's third Intermediate event. They nearly won their first but came second by a rail, and last weekend they were fifth at Pine Top (GA). They almost stayed home in Georgia due to a winter storm, but the snow melted just in time for the drive to Florida. "I-85 was really bad so we took back roads and we were lucky to get here," she said.

Snow, a native of Chattanooga, TN has had the nine-year-old gelding since he was a green four-year-old and the two have learned everything together.

"He's a Thoroughbred/Paint cross and was raised by a Coca-Cola family to be a polo pony," she recalled. "He's out of a steeplechase mare. He didn't get any color, so they sold him - he has more tendency to jump anyway."

She said that while the jumps looked big when she walked the course, "On him it's really nothing. He's a superstar. He's done two one-stars and both times he finished on his dressage score."

Snow plans to take her gelding to the Jersey Fresh CCI** (NJ) and try to qualify for the North American Young Riders Championships. Last year she was a working student at Bouckaert Farm, where she said she received helpful training. With studies and riding keeping her busy now she works with Jill Mooney, at whose barn she boards her horse.

"She's very supportive of me," she said. "We're focusing on dressage now because he's tough on the flat and it's not my strongest phase."

Snow thoroughly enjoyed her trip to Florida and the chance to compete and succeed against such tough competition.