2002 Northeast Junior/Young Rider Dressage Championships

Hailey Ferber, Honored With Poise Under Pressure Award

In addition to the awards for competition results, the Northeast Junior/Young Rider Dressage Championships also presents several awards for other accomplishments at the show. Hailey Ferber, 16, of Concord, Massachusetts, was awarded the Poise Under Pressure Award sponsored by Leslie B. Weiss, Ph.D., Performance Enhancement Services. The award acknowledges a competitor that displays sportsmanship and poise when confronted with a challenge or adverse circumstance.

Hailey, who brought her Hanoverian gelding Eloquence to the Championships, withdrew him from competition when he threw a shoe, despite pressure to compete him anyway. "We call him 'Quincy'. He's 15 and we've had him since he was three. My mom got him from Virginia. He's the greatest guy but he's had a lot of tough problems," explained Hailey, adding that the horse had colicked when he was eight and then had other health issues. "You name it, this horse has got it. He's a great guy but he's just systemically ill. Because of that, I didn't want to risk it when he pulled a shoe."

Despite having to scratch classes, Hailey and Quincy had quite a good show. She won a Bronze Medal in the Bates Saddlery Third Level Championship and was also one of six riders who won a slot in the upcoming two-day clinic with Patrick Burssens.