Tad Coffin Performance Saddles 2006 Zone 3 Equitation Finals

Remember the movie "Field of Dreams?" "Build it and they will come." Well sure enough the seeds that were planted by Pam Freeley and supported by Jonelle Mullen Stern at the December 2005 Virginia Horse Shows Association (VHSA) convention yielded a field of 32 competitors at the first ever zone 3 equitation finals held at Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. The winner was 12 year old (almost thirteen) Taylor Harpman the daughter of Teddi Harpman of Richmond, VA.

The VHSA Special Events Committee hosted a reception for all parents, trainers and friends of the participants before the course walk. The course was designed not to eliminate the riders, but rather to ask some challenging questions of the riders.

There were some options the riders had in some of the lines. A rollback to a broken line and a diagonal line to a "skinny" vertical seemed to present the most difficulties. As there were no lights in the ring or the warm up area as late afternoon turned into early evening, the 3’6" competitors had an extra degree of difficulty added to the equation. To the credit of all the riders and parents no one complained. To the contrary there was an electric excitement in the air! The riders were excited because they felt the "stakes were high" with the prospect of winning a valuable custom made Tad Coffin saddle as well as other terrific prizes and getting to participate in a first ever equitation finals. The rails were crowed with enthusiastic spectators and there was applause for everyone. No one walked away from the in-gate empty handed. Each competitor received a gift package as a "thank you" for competing.

Darkness fell as the top twelve riders were called back for the flat phase. Taylor Harpman, trained by her mother Teddi Harpman emerged the winner. Tad Coffin, the gold medal winner at the 1976 Montreal Olympics presented Taylor with a Tad Coffin saddle.

Taylor’s trainer, her mother, Teddi Harpman rode with George Morris from the time she was 10 years old throughout her junior career. Taylor’s competitive career began at five years old when she was the overall short stirrups champion at WEF. " She goes to the barn everyday and takes care of her own horses and helps the other kids as well with theirs. She really did all the preparation to get herself and "Potter" (Sorcerer’s Stone) to the ring," said her proud mom and the winning trainer. "She loved the course because it asked a lot of questions. She really had to make a plan for HER horse for THAT day under the existing conditions." As for the mother/daughter vs. trainer/student issue, Teddi said," When Taylor gets into her stirrups it’s not about I’m her mom. She’s on a mission and there is a mutual respect.

A roster of 32 entries is evidence that there is a strong interest in this equitation class. There appears to be a growing need to offer this type of competitive outlet to children who are talented riders but are unable to assume the expense of having two horses. There was a time even as recently as the late 70’s early 80’s when riders competed in both hunters and equitation divisions with the same horse. Now, the equitation division has become a "specialty division." Equitation is about the basics of riding and good horsemanship. It’s not WHAT you ride it’s HOW you ride," said Ms. Harpman.