March/April 2024 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN March/April 2024 Page 57 By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Patrick McMurtie of Ore- field, PA has completed his junior years as a rider by earning top awards in Saddle Seat Equitation. A UPHA National Challenge Cup top 10 finalist in 2022 and 2023, he was the World Champion for his age group at 16. Now 18, Patrick topped off his equitation honors with a Reserve Champi- onship in the 2023 Good Hands and Silver Medal in the USEF National Medal Finals. “He has been a highly successful show rider for the last several years, earning state championships and top awards nationally. He is also an absolute- ly wonderful and smart young man,” Patrick’s trainer Tara Wentz-Goosley said. Patrick began riding at the age of seven, when he saw a flyer for a riding camp and wanted to give it a try. He and his twin brother Benjamin both went to the camp, but after two weeks, Benjamin decided riding was not his favorite thing. He went back to soccer, basketball and track for sports, but Patrick was finding a passion for riding. “I’ve always loved animals,” Patrick said. “After that first week I got hooked. I moved up into the riding program and the lesson program. That’s where it all started.” From the beginning, Patrick was riding saddle seat on Amer- ican Saddlebreds. “I’ve clearly fallen in love with the Saddlebred breed for their intelligence and personality. They’re just a super smart breed,” he said. For a time, Patrick was showing his horse in the country pleasure division. When Tara asked him what he wanted to do as his next step, Patrick had a ready answer. “I said equitation for some- thing to challenge myself and get new skills with my riding,” Patrick said. “When we first started gear- ing up for equitation I was 12 years old. I really needed to hone in on my position skills, especially my leg positions. I needed to check all my boxes with my leg position, my upper body position, and then we could start pattern practice.” In saddle seat equitation, the pattern work becomes more and more challenging as you progress. Patrick McMurtrie is shown winning the reserve national champion- ship at the Good Hands National Finals in Springfield, IL last fall. Patrick McMurtrie Earns Silver at the 2023 Saddlebred Equitation Championships “Not every horse is going to do patterns in the exact same way. It’s a matter of feeling out your horse,” Patrick said. “It’s a whole different feeling than the (Continued on page 66) COMING IN THE MAY/JUNE ISSUE! To advertise call (717) 509-9800 or visit www.eastcoastequestrian.net The Devon Horse Show Preview! Photo by Terry Young