March/April 2024 Issue

Page 66 March/April 2024 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN rail work. The pattern work is kind of like a whole new realm. You really have to listen to what your horse needs and fill in the gaps your horse is missing.” Patrick’s mount for the finals was Nirvana’s Queen of the Night, a seven-year-old Saddle- bred mare owned by Michelle Rivard. “I was lucky enough to start showing her in 2021 in the 3-gaited division. She was young at that point, she was 5 years old. At the world cham- pionships in 2022 I showed a different horse in the 16-year- old equitation qualifier and ended up reserve champion,” Patric said. “Tara had the idea after Louisville that year to slowly start introducing Quee- nie to that division. She took to it super well. She’s a really smart mare.” Patrick explained that equi- tation has been hard work, but it has made him a better rider. “Showing in the division and competing in equitation really instilled discipline in me with always staying on top of my leg position and practicing patterns whenever I could. It really is a division that requires a lot of dis- cipline,” Patrick said. “I worked at it especially hard this past 2023 season.” To qualify for the cham- pionships Patrick had to travel to find shows that held the equitation classes and drew enough entrants to count toward qualifying. The USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final is held at the UPHA American Royal National Cham- pionship Horse Show in Kansas City, MO. This year, sixteen riders competed in the final which was held in two phases on a single day. The judges evaluated riders with two different equitation patterns in the two phases. The challenging patterns tested riders’ control in circles, diagonal lines and transitions, plus one workout included a posting trot on the rail without stirrups. “With the patterns I filled in whenever Queeny needed guidance because she was new to the division. I think my ability to read what my horse needs and give my horse what it needs, that really helped me,” Patrick said. All the time he was traveling for horse shows, Patrick was keep- ing up with his schoolwork, taking honors level courses. Patrick attends Allentown Central Catho- lic School, where he runs on the varsity track and cross-country teams. He hopes to attend Cornell or perhaps Purdue and prepare to possibly become an equine veterinarian. “As a rider I hope to continue to grow my skills and keep get- ting stronger,” Patrick said. (Continued from page 57) McMurtrie Earns Silver at the Saddlebred Equitation Championships