THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608280139
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: By SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 90 lines
Her wish was granted in a way she never expected:
Sarah was a dance student. Sister Jessica was an infant. Lengthy rehearsals and seven-hour dance recitals were more than her mother, Catherine Smith, could bear.
``I told Sarah if she wouldn't put me through those again, I'd buy her a horse when she was 10,'' Smith said.
``I didn't like dancing anyway,'' Sarah said, smiling.
When Sarah was 10, Gary and Catherine Smith gave their daughter a purebred Arabian mare, Siraleer. Sarah had begun taking riding lessons two years earlier.
``In the beginning, I used to cry because I couldn't get Siraleer to perform properly,'' Sarah said. ``It took a lot of work, but we learned together.''
Sarah, now 14, and Siraleer have been a winning team, with more than 1,200 ribbons to show for it.
As 11-year-old Jessica watched her sister train Siraleer, she, too, asked to take riding lessons and trained on a leased Welsh Arab mix. A fall on a trail ride that broke her elbow and required more than two hours of surgery failed to dampen Jessica's enthusiasm. Today, she has her own horse, Pertair, an Arabian gelding.
``Jessica had absorbed a lot watching Sarah,'' Smith said. ``At first, she was so `teeny, tiny' that her feet didn't come past the skirt of the saddle.''
After both girls had excelled in both state and regional competition, the Smiths decided that the time had come to enter them in the 4th annual Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Champion Horse Show held July 22-27 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Sarah and Jessica competed on Siraleer, while Purtear remained at Shiloh Farms near Chuckatuck.
Both sisters earned the distinction of capturing the national championship in their respective classes.
Sarah was named 1996 U.S. National Champion in Hunter-Over-Fences for ages 17 and under. Jessica was 1996 U.S. National Champion for Hunter Seat Equitation for ages 10 and under.
They were awarded championship jackets, 20-pound silver trophies, ribbons and a bed of roses for Siraleer. In addition, Sarah received a $500 college scholarship.
When they first arrived at the Oklahoma State Fair Park after traveling 1,400 miles in 24 hours, the girls and their mother were temporarily disheartened. They were surprised to find trainers and large training facilities with air-conditioners for their horses.
``We were a small operation,'' Sarah said, ``and it was really intimidating. Some kids do none of the work. We always bathe and feed our horses and clean the stalls.''
Catherine Smith pitches in to help her daughters, whether it's wiping their boots, caring for the horses, or just giving them hugs when needed.
``I live vicariously through my children,'' Smith said, with a smile. ``I always wanted a pony but my father wouldn't buy me one. I used to go down the road to ride my best friend's pony.''
At nationals, riders were required to compete in two preliminaries before advancing to the finals. There were 22 riders in the finals.
``There was stiffer competition than we realized,'' Sarah said. ``I was judged on my ability to handle the horse, the way I looked and the way the horse performed.''
Each day, the girls arose at 5:30 a.m. and went to bed at midnight.
``The morning I was going to jump, I had to get up at 3:30 a.m.,'' Sarah said. ``There are three judges for jumping and it's one of the hardest competitions. You're the only one in the ring and all eyes are on you.''
In her class, Jessica walked, trotted, followed the announcer's instructions and was judged mainly on her riding ability.
Throughout the week, there were parties and educational events including riding clinics, a judging contest, tailgate carnival party, ice cream social and a career fair.
During the school year at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Sarah and Jessica's schedules are fairly regimented.
``It's school, stables, homework, dinner and bed,'' Sarah said. ``You have to be committed, ride, and take care of your horse. I want to go to a college with a good equestrian program and riding team. I would like to be a judge or perhaps, a trainer, and always be a part of the equestrian world.''
Sarah, who describes herself as an Olympic ``hopeful,'' would like to begin a livestock club at N-SA.
``There are a lot of riders at school,'' Sarah said. ``We could go to local shows. After all, we are athletes too. When it snows, games are cancelled, but we still have to take care of our horses . . . even when the ice buckets freeze.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Jessica Smith, left, and her sister Sarah both love riding. Sarah
and her purebred Arabian mare Siraleer have won more than 1,200
ribbons. by CNB