10/20/2008
Halo Takes Home Medium and Grand Pony Hunter Champions
October 19, 2001
Molly Sewell of Winter Park, Fla., concluded her final season as an amateur by winning the Ariat National Adult Medal Finals.
"It was her swan song,' said Sewell's trainer, Bill Schaub, explaining that she's giving up her amateur status in December to work for him.
In the Ariat Finals, Michael Rheinheimer's twisting course narrowed the 30 qualified riders to 10. After the first two rounds, Sewell stood second to Amy Phillips. The judges then called back Megan Black, Tara Valade, Sewell and Phillips for testing. They were asked to canter two fences, halt, turn on the forehand, canter and in-and-out, trot a jump, canter a final fence, and sit trot back to the line.
Sewell performed a smooth, accurate test, showing good control and smooth transitions. Phillips went last as the leader, but a slow halt, a rough turn on the forehand, and a missed lead change put Sewell in the lead.
Sewell was pleased to improve from a ninth-placed finish last year. "Equitation is definitely my favorite thing to do,' she said. "But now I'm going to move on and do the professional divisions. This was definitely a good way to end.'
Earlier this year, a bad fall had left Sewell unsure if she would be able to show in the Ariat Finals. "The horse tripped and fell on my after a jump, and I broke my pelvis in five spots. I had to take two months off, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to qualify for this,' she said. But good X-rays convinced her doctor she could ride again.
"So I went to a show, rode that afternoon, and showed the next day, and won the Ariat,' she said.
Sewell is currently attending Valencia Community College (Fla.) and will work part-time toward a business degree while riding for Schaub professionally. "I can't even imagine doing anything else. I ride eight or 10 horses a day. It's my life,' she said.
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Sewell Tops Ariat National Adult Medal Finals at Capital Challenge
Molly Sewell of Winter Park, Fla., concluded her final season as an amateur by winning the Ariat National Adult Medal Finals."It was her swan song,' said Sewell's trainer, Bill Schaub, explaining that she's giving up her amateur status in December to work for him.
In the Ariat Finals, Michael Rheinheimer's twisting course narrowed the 30 qualified riders to 10. After the first two rounds, Sewell stood second to Amy Phillips. The judges then called back Megan Black, Tara Valade, Sewell and Phillips for testing. They were asked to canter two fences, halt, turn on the forehand, canter and in-and-out, trot a jump, canter a final fence, and sit trot back to the line.
Sewell performed a smooth, accurate test, showing good control and smooth transitions. Phillips went last as the leader, but a slow halt, a rough turn on the forehand, and a missed lead change put Sewell in the lead.
Sewell was pleased to improve from a ninth-placed finish last year. "Equitation is definitely my favorite thing to do,' she said. "But now I'm going to move on and do the professional divisions. This was definitely a good way to end.'
Earlier this year, a bad fall had left Sewell unsure if she would be able to show in the Ariat Finals. "The horse tripped and fell on my after a jump, and I broke my pelvis in five spots. I had to take two months off, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to qualify for this,' she said. But good X-rays convinced her doctor she could ride again.
"So I went to a show, rode that afternoon, and showed the next day, and won the Ariat,' she said.
Sewell is currently attending Valencia Community College (Fla.) and will work part-time toward a business degree while riding for Schaub professionally. "I can't even imagine doing anything else. I ride eight or 10 horses a day. It's my life,' she said.
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