Featured as a USEA Interesting People #44 [member series]

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USEA Member Story–#44

This is the 44th entry in the USEA’sMember Story Series. Help us reach our goal of over 300 stories – email your story to Leslie.

By Lynsey Steinberg

I remember quite a few years back watching some reruns on the television in our living room of Rolex. I didn’t know the riders, or the horses, or even much about Eventing – but I knew it included cross-country and therefore I deemed every eventer was indeed….crazy. If someone had told me in a few years time I’d be going cross-country…

(Left: Dragon Tea and Lynsey at Pine Top HT in 2010. Photo courtesy of Lynsey Steinberg.)

I have been riding since I was seven-years-old, I started at an Eventing barn called Flora Lea, but had no idea they even were eventers! I was a kid and I wanted horses all the time. However, the pleas of wanting a pony never really did win my parents over. I wouldn’t say I really started to learn to ride however until my years at SCAD riding outside of school learning dressage at Rose Hill and then later on riding at a barn closer to school, Silverthorne Run Stables.

Jen Helgrin introduced me to Eventing. She took me to my first show, and even let me take along her pretty palomino mare. On the way to the show, we had spoken of a Youtube video that had shown Karen O’Connor almost falling off during an event on cross-country. Karen managed to bounce right back in the tack and continue on with the event. This filed back into my memory for safe keeping. I remember sitting in the start box not really sure what I was getting myself into… how does Sunshine know, I meanknow to jump up the bank? Sunshine taught me to never underestimate the first fence! On my first fence, first cross-country event ever, she balked and threw me for a loop! I hung on for dear life thinking if Karen could do it, so could I! Alas it wasn’t to be, I hung for two minutes trying to push back on and landed on my feet. But they let me finish the event anyway!

(Right: Sunshine and Lynsey clinging on for dear life at Hickory Top HT in 2008. Photo courtesy of Lynsey Steinberg.)

Needless to say that was my first introduction to cross-country, and I was hooked. After graduating from college I became a working student for a year at Bit O Woods farm in NJ. I learned a lot about Eventing and bought a new horse, Loper. No, I didn’t pick his name, but am superstitious enough not to change it. It took 20 horses to look at to find the right one, and I remember thinking I AM NOT GETTING A SMALL HORSE AGAIN! But when you sit on the right horse, they say you know it, and I did when I sat on him… "Shoot, I guess I’m getting another small horse."

Loper and I spent that year at Bit O Woods where he learned to be a horse again [the previous farm didn't have turnout and so he was used to being in a stall 24/7]. Through lessons with Sally Cousins, Megan Pappler, and Lauren Lutcavage we grew a lot. I introduced him to cross-country and turnout. My first event on Loper was at Fair Hill, all I can remember from the event was hanging on while I tried to steer my happy horse through cross-country and the biggest smile on my face when we finished.

(Left: Dragon Tea and Lynsey at their first event at Fair Hill in 2009. Photo courtesy of Lynsey Steinberg)

While I was a working student I received notification that I had been accepted into the Graduate Program at the Medical College of GA for the Medical Illustration program, and was instantly excited. The school is located in Augusta, not 20 minutes from horse country…Aiken :) This meant I would be able to go to school for my passion, as well as bring my pony with me. Loper was shipped down to Marrinson Stables and I started school. We’ve been training at Marrinson with Jodi Hemry for eight months now and don’t want to be anywhere else! I’ve gotten opportunities to learn from phenomenal people like Nina Ligon, Sally Cousins, Amy Boyle, and of course Jodi Hemry. Loper and I are still new to Eventing, and we’re learning from the best of the best and making the greatest connections through the most amazing people.

(Right : Dragon Tea and Lynsey at their Pine Top HT in 2010. Photo courtesy of Lynsey Steinberg)

On loan from Jodi, I worked for Nina at the Fork trials a few weeks ago, and while I get to see the advanced fences up close and work with amazing horses, I don’t know that I’d ever want to climb so high up the totem pole. I’m okay with being the little rider watching all these amazing professionals take on the big fences. I’d be happy to maybe go a Training three-day in the future. Loper may be a little guy [I often call him my little sports car] and we’re only jumping the little stuff – but he has the spitfire to run and jump high, and hopefully we can continue on together until the day I can retire him in my back yard. He will still run up to the gate as he’s getting older [for his favorite, a banana] and look forward to the day we will say remember those good ole cross-country days.