Sylvester Captures 2023 USPC Flash Teamwork Award

Submitted by the Racine County Pony Club

The Flash Teamwork Award is given each year to a club, center, region, individual, or equine who displays excellent teamwork. Cathy Aranosian, owner of Flash, created the award after her club members worked together to submit Flash as the USPC 50th Anniversary Breyer model. Nominations for the Flash Teamwork Award are submitted as an essay to the Pony Club National Office about a special team-building experience. A panel of judges evaluates the essays and selects the winner.

The 2023 Flash Award winner is Sylvester, owned and nominated by the Racine County Pony Club in Racine, Wisconsin, in the Lake Shore Region. The entry below is what Carson Krihwan, a youth member of Racine County Pony Club, wrote about this special horse.

A very special relationship develops between an equine and their human learner. Pony Club holds space for this connection between human and horse, a connection embodied by teamwork that transcends traditional understanding of trust and communication. One special equine had many of these transcendent relationships and touched many hearts and minds. It is with great sadness we laid to rest one of our greatest team members in 2023. Sylvester was a horse who embodied the spirit of Pony Club every day in our 13 years of collective memories.

Sylvester was donated to the Racine County Pony Club in Southeast Wisconsin in September 2010 for use as a Pony Club horse. He was found through the connections uniquely understood by horse people and Pony Club. A 14-year-old Hungarian Warmblood at the time, he had mostly been a dressage horse, but showed an interest and aptitude for jumping that became one of his greatest gifts as a lesson horse. He could quickly determine his rider’s skill and understand how much effort he should therefore put forth. He was an endless teacher; I could count on Sylvester to identify a lesson for a rider to work on nearly every ride. And when the lesson was learned, he was quick to reward his rider with success in the appointed exercise.

Sylvester was a horse who contributed to so many “rider firsts.” The number of “first jumps” he managed over the years! First clinic, first show, first trail ride, first ribbon, first blue ribbon. Many smiling faces enjoying their first experiences with their favorite equine partner. He was a solid citizen for everything from dressage (he could achieve top scores, but he made riders work for their points) to hunter paces, mini-events, combined tests, and the enjoyment of sharing the company of a kind horse.

Since our records began counting in 2013, Sylvester taught well-over 2,000 lessons, not including the countless Pony Club camps, clinics, certifications, and other learning opportunities. He was a D-level horse extraordinaire and safely guided a staggering number of riders through their D-3 certifications. His kind demeanor and master educator philosophy made him ideal for these foundational-level riders, but his trot was extraordinarily bouncy! Once a rider learned to sit Sylvester’s trot for the D-3, they never struggled in sitting trot again. While he was uniquely perfect to teach at the D level, he supported many through their C-level Horse Management certifications and even stepped in for national testings at the H-B and H-A level. During a Lake Shore Regional learning opportunity, Sylvester was so skilled at teaching longeing, everyone wanted to use him the entire day. He was the best teammate in whatever needed to be done. My favorite was when he looked at you side-eyed, like you and he were sharing some little joke. He always shared his sense of humor about life and learning.

But the kindest thing about Sylvester, beyond the certifications, the ribbons, and the experiences, was the confidence he gave his riders. As one member stated to a parent, “I could trust Sylvester.” He was solidly there as a partner for all his riders. And the number of riders is staggering. It must truly be hundreds—youth and adults of all skills and levels, enjoying time with this remarkable equine. Sylvester bridged the gap for many, teaching and helping them gain confidence to continue their horse journeys.

This horse’s passing sparked a kindling of love and connection in the many that knew him. A shared bond seems to be shared by all those who knew and loved him regardless of how many rides or visits they may have shared. Thirteen years to the month of his joining our Club, Sylvester was laid to rest on the Club’s farm property. He was living and teaching his special lessons right up to the end. Above all, he taught what it means to live a life of love and meaning. Sylvester was a horse that you felt true love, peace, and joy in his presence, and he touched so many lives with this love. It is with pride for this horse’s legacy and commitment to teaching the craft of horsemanship that we nominate Sylvester for the United States Pony Clubs’ 2023 Flash Teamwork Award.

Sara Fischer attended the 2024 USPC Convention, Presented by Via Nova Training, and Sponsored by Lincoln Memorial University, in Reno, Nev., in January to accept the 2023 USPC Flash Teamwork Award on behalf of Racine County Pony Club and the late Sylvester.