Pony Club Member Spotlight: Sam Cecil

This Pony Club Member Spotlight, brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, features Sam Cecil, an all-around English rider from St. Margaret’s Pony Club in the Maryland Region.

Age: 21

Center/Region: St. Margaret’s Pony Club/Maryland Region

Years in Pony Club: 7

Current certification: H-A Horse Management, B Eventing

What disciplines and/or activities are you involved in?
Dressage, Eventing, Foxhunting, Horse Management, Hunter Seat Equitation, and Show Jumping

Tell us about your current mount(s) and what you do with them:
Kramer is an 8-year-old Knabstrupper gelding that I own. Judy is a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare that I lease. With both horses, I ride Eventing at Training Level with goals to go Modified/1* this year.

Tell us about your goals (with Pony Club, with riding, and in life):
I would like to earn my “A” certification, compete up to the CCI2* level or beyond, and establish a successful riding and training business.

A young adult holding a bone up to a horse's leg — *Photo courtesy Sam Cecil*

What is your favorite thing about Pony Club?
Two things. First, the encouragement to think for yourself under saddle and become a “thinking” rider, especially progressing through the certifications. This teaches not only how to ride, but to understand why you might ride a certain way and how to begin training and teaching. Second, the emphasis on Horse Management skills is excellent and has served me very well in life.

What is one thing you would tell new members about joining Pony Club?
Label everything! And have fun!

What is your favorite way to prepare for a Horse Management (HM) certification?
Make a PowerPoint presentation. Making a study guide is a better way of internalizing material than actually studying it ever is.

If you could try out any other discipline or activity, what would it be and why?
I would love to try working equitation. It seems like a very fun challenge, and I already try to teach all my horses to be able to open gates for trail rides.

Describe your favorite Pony Club memory:
I had a lot of fun at my C-3 Eventing certification at Fair Hill. The weather was great; we had a group of six other riders going for their C-3 and three more testings for the B and “A.” We all had a lot of fun getting to know each other, and I met people I still see around the United States Eventing Association (USEA) Area II.

How did you get started with horses? Are you a member of any other equine organizations?
My mom is a H-A Horse Management, B Eventing alum from Somerset Hills Pony Club in the New Jersey Region and got me started in horses. I am a member of USEA and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

Have you done any special activities in Pony Club, such as international exchanges, recognition programs, virtual competitions, etc.)? Tell us more.
This January, I participated in the National Youth Congress and went to the USPC Convention for the first time. I met people for the first time and saw some familiar faces, learned from some excellent mentors, and was able to share my ideas with the board.

A group of young adults and an older man smiling at the camera. — *Photo courtesy Sam Cecil*

What makes you #PonyClubProud?
My Horse Management skills and ability to explain everything I do when working with a horse and why, ridden or on the ground, are because of Pony Club and bring me pride.

Thank you to our latest USPC Member Spotlight, Sam Cecil. Want to be featured in a future Member Spotlight? Fill out the form here.

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