United States Eventing Association

Sarah Airhart had it made. She was enjoying a half lease on a 16.2 Warmblood named Pantero (Rex Grannus x Tibet) that she adored and whose owner, Ronni McLaughlin-Remy, was willing to take them wherever they’d liked. She also landed a coach who she long admired through her 12 years of volunteering in Area VII.

“Anna Stein Copner, and her horse Boomer at the time, were my first eventing crush,” says Sarah. “All those years ago, she was competing him at Intermediate I just absolutely loved them. They were such an amazing pair. And so all these years later, when I found 'Pan', Anna was teaching at that barn, I just had to pinch myself. Still, to this day, it makes me giddy that I get to ride with her.” Sarah even had a barn team, mostly made up of adult amateurs, which she loves, remarking on the fun, supportive nature of the group and eventing at large. So, really, there’s only one good thing that could stir up this great deal she’s got going on, right? Which would be to actually start eventing!

“People always have asked me, ‘Oh when are we going to see you out here?’ And I’m like, ‘Never!’” said Sarah, with a big breathed laugh. She is not shy to admit that volunteering has her heart entirely. Growing up in England, eventing, she says, was just in her blood. Volunteering is how she’s chosen to be involved. Her favorite place is as a jump judge on cross-country but she can do it all, and she knows it all very well.

“When I first starting leasing, there was no way I was going to do an event. There was never an ambition. Volunteering is my number one passion—that’s everything to me—and so I never imagined that I would do a show,” says Sarah. But Pantero changed that, like a good partnership does. “Because of what he’s provided for me, and because of the support, and everything that Ronni has done for me, and for Pan and for my coach, Anna—I just decided one day, you know, I think I kinda want to do it!”

At 58 years old, Sarah picked her event—Spokane Sport Horse 12th Annual Fall Horse Trials. She also picked out her first stock tie from Gallops Saddlery, which felt a lot like dolling herself up for her first gala.

“It was really fun to get dressed up really fancy and I wore white breeches! It was just all those little details. I never get to wear white breeches!” says Sarah. She knew her dressage test backward and forward and she wasn’t nervous at all. The preparation and anticipation of arriving—that was the true test. When reminiscing about her arrival, Sarah said, “I was following the horse trailer and when we came through the gates, I just absolutely burst into tears. I was so relieved to be there. I was elated. I made it, I was there. That was the whole goal. It was just to get there, and I’d done it.”

Her convoy of supporters was there to buoy her with cheers that could maybe, just maybe, make Pantero float across the sand for her dressage test, but Sarah knows him all too well, and that he is indeed a kick-ride. She got on early for a decent warm up and to get some forward momentum worked up.

“I’ve always wanted to canter around the outside of the dressage ring and I’ve never gotten to do that,” says Sarah. “And I got to do a lap and a half at the canter! And I was so relieved because he always has a really nice trot after the canter and so we were able to have our super fancy trot going into the arena. I just had this huge smile and I was just so excited to be doing it. I couldn’t believe it.” Not to her surprise, there were volunteers on the ground helping her, as the rider this time around. The roar of cheers after she exited the arena accompanied Sarah’s joyful tears.

All the while, Sarah put in a whopping 20 hours of volunteering time during the event while she experienced the rollercoaster of emotion and exhaustion of being a rider. But she says that the time away from Pantero and helping the other riders was a good distraction, letting her focus on what she is confident doing. But cross-country day had Sarah refocused on herself and her partner Pan, and of course, their matching outfit; her breeches with her trainer’s logo, the logo on the saddle pad to match the overall ensemble. “Being on a team is such a thrill in and of itself,” says Sarah. “I wore my team gear all weekend.”

When it’s time for business, Sarah knows she needs more leg, and more of just about everything she has, but it didn’t come together the way she hoped before it was her turn out of the start box. Suddenly it was three, two, one, off they go, trotting to fence number one. “After we barely get over jump one, he stops,” says Sarah. “To go poop.” In her 12 years of volunteering, she has never seen such a sight. “It’s the worst and most hilarious thing that could possibly happen.”

Her trip was not complete without a few stops, trotting through some water, trotting downhill, and being surprised by a rather impressive ditch, to which Sarah knew the rules. “I know you can jump from a standstill at a ditch! We are going over this ditch! And there was a big crowd on the other side and they were all cheering, ‘Sarah, go Sarah!’ It was the most magnificent moment ever—I felt so proud of that.” She came cantering down to the last fence and said, “the crowd went wild.”

For the final phase, Sarah recalled a memorable rainbow fence where she had a plan and executed it beautifully and rode to the finish proudly, completing her first ever recognized event in 10th place in the Starter Rider division. When the pinning took place, Sarah said, “Elena, who was on the little pony [RockOTaco], she won. Her and I were chatting all weekend, cheering each other on, and that was a really fun part of it. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what course you’re on or what pony you’re on or what level you’re doing—just to be there as a competitor and support each other, and understand the pressure and nerves and excitement and the work, all of that, together. We got a good high-five at the end when both got blue ribbons.”