Serendipity Luck scores for young horse enthusiast
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

Millstone's Casey McMahon, 16, received her United States Pony Club C3 rating at a competition at Wit's End Farm in Jackson.

MILLSTONE - A local teenager is one step closer to realizing her dream of becoming a professional horsewoman.

Casey McMahon, 16, a junior at Allentown High School, received her United States Pony Club (USPC) C3 rating last month at a competition at Wit's End Farm in Jackson.

Casey has been a member of the Cream Ridge Pony Club for three years. Last year, she went to the national competition at the Virginia Horse Park in Lexington, Va., with her aged thoroughbred/quarterhorse gelding, Timmy Tam, for eventing and placed seventh in Horse Management and third overall with her team.

For her recent rating, Casey rode a 6-year-old Oldenburg mare named Miss Serendipity Luck, also known as Sera. She had been leasing the horse, owned by Janet and Victoria Hynes, since last fall, but is no longer leasing it now that she has achieved her rating. Sera is stabled at Hickory Ridge Farm, Upper Freehold.

According to Casey, the test consisted of having thorough knowledge, such as being able to identify toxic plants, horse conformation, nutrition, bandaging, and other necessities of horse care. It also consisted of riding on the flat, riding over fences, and riding in the open, which is cross country jumping, she said.

"There are also switch rides when everyone switches horses," she said. "You then have to ride and evaluate each other's horses."

She said the raters watch every move and then listen to competitors' evaluations of their warm-ups, rides and courses.

Casey explained USPC ratings as in order from "D1," which is the least experienced walkers/trotters, to "A," which is the highest rating.

"My goal is to be an 'A' before I reach the age of 25," she said, which is the age limit for USPC.

While people often automatically assume that Pony Club participants need to own their own horses, that is not the case, she said.

"In fact, you don't even need to own a horse of your own, as long as you have one that you can borrow for rallies and ratings," she said. "People in every club are also always willingly offering horses to use."

Practical hands-on learning with each other is what the Pony Club is all about, she said.

"A lot of the higher rated Pony Clubbers all pitch in and bring along the younger, less experienced ones," she said. "It's like having a second family because we're all close with each other and we all drop everything to help one another out."

She called Pony Club an "amazing organization that helped bring along my knowledge and teamwork."

Pony Club also offers scholarships to all members, she said.

"My mom has had horses since she was 10 years old, and she is also learning a lot from Pony Club due to its thoroughness in developing a good basis in horsemanship," she said.

Casey has studied with Roosevelt trainer Elsbeth Battel, who also happens to be the mayor of Roosevelt.

"Casey is a dedicated horsewoman," Battel said. "She's a good student, a hard worker, and a brave and talented rider."

Battel said Casey is "always a pleasure to work with" because she listens and tries hard to achieve the goals she's given.

"The horses appreciate her tact and confidence, and go well for her," Battel said.

One of Casey's early teachers was Carol Wingerter, of Millstone.

"She has always been a pleasure to work with," Wingerter said of Casey.

Casey took Wingerter's pony, Arthur, and won in every event they entered, she said.

"She did a wonderful job with Sera, the mare she leased for the last year," Wingerter said. "She brought her along to Training Level jumps for eventing, and got her used to everything."

Wingerter said Casey loves horses and has all the patience in the world in teaching them to advance to higher levels, both on the flat, and in jumping.

"I would highly recommend her to anyone who wanted someone to work with their horses," Wingerter said.

At AHS, Casey manages to maintain a 3.5 GPA, even though horses and a part-time job at Rick's Saddle Shop, Cream Ridge, take up a great deal of her time.

Although she is not sure exactly where she wants to go to college, there is no doubt that she is looking for a college with a strong equine program.

"The career I want to pursue is to be a trainer with my own business," she said, adding that she would like her mom, Diane, to work with her.

Casey's biggest goal is to qualify for and ride in the Olympics.

For more information on USPC, visit its Web site at www.ponyclub.org.