Comeback Kid: AnnaMae Hart Koenig Fulfills Family’s Lifelong Congress Dream on Iron Icon
Comeback Kid: AnnaMae Hart Koenig Fulfills Lifelong Dream for her family at Congress on Iron Icon
By Sarah Welk Baynum
Iron Icon, known as Sterling around the barn, is a horse that has been special since the beginning to both Annamae Hart Koenig and her mother, Alison Hart Koenig. The Koenigs now lease Sterling, the 2007 gelding by Natural Iron and out of Saucy Bona, for AnnaMae, but their history together runs deep. And this month, AnnaMae is making her Congress debut.
“The coolest part for me is that he was the first horse AnnaMae ever sat on when she was little. Something my client, his owner, and I always talked and dreamed about, even back then, was AnnaMae showing Sterling at Congress in the 13 and Under classes,” says Alison.
Alison Koenig has spent many years working with Quarter Horses, but Iron Icon has always had a special place in her heart.
“I trained Iron Icon in his younger years, and he is now 17 years old. He’s a multiple Congress Reserve Champion, including Level 1 Amateur Reserve All-Around Champion back in the day,” says Alison.
Recently, Sterling obtained what his owners thought might be a career-ending, and potential life-ending injury.
“They thought they might put him down, because it’s a lot to keep him in a stall—stall rest was not going be great for this horse. The injury was not getting any better, and they thought he would just be a pasture pet at best,” says Alison.
It seemed almost like a miracle, but his owners were noticing he was getting sounder and sounder.
“They said it looks like he’s really sound now. They reached out to me because they knew how much I always loved him. I started him as a two-year-old, and I brought him up. He’s the best horse—he was even doing Small Fry classes when he was four years old,” says Alison.
Alison figured they could use him in their lesson program after riding him a bit, since he had been off almost two years at this point. To their surprise, Sterling did stay sound, and they decided to try jumping him last year after the vet cleared him.
Sterling is now the perfect youth mount because of his disposition and experience.
“He’s literally the easiest horse to ride—you could put your grandma on him! We’re so lucky to have him,” says Alison.
AnnaMae is still very new to jumping, and she started jumping cross rails with Sterling just last year.
The pair tested their partnership when showing at a new height for them of 2’6 at the World Equestrian Center on Koenig’s 13th birthday. This was only weeks before their Congress debut. They took home the champion title in the low children’s hunters and reserve champion in the Equitation. That was where Alison said everything truly clicked for them.
“He’s a really good horse—he’s just perfect,” says Annamae of Sterling.
“We’re so blessed—he could not even be alive right now, and here we are at Congress,” says Alison.
Koenig and Sterling placed 15th in the Level 1 Equitation Over Fences at Congress, and everyone is excited to see how the rest of the show goes in their remaining Over Fences and Hunter Hack classes.
Congratulations to the Koenig family and gool luck to AnnaMae!
