EC Youth Profile – Ava Hathaway

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248 – November/December, 2024

By Elizabeth Arnold

Trust in your horse. Many competitors probably hear their trainer utter these words before entering the arena. But when Ava Hathaway and her mare, I Will Be A Good RV, jog into the show pen, the teen from Bronson, Michigan, knows her beloved mare will be there for her every step of the way.

At this year’s AQHYA World Show, the two were in lockstep, earning the prestigious 14-18 AQHYA All-Around title. AQHA awards all-around accolades to the exhibitor earning the most points in three or more Level 3 youth events in three or more categories during the show. Together, Ava and I Will Be A Good RV–affectionately known as Boo–earned 44.5 points in 14-18 all-around classes. The pair earned the reserve world championship in Western Riding, brought home bronze in 14-18 trail, and finished in the top 10 in 14-18 showmanship, performance halter mares, and 14-18 equitation. On top of those impressive accomplishments, they also won both the Level 2 14-18 trail and Level 2 14-18 western riding.

Heading into this year’s World show, Ava and her mom, Joanna, admit that while they set high goals, winning the all-around wasn’t on their radar. “My goals were to make the finals in every class,” says Ava. “Ideally, I wanted to be in the top 10. But most importantly, I just wanted to be happy with my rides and to see how hard I could push—especially in the trail and western riding; those were two classes I wanted to prove myself in.”

Trainer Beckey Schooler knew Ava and Boo had the potential to do big things. “When Beckey said her goal was the all-around, I kind of laughed,” says Joanna. “The year before Ava and Boo had only made the finals at the World Show in one class. Even though they had earned the reserve all-around at last year’s Congress and had a great year this year, the world show is different–it’s a lot of pressure.”

Click here to read the complete article
248 – November/December, 2024