Sarah Rose Jons – Passion, Dedication, And Wisdom Beyond Her Years

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312 – March/April, 2024

By Megan Sacia Ulrich

Lots of little girls are enamored by horses, but few have the opportunity, passion, and dedication to make their dreams a reality. But once horse-crazy little girl and now 14-year-old Sarah Rose Jons has done exactly that, riding her way to becoming the 2023 L2 and L3 Youth 13 and Under Ranch Riding World Champion. Now, with her laser-focused determination, she’s ready to ride into the 14-18 arena.

Sarah Rose’s journey started at eight years old when she had the opportunity to ride with a friend. She fell immediately in love. Later, an introduction to trainer Reid Thomas would set the wheels in motion for Sarah Rose to take the show pen by storm. “I instantly fell in love with being able to ride such wonderful horses–and from that day forward, I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Jons says.

And thus began an already illustrious career. She began showing the all-around events but soon gravitated toward reining when she watched an older youth trying out a reining horse. Sarah Rose’s mind started racing. She decided to stay home from a show and asked to ride an old reiner/ranch-type horse named Mae. Sarah Rose and some other youngsters at the barn loved spending time aboard Mae because of her speed. She was determined to dust off Mae’s reining skills, despite most everyone else’s doubts about whether the old mare still had anything left in the tank.

Saphronia, Sarah Rose’s mom, recalls her daughter gritting her teeth with determination and riding around and around the pen that day until she and Mae got their timing just right. And sure enough, it didn’t take long before Mae–with Sarah Rose in the saddle–was back to performing sliding stops. Victorious, that was the day Sarah Rose made the choice to pursue Reining and told her mom as much on the car ride home. “She said she’d do whatever it took to make that happen,” Saphronia recalls.

And she has made good on that promise.

Click here to read the complete article
312 – March/April, 2024