Ridgefield equestrian heading to ‘Junior Olympics’

You wouldn’t know it by her shy smile and easygoing personality, but Madelynn Snoozy is a teenager on a mission to join an elite group of athletes. Her goal? The Olympics. Her sport? Equestrian eventing.

What’s that? You’ve never heard of eventing? You’re not alone.

Even though Clark County boasts hundreds of horse lovers and riding enthusiasts, the majority of them tend to be western-style riders. Eventing is an English-style competition.

Western-style riders have rodeos. English-style riders have eventing, a competition that judges horses and riders in three areas: dressage, which judges a horse’s physique, balance and obedience; cross-country, an event that judges a horse’s ability to jump up to 30 obstacles on a varied terrain with speed and accuracy; and show jumping, an event that tests the horse’s ability to obey commands and clear hurdles effortlessly. The event has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912.

“A lot of people don’t know what eventing is, even though it’s in the Olympics,” Madelynn says. “I try to do outreach and educate people about eventing. It’s much different than western-style riding, which is what they’re used to.”

Madelynn and her horse, Dealer, a tall, spirited Dutch warmblood, thrive in the competitive and highly demanding world of eventing. In early June, Madelynn discovered that she is one of three riders selected to represent Area VII (Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Alaska) at the prestigious North American Junior Young Riders Championships for Eventing. Attended by the best-of-the-best riders from around the world, the event is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the official Junior Olympics for equestrians.

The event is a huge stepping stone toward Madelynn’s ultimate equestrian goals, which not only include the Olympics, but also the coveted Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, the only four-star (the highest level of competition) events held in the United States.

Already, the Ridgefield teen – who fell in love with horses before she even started kindergarten – has had some major wins. In the two-year span between 2013 and 2015, the young equestrian took home more than 10 first-place ribbons and gold medals, won the coveted Good Seat and Good Hands Award at the Rebecca Farm competition in Montana, and won the Reserve Champion Award at the 2014 Caber Farm Area VII Championships, which draws the best eventing riders in the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s her passion,” Madelynn’s mother, Kristen Snoozy, says, smiling at Madelynn, the youngest of her three children. “She rides six days a week and works very hard to raise money for these events.”

Madelynn wasn’t raised in an English-style riding family. Her father, Jim Snoozy, grew up with horses in Montana, but always rode western-style. Her mother, Kristen, didn’t grow up with horses at all.

“I grew up in Portland and didn’t know anything about horses,” Kristen says.

At this, Madelynn laughs and teases her mom in a goodnatured way: “She was scared of horses!”

Kristen nods. “I was, a little. They’re so big!”

Madelynn, Kristen says, takes after her paternal grandmother, who died before she could get to know her granddaughter.

“She shared this love of horses,” Kristen says of her husband’s mother. “My husband grew up in Montana and his mom had about 40 arabians.”

The Snoozy family’s older children, Colter, 20, and Wyatt, 16, never took to the equestrian life, but Madelynn’s passion for horseback riding started very early, around the age of 4 – around the same time the family moved to Ridgefield and discovered that their closest neighbor was Anna Collier, the celebrated equestrian and trainer from Vossenberg Farms. Madelynn became obsessed with Collier’s horses and the Snoozy family encouraged her new interest. When Madelynn turned 7, the family bought her a pony.

“Her name was Summer and she was a hot pepper,” Madelynn says, laughing at the memory. “Some ponies are called ‘push-button ponies’ because you get on and they do everything for you. Summer was definitely not a push-button pony. She was zesty. But I learned from her. I learned how to work with her.”

A couple years later, Madelynn got her first horse, named Paris. By the time she was 12, after competing in several events and training with Collier’s sister, Madelynn was ready to get a horse that would take her places. She found that horse in her own backyard – Collier had trained Dealer to be an eventing horse and was willing to sell him to the Snoozy family. The only catch was that Madelynn would have to sell her pony and horse to buy Dealer. Still, the family needed more money.

“My dad had this shiny red tractor that he loved,” Madelynn says. “He wouldn’t let anyone else even touch it. He really loved that tractor. But he sold it to help me buy Dealer.”

After she started riding Dealer, Madelynn’s dedication to tripled. She gave up high school in favor of homeschooling, to ride more often and train harder. And her dad made a deal with her: He would pay for two eventing competitions in the region per year. If Madelynn wanted to go out of state – which she did, since some of the biggest competitions were in California and Kentucky – or participate in more than two events each year, she would have to raise the money by herself.

“And she has,” Kristen says of her daughter. “She babysits, and gives lessons, and mends fences. She’s very dedicated.”

Getting ready for the Kentucky event, which takes place in Lexington in mid-July, is a grueling prospect. Madelynn has been training Dealer – and herself – to withstand the long course and hot, humid Kentucky weather, for several months. She rides her horse up a neighbor’s huge hill and has been alternating her own workouts of Pilates, biking, horseback riding and weight-lifting in preparation for the big event.

In addition to the physical prep, Madelynn has had to raise $8,000 to pay for the prestigious Junior Olympics eventing competition. That includes travel costs for her and her family, transportation for her horse, feeding costs once Dealer arrives in Kentucky and entrance fees to the event. It’s a lot of money, especially for a 15-year-old, and Madelynn still has $4,000 to go.

“I go to local businesses and individuals looking for sponsors,” Madelynn says. “And I’ve been working, earning money … I’m about halfway there.”

As for the competition itself, Madelynn says she’s nervous but excited. And so is Dealer.

“He’s awesome at jumping,” Madelynn says of the 17.3-hand warmblood. “He just loves it. And he puts his heart and soul into every fence. It puts a huge grin on my face. I can’t wait to go to Kentucky.”

To help pay for her trip to the North American Junior Riders Championships in Kentucky this July, Madelynn has started a GoFundMe site, where interested individuals can contribute to the fundraising efforts and keep tabs on Madelynn’s journey. The website is at www.gofundme.com/ksow70.