United States Eventing Association

If you’re at Millbrook Horse Trials this week, you may have noticed the smallest competitor trotting by—Holly Go Lucky, a 12.2-hand Welsh mare ridden by 12-year-old Thayer Mudge.

“Holly” and Mudge are a multi-talented pair—they both compete in eventing and pony racing and go foxhunting in their home state of Vermont, and Mudge also enjoys polo.

They ended their weekend in eighth place in the Open Beginner Novice-B division at Millbrook.

Mudge’s father, Lewis “Weej” Mudge, evented to the Advanced level as a young rider before going to college and eventually following a career that now sees him working as the Central Africa director of the nonprofit organization Human Rights Watch. He passed down his love of horses to this three sons, Thayer, Leslie, and Quinton.

“I carved out a career in Africa,” Weej explained. “The boys were actually born in Kenya, and my wife and I met in Rwanda, and I lived over in the Congo and in Kenya, and lived over in Africa for about 15 years, and that's where they started riding.

“It was on friend’s polo ponies and sort of out in the bush,” he recalled. “Pretty rough and tumble riding, which is kind of the way we continue to do it here in Vermont! Just sort of getting on and getting it done with friends, polo ponies, and baboons running around, and you know Colobus monkeys, so, lots of fun.”

Now the family is settled in Charlotte, Vermont, and the boys naturally got involved in the local horse community. “But what was surprising was that all three of the boys are really into the eventing, so it's fun because now when we go out, it's a real family outing,” said Weej.

Holly, now 6, came to the family last year through a friend, Amanda Edson, who’s child had outgrown the pony. She was still quite green when she arrived.

“[Leslie] rode her first, but he was having trouble because she's so green,” said Weej. “He rides a different horse now, a more seasoned horse. He had a tough go with her last year. He fell off a couple times, and so we put Thayer on her in the spring, and they've been having a great time. She's just a typical little pony. She loves to hunt. She loves to run and jump. She can be naughty, so she can throw in some bucks and stuff. They were eventing last weekend, and she threw in a buck in the dressage. But she's a blast.”

Thayer is close to outgrowing Holly already, so Quinton will inherit the ride next year.

“She's super fun to ride,” said Thayer. “She's getting game over jumps, and we're still working on dressage. She's super fun. It's she's turning into a really great horse. Cross-country's probably her favorite part of the eventing. She loves to run fast.”