Arguably one of the cutest national leaderboards the USEA has to offer is the Smartpak USEA Pony of the Year leaderboard. Since it’s more than halfway through the year, this month the USEA selected the pony sitting on top of that leaderboard, Have A Little Faith, as the USEA Horse (Pony) of the Month! Standing at 14.1 hands, Have A Little Faith is an 18-year-old chestnut mare ridden by Diane Smith and owned by Sarah Lesser.
The small but mighty mare has earned 18 USEA points thus far in 2020. In the four events that Have A Little Faith has competed in this year, she has never finished outside of the top five. She has finished second in the Open Beginner Novice with rider Diane Smith in the last three events – the Poplar Place July Horse Trials, the Chattahoochee Hills June Horse Trials, and the Chattahoochee Hills February Horse Trials.
Learn more about the peppermint loving, clever, cheeky pony from her longtime rider, Diane Smith.
“Have A Little Faith is owned by the Lesser family - Jan, Rob, and Sarah - who so graciously allow me to train and compete this mare for over the past five years. She goes by ‘Faith’ in the barn and has numerous ‘pet’ names on any given day.”
“Her favorite treat is definitely peppermints and she will smile with appreciation for them all day long.”
“Her favorite phase in eventing is probably cross-country, whereas mine is dressage!”
“She is an extreme extrovert, clever, cheeky, and super sweet. She will flawlessly navigate all three phases in eventing for me one day and the next day [she will] be a perfect ‘adult’ allowing the babies we train to pony behind her. Such an amazing breed.”
“The only thing that I know of that Faith does not like is to be dewormed. For such a 'small girl' she evades it like the plague!”
“She has been and continues to be such an amazing team member in our string. Always willing to try a little more and do a little more with me. We are heading to the AEC this August for the second year in a row and so looking forward to it!”
Miss any of the previous 2020 horses of the month? Find out about the USEA January Horse of the Month, USEA February Horse of the Month, USEA March Horse of the Month, USEA April Horse of the Month, USEA May Horse of the Month, USEA June Horse of the Month, and USEA July Horse of the Month.
The USEA is recognizing an event horse each month on the USEA website and social media. The USEA Horse of the Month is determined based on performance and event results and announced at the beginning of every month. The August Horse of the Month was determined by which pony was sitting on top of the Smartpak USEA Pony of the Year leaderboard.
The USEA would like to thank Smartpak, the Title Sponsor of the USEA Pony of the Year leaderboard.
Happy Kentucky week eventing fans! The 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event kicks off with the first formal horse inspection for the five-star field this Wednesday, April 23. With so much excitement building up for the competition this year, we compiled all the facts you might want to know about this year's five-star lineup. Get to know each of the horses and riders entered this year a little bit better below!
Horse trials, from local grassroots competitions to FEI-level events, are the heartbeat of the eventing world. These trials are more than just a test of skill for riders and horses; they are essential to the growth and sustainability of the entire equestrian community.
Whether you've brought your horse up from Novice or took on the ride later in their career, getting to your first five-star on a special partner is a huge accomplishment.
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered!