Horse Commons

Photo essay

The early years

From a face-painted five-year-old at Sunrock Farm to a confident young rider: 2012–2015, one patient horse at a time.

August 9, 2026 · Horse Commons

Before the ribbons and the championship coolers, there was a face-painted five-year-old at Sunrock Farm in the summer of 2012, meeting ponies for the first time and refusing to leave.

The next few summers tell the story frame by frame: a tiny rider dwarfed by a patient black horse, first trots through the arena dust, hoof-paint chores, grooming a cross-tied gelding taller than she was, and lessons on a mare named Bella. The horses were always bigger than she was. It never once seemed to occur to her.

By pony camp in 2015 the grin had a gap in it and the seat was getting confident. Everything that came later — the show mornings, the blue ribbons, SiSi — started exactly here.

Five-year-old Rylee, face paint and all, posing full-length with a chestnut pony in dappled light.
Little Rylee reaching up to greet a bay horse with a white blaze in its stall.
A tiny rider on a big black horse in the arena — a charming study in scale.
A clean profile of a tiny Rylee sitting tall on a big black horse.
Young Rylee beside the saddled black horse in the barn aisle.
Rylee trotting the black horse through the arena dust at an early lesson.
Rylee sitting upright on the black horse in the arena in good evening light.
Young Rylee brushing the cross-tied black horse in the barn aisle.
Rylee with a big smile on an appaloosa pony during a green summer trail ride.
A helper steadies Rylee's dismount from the appaloosa pony.

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