Trials and Tribulations Come As Newcomer Makes Trip to National Dressage Finals

Works Without a Coach

“I have no coach because of financial constraints,” said Hannigan who makes her living in part by teaching amateurs at her barn near Harvard. “It’s hard but I watch horses go all day and see what needs to be done. I go to clinics, watch videos and read as much as I can to learn more.”

She bought “Macaroni” four years ago from Kathy Connelly and co-owns the 11-year-old with Carolyn Ain of Lexington (Mass.)

“I own the four legs part,” Hannigan quipped with her usual impish Irish humor.

Improvises to Supplement Learning

While that may help pay the feed bills, Hannigan improvises to fill in the learning gap. It wa a clinic that brought her to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s headquarters, the Gladstone (N.J.) site of the finals.

Ironically it was horseman Jan Ebeling, a instructor at a clinic she attended this winter, who asked her what she was doing with her dark bay gelding.

“I said I was trying for grand prix but `Mac’ wasn’t ready. So Jan teased me and said I should go to the Internet to get the forms that will make me do the I1 championships. That’s so funny. But I found there were three shows I could go to, so I picked Sand Hills and Raleigh (N.C.). I wanted to do them to get on the Developing Riders’ list. I did and I was a blip on the radar screen but it was great.”

Photo copyrighted: Susan J Stickle