Genevieve Munson and Bluebelle

Genevieve Munson has two gold medals and a new record to her name following the conclusion of the 2014 USEF Pony Jumper Individual Championships. Munson piloted Bluebelle to help the U.S. Pony Club capture team gold on Friday, and Saturday night she put in another clear and fast effort over Richard Jeffrey’s course to take individual gold as well. At age 10, it makes her the youngest rider ever to do so.

If you ask Munson, it is not her that should be patted on the back for her wins. When describing what it meant to capture the individual gold medal, the 10-year-old rider said: “I’m just really, really happy, but I really want to congratulate Bluebelle. She’s the one that jumped over the fences, it wasn’t me.”

Bluebelle would not have made it very far without her talented (and humble) rider’s guidance; Munson made the track that had tripped others up look easy as she skillfully navigated through each question asked on course.

“It was definitely a Richard Jeffrey’s course,” Munson said. “He makes you ride technically; he won’t let you run around in there. You have to really think about what you’re doing, but it was a great course. It was great for us to learn on.”

It is easy to forget you are talking to a 10-year-old when Munson gives answers like that. Her father, Michael Munson, assures that his daughter is not always so business-like. Mr. Munson, who just founded Northwest Arkansas Pony Club this year out of his own Rogers Equestrian Center in Rogers, Arkansas, has a theory on why Genevieve is such a natural rider.

“I think Genevieve is a horse!” Mr. Munson laughed. “Literally, we came out of the hotel and she’s cantering to the elevator!”  

The top three finishers in the USEF Pony Jumper Individual Championship: Carson Ruff, Genevieve Munson and Maya Lovdal

When she is not imitating her four legged friends, Munson is busy riding with a number of different trainers, who she was quick to thank for getting her to the top of the podium. Bluebelle’s owner Carlie Beisel is one of those trainers, and she said Genevieve had started riding her pony last fall with the intention of coming to Pony Finals in two years.

Thanks to Munson’s determination, she reached that goal a whole year early in what Beisel describes as her “mission.”   

“I met her at a Pony Club clinic and sat next to her,” Beisel said of Munson. “She happened to find out that I owned Bluebelle, and she had heard about Bluebelle being at Pony Finals the year before. She kind of attached herself. She was on a mission. She decided Bluebelle was a part of her mission.”  

Munson also trains with Britt McCormick and Martin van der Hoven, and she credits van der Hoven for guiding her to her first big pony jumpers win.

“He helped us so, so much. He coached us through our first blue ribbon in pony jumpers.” Munson explained.

Some riders like to revel in their victory, but Munson is not one of them-she’s already looking toward the future.  

“We’re going to go home and fix things up, just tighten everything up and see from there,” Munson said of her plans.

While Saturday marked the conclusion of the Pony Hunter and Pony Jumpers, USEF Pony Finals competition continues with the Pony Medal Finals tomorrow beginning at 8 a.m. in the Alltech Arena.

To learn more about the USEF Pony Finals please visit www.ponyfinals.org.