Nothing is as much fun as hearing a small child talk about their dreams of the future. A little girl that can do a front roll imagines herself competing on television in the Olympics, or a young guy who gets his first hit in tee-ball is ready to put on his Phillies uniform. Reality sets in pretty quickly, as the talent one needs to get to the top is extremely rare, and it requires years and years of patient practice and dedication to reach the top.

Nine years ago, Webb Weekly featured a cover story on an 11-year-old by the name of Abby McCoy. Well, technically, the article was on Abby and her pony, Bo Derek (which we can assume was a mare). She was featured because she and BD won the title of United States Equestrian Federation Zone II 2011 Horse of the Year for children’s Hunter small/medium pony. [Note: Hunter competition is that which jumps over small hurdles.] At the time, Abby was a sixth-grader at Lycoming Valley Middle School. To win, she had to beat out 219 other riders from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, in one of the most competitive zones in the United States for her division.

Abby had begun riding at age four, which in and of itself is a bit hard to imagine. Though riding may look easy for those who have never been on a horse, it takes strength, steady nerves, and agility and balance to control an animal many times your size. Abby was one of those rare individuals, and then added the countless hours of dedication to develop the skills to become one of the best in her field.

Now a freshman at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, she is living a dream of going to college on an equestrian scholarship. Two weeks ago, her college won their zone finals, and now the team is headed to the International Horse Show Association Collegiate National Championship in Syracuse, NY from May 2-5. Some 10,000 student-riders across the United States and Canada participate in this competition, and the top 20 IHSA teams in the United States qualify for the National Championship for the chance to win the National title.
Others have not necessarily appreciated her achievements. Her one burr in the saddle is not being recognized for a varsity letter because her sport was not recognized as athletic. (And she should! Anyone who thinks that all a rider does is sit on a horse should try to jump over 40 three-foot high hurdles on a horse at a cantor [just short of gallop] pace and see how “athletic” they are.)

Leading up to college, Abby’s dedication to her sport has been astounding. In her freshman and again in her sophomore year of high school, she had to make arrangements with her teachers to participate in the very prestigious Ocala, Florida HITS (Horse Show in the Sun) ten-week competition. During her junior and senior year, Abby had to travel to Bellefonte every day after school to train with her trainer, Patty Hall, and her horse, Gatwick. The level that Abby has achieved has not come on the cheap.

But her whole life is not devoted just to horses. Abby is a pre-engineering major with a minor in chemistry. She has the next three years of school to narrow down her career options and is very sure that this will involve graduate school. Abby also does not know what the future may hold for her in her equestrian pursuits. She is not out to reach the highest echelons of glory, because if the truth were told, it is the ride itself that gives her the high. She loves the feeling of being free while on the horse. Jumping with the horse is like flying for Abby. And maybe most of all, she marvels at experiencing the bond between her and the animal that could kill her, yet trusts her enough to let me do so many things with it.

She is a humble young lady who is the proud daughter of Ed McCoy, Lycoming County’s Chief Adult Probation Officer and Joy Reynolds McCoy, Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas Judge. For the whole McCoy family — they are enjoying the ride!