Scarlett Stone is a force to be reckoned with on the Vermont Hunter Jumper circuit. In the past year this Shelburne native has taken her enjoyable past-time and become a real competitor. Since the horse show season opener in May, Stone, a novice rider, was consistently winning many 2'-2'3" Children's Equitation Fences Class. Because she prefers to be challenged she moved up to the next jumping class (2'6"-2'9") at the last Steeple Ridge Farm horse show held June 26-27. The very same horse show where Stone began competing just one year ago and "scratched" is the very same horse show where she admits to her greatest achievement to date, "Even after moving up a class, I was still able to finish in second place," she said proudly. "That was pretty cool."

According to Stone's trainer, Ashley Conway, "there are many great things to say about Scarlett, but to sum it up I would say she is an extremely hard working, dedicated young women. She tries hard to always do her best, and she takes amazing care of her horse. I am proud that she is a student of mine."

Born on Sept. 7, 1993, Stone has lived in Shelburne her entire life. Her family includes parents, Lin and David, 22-year-old sister Molly, and her three pets: a dog named Humphrey, a cat named Basil, and a horse named Rocket. Stone attended the Lake Champlain Waldorf School from kindergarten through eighth grade. After grade school Stone was looking for a educational change and chose to attend Champlain Valley Union (CVU) where she will graduate with the Class of 2012.

"I rode a horse for the first time on my seventh birthday," Stone relates vividly. "At the time I was begging my mom to let me ride. I was so relentless that she arranged a special present for me. I got to ride a white pony on my birthday. I'll never forget it."

Although Stone did not ride again for a few years, she began attending summer horse camps at the age of 10. For the next two years she began taking lessons and helping around the barn at the Livery Horse Center in Hinesburg. At 14 she joined 4H. "It was a special horse 4H club called the Midnight Riders." We met once a month year-round," Stone comments. "It wasn't a big commitment but I learned a lot."

Last summer Stone began training with Ashley Conway of Foxhorn Farm in Charlotte. "That's when I really began to take riding seriously," she shares. "From the moment Rocket came into my life I made a major commitment to my horse and to my- self. Riding is my life."

In addition to year-round riding and training for hunter jumper competitions, Stone rises as early as 4 a.m. for horse show preparation or 6 a.m. for daily barn chores that include cleaning stalls, feeding horses, and the like. She has also been employed part-time at Harrington's for over a year. Not to mention her challenging school schedule or the homework necessary to maintain her honor roll status and the high standards she has set for herself.

Luckily for Stone she was able to turn her passion for riding into school credit. Instead of attending physical education classes at CVU, Stone successfully lobbied to receive gym credits for riding and training with Conway at Foxhorn Farm.

Unfortunately her busy schedule leaves little room for anything else. Not that she's complaining. "I'm thrilled when I have a few hours to hang out with my friends," she states. There won't be much time for hanging out this summer. Instead Stone has committed to compete, nearly every weekend, on the Vermont Hunter Jumper circuit through the end of September. "That's what I'm all about right now," Stone shares. "Working hard, training, and pushing myself to improve every weekend will hopefully get me where I want to go." And where might that be?

"I'm interested in being on an equestrian team in college," Stone relates. "One option is St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. My trainer knows the school and college coach so that might be a good fit for me." Towards that end, Stone is focused on the task at hand: to continue her winning ways on the circuit this summer and fall. I'm confident that with the dedication, hard work, and heart Stone has displayed in her short hunter jumper career that she will apply her considerable will and passion to meet any challenges and reach great heights now and in the future.