Life has been a little hectic with a lot of school work and riding so I didn't get a chance to start writing untill now. Since the show, HORSE POWER, first aired in February, Beacon Hill has had a lot of visitors coming to meet the trainers, the riders, and the horses. It felt really wierd to see all of us on television and, yet it was a terrific experience being in the cast! The show seems to have made a good impression on some young children and hopefully inspired them to ride which truly brings a smile to my face. Many of the visitors that came to the barn were excited to meet Frank, Stacia, Max, and Krista, as well as the riders and many asked for autographs. At Tampa, I showed two young girls around the barn and the show grounds, introduced them to Beezie and asked her to sign their posters, and brought them up to the Covered Arena where they met the rest of the Beacon Hill crew. Brianne, Chelsea, and I signed their posters and talked for a little bit about the show.

The Invitational at Tampa is one of my favorite events during the circuit. The main highlight for me is getting to walk the course prior to watching the riders execute it. It's fun to test yourself and see if the course winds up riding the way you walked, and on top of it, your watching some of the best riders in the world!

First Things First - Introducing Maria

Photo at right: Maria Schaub receives the sportsmanship award during the American Invitational from Gene Mische and Bobby Drennan. © 2006 Nancy Jaffer.

As one of the key players on Animal Planet's "Horse Power: Road to the Maclay" series, Maria Schaub won the hearts of fans with her plucky attitude--even when her favorite mount was sold just before the Maclay finals.

Although she has her own horse, Whimsey, he was sidelined with an injury for more than 18 months, which meant she had to be quite a catch rider. Handling unfamiliar horses in difficult equitation tests became Maria's specialty.

Despite the handicap of not riding her own horse, she rose to the top of the Bates USA Equitation rankings and won the Ronnie Mutch trophy, the division's championship at the 2006 Winter Equestrian Festival.

Determination, an elegant and effective riding style and a warm manner make Maria a favorite with everyone.

A student of Stacia and Frank Madden at Beacon Hill, where she also works with Max Amaya and Krista Freundlich, Maria is a 16-year-old junior at Holmdel High School in New Jersey.

She will be giving you an insider's take on the horse show scene in the coming weeks with this new blog on EquiSearch.com. So bookmark this blog and look for the latest from Maria!

--The EquiSearch.com Staff