Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Hagen Blackwell, left, and Katie Habeeb are Mountain Brook residents who recently achieved regional and national rankings in the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Zone 4 competitions.
Two Mountain Brook students recently achieved regional and national rankings in hunter jumper riding competitions.
Hagen Blackwell, 13, and Katie Habeeb, 17, are both lifelong Mountain Brook residents and equestrians at Fox Lake Farm. They compete about once a month in hunter jumper shows, which are a series of jumps in an indoor or outdoor arena, as part of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Zone 4 region. The region includes most of the Southeast.
Habeeb was named the 2017 Champion in the Children’s Hunters division, ages 15-17, for Zone 4. Blackwell placed second, or reserve champion, in the Medium Pony Hunter division for Zone 4.
Fox Lake Farm owner and trainer Allison Majerik Black said the points the two riders accumulated at shows throughout the year qualified them to compete in the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and the Washington International Horse Show. Qualifying to compete at the national championship level places Habeeb and Blackwell among the top 30 riders in the country in their respective divisions.
Habeeb has been riding for about nine years and competes on a horse named Cinco. Blackwell has four years of equestrian experience under her belt and trains and competes on her pony, Butter. Both said that having a relationship of trust with their horse is essential to their success in the arena.
“When I sat on him, I knew he was the one. He’s just been so sweet, and we trust each other,” Habeeb said of Cinco.
Blackwell said she enjoys competing because she gets to see new places and meet new people. Since they compete once a month and are training at Fox Lake Farm several times per week, riding can get in the way of homework and other parts of life.
“I always do my homework in the car. So if we’re going far, I have plenty of time,” Blackwell said.
“It’s pretty hard. I have to stay up pretty late to finish my homework,” Habeeb said, adding that she feels like it’s worth it.
Black said Habeeb is “probably the most dedicated child I have ever trained in my entire life,” noting that Habeeb overcame a broken pelvis to continue riding and is at the barn almost every day.
“She will do the work,” Black said.
She described Blackwell as a “very special” rider with “that burning desire to win.”
“She’s an amazing student, very devoted to her ponies,” Black said.
Blackwell said her goal is to someday compete in one of the major national indoor shows. Habeeb’s goal is to compete as part of a college equestrian team.
