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| SportsTuesday, August 14, 2007 9:47 PM CDT |
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Mahomet junior helps U.S. Pony Club team win title
SEYMOUR — Jennifer Porter barrels down the ring like a superhero, twisting and turning her way through obstacles while sitting atop a horse. The capacity crowd’s roar sounds like a rock concert as the riders compete, bringing the energy to a new level. The competitors hear the noise and begin to quiver, knowing the spotlight has suddenly found them. Porter nonchalantly shakes it off. “I didn’t even notice it,” she said. Her success is easily noticeable. Competing for the United States in last month’s Pony Club International Games Exchange in Lexington, Ky., Porter was a part of history as the United States won the event for the first time in 14 years. Porter was among five members picked from a pool of 27 riders to represent the United States as it competed against Great Britain, Canada and Australia at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Americans defeated Great Britain 64-55 in the event that is described as “relay races on horseback.” “It’s really hard to explain unless you see it,” Porter said. “It’s not very common. Not a lot of people do it.” The journey for Porter, a 16-year-old who will be a junior at Mahomet-Seymour High School, began last September when she traveled to Maryland for the tryout. During the tryout, Porter rode in front of judges, was interviewed and stayed with a host family which judges how the riders behaved away from the competition because “they wanted to pick kids who had good manners and would be good representatives.” The pressure of the tryout process did not faze Porter. “I had been riding all (last) summer,” she said. “I knew there was a good possibility I could make the team if I rode well.” After receiving an invitation to join the team last October, Porter spent the next nine months preparing for the international competition. Although she was part of the team, she was unable to practice with the other four members until two weeks before the opening ceremonies. During the competition, the United States dominated, placing first or second in 10 of the 15 events. The events range from grabbing a tennis ball off the floor or jumping off the horse, picking up a ring, and then jumping back on the moving beast. “It’s a mixture of a pure speed race, but while you’re running, you have to balance a ball on a spoon; you have other balance skills and hand-eye coordination skills to be done,” said Jennifer’s dad, Jeff. “You’re combining a speed race because it is the first team to cross the line with their last rider, but you have to have the balance and the accuracy to be able to do it.” Coordination is the key to success in the competition. “You have to be very coordinated to be able to control the horse and whatever you’re doing off the horse,” Jennifer said. Her laid-back demeanor is what kept Porter focused. “I’ve played in situations similar to that before,” she said. “You can’t really look up and let it all get to you.” It allows her to succeed at a national level. “It’s just such a rewarding thing to see the accomplishments,” said Jeff, whose daughter is also on the cross country team. “We don’t do this for them. We just give them the opportunity, and they take off and run with it.” What is your game? “Our Games” runs Mondays in the Pantagraph. Its stories will focus on the games that we play and on those who play them. If you have a story idea, contact the sports department at sports@pantagraph.com or (309) 829-9000. Get area high school sports scores and statistics at Varsity Sports. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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