Six-year-old Emma Grace Robosson of Independence, West Virginia and her 25-year-old horse, Zips Iron Tiger (Rebel) created quite a stir at the Level 1 East Championships. Not only was Emma the youngest competitor, Rebel was the oldest horse at the competition.
To make things even better, this team just started showing in the riding classes in April. The Level 1 Championship Show was their third time showing this year in the riding classes. Despite their newness to it all, they were 13th in the Level 1 Aged Geldings, 14th in the Level 1 Youth Walk/Jog Pleasure and 15th in the Level 1 Youth Walk/Jog Horsemanship. They also showed in the Level 1 Youth Showmanship and Rookie Showmanship.
We asked Emma what she likes about showing her horse, Rebel. “I like to have fun and spend time with my friends showing,” Emma told us. She also shared Rebel’s favorite treats. “He loves Strawberry Poptarts, but they have to be name brand, he won’t touch the generic ones. I love to love on him. He is very special and sweet.”
Emma’s mother, Nicole Robosson, is a horse trainer so this first grader has been around horses her entire life. Emma started showing Leadline at two years old with her Welsh pony, Ferdi. In 2017, she was still showing Leadline, but started doing the Small Fry Showmanship. She showed last year at the Congress in the Small Fry Showmanship.
Her proud mother told us more about her daughter. “Emma is a very sweet and outgoing kid,” her mother shares. “She loves making new friends at the shows. She was just crowned PQHA Princess for the 2018 season. She loves to dress up and has an imagination like no other. She is a straight A student. She says when she grows up, she wants to be everything. Her favorite show is The Wild Kratts, she loves learning about animals. She can tell you facts about animals that most people have never heard of.”
Her daughter’s horse, Rebel, is also very special to the family. “He is a kind soul and has given Emma so much confidence,” Nicole told us. “He knows his job, but she can’t sit there and be a passenger or he will take advantage of her. In their first show this year doing the horsemanship, he walked the whole pattern on her. If we had to compare him to a character, it would be Carl from the movie, Up.”
Nicole adds, “We would also like to thank everyone who cheered her on and came up and congratulated her.”
We look forward to seeing Emma and Rebel grow together as a team.
View the slideshow below of more pictures of the adorable team.
Photo © Shane Rux
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