Apparition - Jordan Siegel
  Regular Working Hunter
 

Madison Billings may well be an Amanda Goldman in the making. The 11-year-old fifth-grader from Westlake, Texas, won the medium pony championship on her own Queen Frostine, and the small pony championship on Two Thumbs Up, a pony owned by Billings’ trainer, Laura Hightower.

Billings, who has only been riding for two years, topped it all off with victory in the Washington International Equitation Classic Pony class aboard Queen Frostine.

Queen Frostine, or “Paris,” earned her show name years ago when she got frostbite on her ears while living in Canada, Billings said. The tips of the mare’s ears had to be surgically removed, giving her a rather unique but distinguished look. Billings bought Paris last July from Colorado, so it seems that the 11-year- old Welsh cross is slowly making her way closer to the warmer realm of the equator.

“I like it that Paris is willing to take you around,” said Billings. “But she also makes you ask for what you need, like lead changes. You have to do your part. You also have to make sure she’s stepping out and on the bit—and you have to be ready to ride a buck!”

Billings loves it that Paris whinnies when she sees her young owner approaching, and that she’ll try to eat hay-bale jumps if given the opportunity.  The biggest reason behind their Blue Ribbon tricolor, Billings said, is that “Paris woke up and just felt like she wanted to win.”

The same might be said for her small pony champion, Two Thumbs Up, a 17-year-old gelding. Billings described the gelding as “willing to try 100 percent for you. He’ll also teach you how to ride to the base of
the jump.”

Billings had only been practicing on “Roger” for six weeks prior to the Blue Ribbon show. She wants to qualify for the indoor shows this year “and to try to make it there without falling off!” she said.