EMMA CLAIRE STEPHENS: A Dressage Prodigy Who Might Have Missed Her Chance
In January 2016 Emma Claire Stephens became the youngest person to earn a silver medal in USDF history. She was just eleven years old. She is already well on her way to gold, having scored 65% at the Intermediate I level, earning 1/2 of her USDF gold medal. Here’s her story, and how horse fraud could have jeopardized it all.
Simple Beginnings
Like most young riders, Emma Claire’s love for horses began with a chance encounter (an invitation to ride a neighbor’s horse), which led to begging her parents for riding lessons. They indulged her wish and she started out riding western, competing in a few local shows in the western walk/trot classes. She went on to try barrel racing, jumping and equitation and eventually discovered her true passion: dressage. She was immediately hooked and began her rapid ascent — earning her Bronze Medal at the age of ten.
A Major Setback — Horse Fraud
The first time Emma Claire’s parents took the leap to buy a horse for their daughter they discovered they had purchased a misrepresented horse. Their experience is extremely common: 67% of horse transactions involve misrepresentation, with resulting losses exceeding $10,000 in 17.4% of cases. Emma Claire’s mom remembers, “It was a fairly large amount of money. We did a vet exam, but soon after we brought her home she was lame. We learned she had a large, inoperable bone spur that the seller likely knew about but didn’t disclose. We suspect it may have been concealed with a nerve block prior to our pre-purchase exam. It was extremely frustrating, especially since we were now incurring additional medical expenses that we had not planned for, and the horse was unable to do what we had bought her for. We ended up giving her to a good friend of ours who loves her dearly and she definitely has a great home. I wish I had known about Equine Exchange at the time.”
Thankfully, the Stephens weren’t like the many parents who (understandably) turn away from horses after such a financially and emotionally devastating experience, and Emma Claire went on to pursue her passion and break USDF records. Emma Claire attributes her success to “my schoolmaster horse, Persona Grata (aka “Moose”), my mom and the support that my friends and family give me.”
A Heartbreaking Loss and an Exciting New Partnership
In February of 2017, Emma Claire lost her partner and best friend, Moose. “Getting half of my gold meant the world to me before Moose passed away. He was the kindest soul you could ever imagine. That was one of my most memorable moments.”
With the help of her sponsors, Emma Claire purchased a young horse, De Nouvelle Vie (“Vivi”), a 17 hand Dutch Warmblood originally imported from the Netherlands. His sire is the great Vivaldi, who is by Jazz. Emma Claire describes Vivi as “an amazing horse, who is very sensitive and smart….and quite hot. He is only 9 years old but has a lot of promising talent. He will spook every once in a while because he is very sensitive, but I have gotten used to it and we are working on building his confidence in me. He looks like a beautiful ballet dancer when he moves. I’ve been learning a tremendous amount with him.”
What’s Next?
Emma Claire and Vivi are in training with Berndt von Hassler in Waxahachie, Texas. She says, “I love working with him because he is very firm with me, but also a very kind and funny man. No matter how the lesson goes, we always end on a good note. That helps both me and my horse.” Emma Claire’s current goals are competing in the USEF Dressage National Championships in Lamplight with Vivi in the Children’s class and riding the Grand Prix test to earn the rest of her gold medal within the next year. “Of course,” says Emma Claire, “I would like to go to the Olympics someday.”
On Becoming an Equine Exchange Ambassador
Having experienced horse fraud firsthand, Emma Claire and her parents recognized the need for Equine Exchange right away and were eager to use their experience to help others. Emma Claire remembers, “It was very upsetting to buy a horse with something wrong. I hope no one else has to go through that experience.” Emma Claire’s mom, Jennifer, explains “I especially recommend Equine Exchange to parents who are new to the horse buying experience. Although, I think everyone buying a horse could use the services, they are particularly important for a parent who is not experienced and doesn’t know exactly what to look for in buying a horse. There are so many pitfalls that can be avoided by having an expert help with the process. If someone is worried about the cost of Equine Exchange, they will easily spend that much money and more on vet bills for a horse that turns out to be not what was represented.”
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