By Andrew Hackmack
Now 18, she has been riding for more than a decade and she recently achieved a dream by participating in the Hampton Classic, which draws riders from all over the country.
The 18-year-old from Valley Stream made quite the impression at the 33rd annual horse show held Aug. 24-31. “I got so many compliments on how adorable my horse is,” Sollin said. “People are amazed with what I’ve done with him.”
Her horse, Chasing Greatness, has led an up and down life. Chase, as she calls him, was once a race horse at Belmont, then after being retired because of leg problems, he went to live upstate and was almost starved to death. The horse came back to Long Island and was well fed but had no muscle mass because of inactivity. When Sollin bought Chase from a friend, things started to turn around.
She worked with Cara Conti, a trainer from Lakewood Stables in West Hempstead where Chase boarded. Together, the two got him back into shape and ready for the Hampton Classic. “We were in the ring competing against people who have all this money and the best trained horses,” Conti said.
“He fit right in with those $50,000 horses,” Sollin added. She bought 11-year-old Chase last October.
A 2008 graduate of Central High School, Sollin begins her studies at Molloy College this fall. For the past several months, she has had to make quite a commitment to get her horse ready for competition, riding Chase five to six times a week and building a strong rapport with him. “He knows I’m his mommy,” she said. “I take care of him every day at the barn.”
Conti explained that Chase works hard for them. “He’s very much a pleasing type of horse,” she said. “He’s had such a rough life and now he’s having such a better life. I think he’s appreciative.”
Chase participated in two events during the first day of the weeklong Hampton Classic. In the Hunter Division, a horse is judged based on how it moves. Sollin said Chase struggled a bit and did not have a great performance. She does not know where she placed as only the top 10 finishers are announced.
However, the duo of Sollin and Chase did much better in the second event of the day, the Equitation, which based on the rider’s presentation. They finished in the top 15 out of 35 participants. “I could have come in dead last at the Hampton Classic,” Sollin said, “and still would have been happy that I made it there.”
Right now, Chase can only participate in flat events. Because of some leg problems, he cannot do jump events but Sollin and Conti hope to get him healthy enough to do so in future competitions.
Conti said she has worked with Sollin to make her a better rider. Sollin used to be very stiff when on the horse, she said, which makes the horse tenser. “She’s come a long way in her riding,” Conti said, adding that this is the first time she has trained a horse or a rider for the Hampton Classic.
The two had taken Chase to some smaller horse shows earlier in the year. Conti said because these shows are a different atmosphere than what a horse is used to, they need to be prepared for an major event by going to smaller events first.
“It’s a big achievement for me to be able to take students to the Hampton Classic,” Conti said. “All my years I’ve wanted to do this.”
Sollin attended the competition with her moth and sister. She plans to be back next year with Chase. “I wouldn’t give up my horse for the world,” she said. “He just tries so hard. He’s my $50,000 horse.”
