Horzepa lands at top of pony jumper ranks

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff At the Horzepa farm in Millstone, Wilhemina Horzepa and Exhilaration show off the jumping skills that won them national recognition this year. MILLSTONE - Now she's known as "Wild Willie."

When the Examiner first talked to Millstone Township's Wilhelmina Horzepa, she had her sights set on the Olympics. Her charge to the top has most recently earned Horzepa her nickname Wild Willie and has also landed her at the top of the pony jumper ranks.

In 2005, Wilhelmina was named the U.S. Equestrian Federation's (USEF) leading pony jumper owner and reserve champion in the USEF national standings for the pony jumper division on her horse called Exhilaration. She recently attended an awards dinner in Cincinnati to accept the honor.

Just as her endeavor to earn the title was an all-year fight, so was getting to the reception.

"We went to a show on Friday and then to the awards on Saturday," Wilhelmina said. "We showed in Pennsylvania so we drove through the night to Cincinnati. It was snowing and getting colder and colder. We didn't get any sleep at all."

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Although the association mails out a letter to those who receive the award, Wilhelmina said she constantly checked her standings on the computer so by the time the letter came, it was expected. However, the awards dinner itself brought about many unexpected events.

"It was so cool to be with nationally known people and to meet them and to see them all out of their horse clothes," Wilhelmina said.

She said she met David Cooper, who is a 2000 gold medal Olympian, and Debbie McDonald, a famous dressage rider, which topped off her year of struggling to finish in first place.

Wilhelmina's new nickname sprang from her independence and resilience in becoming a nationally known pony jumper according to her father, Bob.

Because the Horzepas do not have the financial resources required to get the best trained horses for what Wilhelmina wants to accomplish, Bob Horzepa said, she has to rely on her skill and wit to achieve her goals.

Wilhelmina got Exhilaration for free because no one could ride him. She has now been working with the 18-year-old thoroughbred for seven years.

"He's old, but he keeps going strong," Wilhelmina said. "He jumps strong and fast and doesn't take down any rails."

"She broke him in," her father said. "When you're dealing with horses, there is a huge psychological aspect to it. It is either lead or be led."

The Horzepas calculated the average price they have paid for all of their 18 horses, and it totals $87.50, which is much less than what other competitors pay for their horses, according to Mr. Horzepa.

"Wilhelmina has to go out and battle against six-figure ponies," Mr. Horzepa said.

When asked how she deals with the pressure, Wilhelmina said, "I go out to do my best, and I hope it's a good day."

"There's a term that they use, and it's the real deal," her father said.

Mr. Horzepa said that both Wilhelmina and daughter Mary Elizabeth, 12, are natural horse people.

"They are riders, but they are also horse people who take care of the horses all day long," he said. "Very few people in this day and age do that. They are natural horse people, and I don't really know how that happened."

When asked if his family has any history with horses, Mr. Horzepa said, "I have heard that one of our ancestors was a horse thief in Poland, but that's all I ever heard."

In the barn at the Horzepa farm in Millstone, Wilhemina Horzepa gets her horse Exhilaration ready for barrel jumping.

Lisa Mangia, of Millstone, met Wilhelmina while barrel racing. She said the first time she saw Wilhelmina she knew the young rider was a natural.

"She's an inspiration to me," Mangia said. "As soon as you see her on a horse, you can tell that she's special. She's a natural. Everybody looks when she's out there."

Wilhelmina attributes her camaraderie with horses to the training she received as a little girl from Boots Casie, of Millstone, who taught her how to look at how a horse is physically put together. She also has a good relationship with her animals, she said, because she takes care of them on her family's farm.

Wilhelmina and her sister teach horseback riding to children in the community. They also compete in barrel racing events every week and train for the Junior Olympics, which will take place in Kentucky in August.

"To qualify for the Junior Olympics Pony Club team, a rider must be considered one of the top four riders in their zone by the United States Pony Club," Mr. Horzepa said. "So far this year, Wilhelmina is No. 1 in her zone, and Mary Elizabeth is No. 4."

The Horzepas have competed before in the Junior Olympics, where Wilhelmina won a bronze medal for pony jumping.

The girls train in a 125-by-265-foot riding arena, located on their Foreman Road farm. They are home-schooled, which allows them the flexibility to take care of the horses and train during the week. On average, the girls said they ride the horses between two and three hours each weekday and longer on the weekends.

Although Wilhelmina still has her sights set on the Olympics, she will focus on advancing to the junior jumper ranks next season and aspires to an international grand prix career, she said.

The Horzepa family opens their arena for events run by organizations such as 4-H, the U.S. Pony Club and the Cream Ridge Pony Club, but they also welcome local aspiring riders to visit their facility.