Fairview Sport Ponies - Read About How We Got Started

In 1992, five-year old Emily Lynn Mitchell decided that life without ponies/horses would not be very much fun. So her Mom (Jan) and Dad (Jerry) took her to Copper Bit Ranch, owned by Joan and Tom Young Emily Mitchell and Kirby

Harms for her very first riding lessons. Emily fell in love with a black Welsh Mountain Pony named Master Chief Buckeye and wanted to buy him. As the story goes, on Emily's 7th birthday, after two years of lessons, she got her wish and "Chief" become her first pony and her most prized possession.

Over the next couple of years, Emily rode Chief and showed in halter and walk/trot/canter classes. They were doing very well when Emily attended an eventing clinic with Michael Paige. Emily decided that she wanted to try Hunter shows and began working with Chief to become a Hunter pony. He hated it! In came Kirby's Dreamland...

In 1998, the Mitchell's purchased Kirby's Dreamland, a 13.2hh Welsh cross. Emily, Jan and Jerry Mitchell

Emily worked with Kirby under Jan Rock at Huntermark Farm. Within two years, Emily competed in the National Pony Finals in Asheville, NC. finishing in the Top 15 in the Pony Medal Finals. During this time, the Mitchell's arranged lessons with Klaus Beisenthal to help with Kirby's movement under saddle. After just a few lessons, Klaus asked Emily to ride his German Sport Pony stallion, Makuba in Dressage. Emily agreed, but with the understanding that she was a Hunter rider - not a Dressage rider. Within months, Emily decided that Dressage was a lot more challenging and rewarding than Hunters. She learned to appreciate the fine art of Dressage during the three years she rode Makuba, going from showing Training level to schooling Prix St. Georges. Although she was unable to show him in the FEI levels, she won consistently from Training to 3rd level and still carries the lessons she learned with him.

Emily has also shared a great partnership with Bavarian Dream, a 17hh Bavarian Warmblood. "Dream" Emily and Bavarian Dream

was retired in 2006 after two very successful show years with Emily. Together, they earned a Reserve Championship at the Prix St. Georges level at 2004 Regionals and another Reserve Championship at the Intermediare I level at 2005 Regionals. Dream is enjoying his retirement at a small farm near Cambridge, Wisconsin.

During Emily's time with Klaus and Makuba, she fell in love with Makuba's half-brother, another German Emily Mitchell and Till

Riding Pony - a gelding named Till We Meet Again, who she qualified for the USEF Junior Team Championships in 2004. "Till" was one of the first ponies to make the Junior Team and finished 6th over all at the competition in Palm Beach, CA. Her mother also fell in love that year, with another Makuba brother, a yearling colt named Nijinsky. In 2002, the Mitchell's purchased Till, Nijinksy, and a Welsh Cob mare named Rhonwen. Emily Mitchell and Rossi

Emily and her parents began talking about their dream of converting the family farm to German Riding Ponies. Thus, in 2003, Fairview Sport Ponies got its start.

Emily and Till have enjoyed a very successful dressage career together. As a skillful and top performing team, Emily and Till have scored consistently in the 60's and 70's - a goal which all dressage enthusiasts strive for. The Welsh Cob mare, Rhonwen, produced a beautiful bay filly by Nijinsky in 2006. Also in 2006, Till was sold and the Mitchells purchased Rosselini - a 17.2hh Holsteiner gelding. He was imported from Germany about 5 years ago, and was bought by Kelly Irving who was, at that time, a Young Rider. Emily and "Rossi" spent the summer of 2006 getting to know each other. In 2007 Emily and Rossi will be trying out for the Young Riders Team!