Wellington The Magazine February 2019

wellington | professional

Horse Show Official Ensures That The Competition Stays On A Level Playing Field Story by M. Dennis Taylor • Photos by Abner Pedraza

In the hunter/jumper show ring, horse and rider combine as a single athletic team to compete. As a steward and schooling supervisor, Marilyn Hart — known as “Mesa” to her friends — ensures adherence to the rules of fair competition in the warmups and contests, as well as protecting the horses’ welfare.

A transplant originally from Minnesota, Hart has resided in Florida for the past 20 years and enjoys living and working in Wellington.

“I started riding as an older adult and worked my way up from lunge line to amateur/owner, where, thanks to my horse Dylan, I was quite successful,” Hart recalled.

When the cost to maintain a horse and compete became a challenge, Hart decided to stay in the industry. “More specifically, I chose the hunter/jumper venue, by working and receiving my steward’s and schooling supervisor licenses,” Hart explained.

Hart is licensed by the United States Equestrian Federation, the sport’s national sanctioning organization. The schooling supervisor oversees the warm-up ring to watch that everything going on is fair and legal.

“My job as a schooling supervisor entails trying to maintain a level playing field for all exhibitors involved by making sure no illegal jumps are set and jumped; watching for signs of an exhausted horse; and, of course, being ever watchful of abusive behavior by any given rider or trainer,” Hart said.

“It’s all about the rules of competition and the welfare of the horse.”

Hart also greatly enjoys when she works the competition rings as an official steward. During the Winter Equestrian Festival, four stewards cover the 12 rings.

“I love my job as steward because I wanted to stay involved with the horses and the special culture that I have grown to love in the horse world,” Hart said. “Being a steward satisfied my love of the sport.”

Stewards play a crucial role at the show grounds.

“One of the most important jobs is to be an objective liaison between horse show management, the exhibitor and the governing body, the United States Equestrian Federation,” Hart explained. “We, as stewards, have a lot of communica-

Marilyn “Mesa” Hart works as a steward and schooling supervisor at WEF.

tion between exhibitors, judges, course designers and horse show management.”

Stewards are also instrumental in interpreting and enforcing the rules.

“As a steward, probably most important of all our duties is to interpret ever-changing rules to an exhibitor who may be confused as to the interpretation and or intent of any given rule,” Hart said. “And, of course, the other very important part is the measuring of horses and ponies to assure they are competing in the proper division.”

Horses and ponies are measured in “hands,” said Hart, who explained that one hand equals four inches. A small pony is 12.2 hands and under, a medium pony is over 12.2 hands up to 13.2 hands, and a large pony is over 13.2 hands wellington the magazine | february 2019

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