A tribute to

Lily Ann

Lilyanneq.com

Rider  ·  Competitor  ·  Horse girl, through and through.

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The beginning

She was always going to be a horse girl

Before she could read. Before she could tie her own shoes. Lily Ann was already reaching for horses. Some passions are chosen — this one was woven into who she is from the very beginning. Every farm she passed, every horse she spotted from a car window, every coin-operated ride outside a store. It was always horses. It was always going to be horses.

Tiny Lily on a coin horse
It started here.
A horse nuzzles little Lily over the fence
She’s always been their girl.
Little Lily in the saddle for the first time
First time up.

“The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a girl.”

Lily Ann with Amy

Meet Lily Ann

A natural in every sense of the word

Lily Ann is the kind of rider who makes it look effortless. Ten years in the saddle — and she’s only getting better. Whether it’s the thrill of a horse she’s never ridden, or the deep comfort of her own, she’s completely at home the moment she’s up.

Fearless is the word people use. But it’s more than fearless. It’s a quiet, unshakeable confidence that only comes from truly loving what you do. Lily doesn’t just compete. She connects — with her horses, with the sport, with every single moment she gets to spend in the ring or on the trail.

She loves every aspect of riding — the hard days, the breakthroughs, the quiet mornings, and the loud wins. And it shows in everything she does.

10+Years riding
50+Ribbons won
15Years old
🏆   IEA Competitor  ·  High Point Award

“She is fearless and cannot get enough time in the saddle.”

Said by everyone who’s ever watched her ride
“Some girls are born with glitter in their veins. Lily Ann was born with hoofbeats in her heart.”
For Lily, with love

Where it all began

Meet Daisy

Every rider has a first horse. But not every rider trains theirs from scratch. At just seven years old, Lily took on an unbroke pony bought at auction — and turned her into a champion. That pony’s name was Daisy, and she changed everything.

Lily and Daisy at Hidden Pond Farm

Hidden Pond Farm · The Story

Sassy, stubborn, and completely loveable

Daisy came home from the auction untrained and full of personality — a little firecracker with her own opinions about everything. What happened next says everything about who Lily is.

She didn’t just learn to ride Daisy. She taught Daisy how to be ridden. Together they went from a wild little pony and a determined little girl, to back-to-back champions at Hidden Pond Farm. They were best friends — Daisy would do anything for Lily, and Lily would do anything for Daisy.

Daisy may no longer be by her side. But she will always be where Lily’s story begins — and the reason it became such a beautiful one.

Always in her heart
Little Lily at her first show
Lily and Daisy cross country
Lily hugging Daisy
Lily and Daisy at Hidden Pond Farm
Lily competing on Daisy
Lily on Daisy with pink saddle pad
“She was bought at auction, untrained and full of fire. Lily loved her anyway. Together they became champions. That’s exactly who Lily is.”
Daisy  ·  Lily’s first horse  ·  Forever in her heart
“A horse doesn’t care how much you know until it knows how much you care.”
Lily learned this one early

Her horses

Her partners

Lily with Amy

Current · Competitor  ·  Read her story →

Amy

Hanoverian  ·  Bay Mare

Amy is a lovely mare with a lot of scope — and a love of jumping that matches Lily’s completely. The moment they find a fence, they’re both all in. She is Lily’s main competitive partner and together they have made quite a team in the ring. Big heart. Big stride. Big dreams.
Rhoslyn

Current · Young Horse  ·  Read her story →

Rhoslyn

Hanoverian  ·  Dark Bay

Rhoslyn is young, beautiful, and completely devoted to Lily. She has a habit of running to the gate the very moment she hears Lily coming — as if she has been waiting all day. She and Lily are growing together, figuring out the language only a horse and her girl can share.
Charlie the chestnut colt

Foal · Charlotte’s  ·  Read his story →

Cloud 9 aka Charlie

Chestnut Colt  ·  Cloud Nine

Charlie arrived at exactly the right moment — a chestnut colt by Checkmate, out of Lexi, born June 30th, 2025. Big, floaty, and full of presence. Charlotte’s forever horse.
Lexi with Lily

Broodmare · Amy’s Sister  ·  Read her story →

Lexi

Hanoverian Warmblood  ·  Bay Mare

Lexi is the heart of the barn — Amy’s sister, Rhoslyn’s dam, Charlie’s mom, and one of the most exceptional broodmares this family has ever had. Bay, blocky, and beautiful at fifteen. The best things she ever made still have four legs.
Lily and Rhoslyn nose to nose

A special bond

“The moment Lily walks toward the barn, Rhoslyn runs to her.”

That’s not something you teach a horse. That’s something you earn. Lily has a rare gift for making horses feel safe, seen, and truly loved — and Rhoslyn knows it. Watch them together for five minutes and you’ll understand exactly why Lily can’t get enough time in the saddle. This is what it looks like when a horse chooses you back.

“Horses choose their people. Lily’s horses choose her every time.”

“In riding a horse, we borrow freedom. Lily Ann has been collecting that freedom since before she could walk.”
Ten years in the saddle  ·  A lifetime to go
“No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.”
Lily has never wasted a single one

The record

In the ring

Ten years of competing and the ribbons just keep coming. From her very first show on Daisy all the way to the IEA circuit — Lily competes with the same pure joy she rides with. She has shown at farms and fairgrounds across the region, in every division from Shortest Stirrup to IEA reining, and there has always been something new to hang on the wall. She has never once walked into a ring looking for an easy round — only a good one. Show after show, barn after barn, year after year, the results speak for themselves. Win or learn, she gives everything every single time.

🏅
Maryland BEST Show — with Amy
August 3, 2025 · Eq Walk/Trot/Canter · Eq 18in O/F · Pleasure Hunter WTC
4th, 8th, 2nd
🏅
Triangle Series — Jumper Show — with Rocket
2018 · 2 Foot division
Champion
🏅
Triangle Series — with Daisy
2017 · Shortest Stirrup
Champion
🏅
Triangle Series — with Daisy
2017 · Shortest Stirrup & Cross Rails
1st Place
🏅
Triangle Series — Shortest Stirrup
February 2017 · 2 firsts, 1 second, 1 third, 1 sixth
Multiple
🏅
Second Nature Farms — Triangle Series — with Daisy
2019 · Shortest Stirrup · 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th ×3, 6th
Multiple

As an IEA competitor, Lily rides horses she has never met before — drawn at random on show day. No practice. No warmup. No advantage. Just raw skill, instinct, and trust. And she wins anyway.

View the full competition record  →
Hidden Pond Farm ribbons Blue ribbon with paint horse Early show days ribbon

March 14, 2026  ·  Virginia Horse Center, Lexington VA

IEA Zone 3 Finals

She walked into the Virginia Horse Center, drew a horse she had never met, and rode like she had been preparing her whole life for this moment. Because she had been.

2nd Place — Day 1
🏆 National Qualifier IEA Nationals  ·  Missouri 2026
2nd Place — Day 2
Lily with her Day 1 ribbon and National Qualifier certificate
Day 1  ·  2nd Place  ·  National Qualifier
Lily holding both ribbons with the full IEA Zone 3 Finals ring behind her
Both ribbons  ·  Zone 3 Finals
Lily with her Day 2 ribbon
Day 2  ·  2nd Place  ·  Back to back
“A great rider can hear her horse whisper — and Lily has been listening since she was 3 years old.”
Zone 3 Finals  ·  Virginia Horse Center  ·  2026

IEA Zone 3 Finals · The Story

Second place. Both days. A ticket to Nationals.

In IEA competition, you don’t get to bring your own horse. You draw a stranger and you ride. There’s nowhere to hide — it’s just you, your skill, and whatever horse fate hands you that morning.

Lily walked into the Virginia Horse Center and placed second on Day 1. Then she came back and did it all over again. Two days. Two second place finishes. One ticket to Nationals in Missouri.

That’s not luck. That’s ten years of heart, grit, and horsemanship.

🌟   Qualified for IEA Nationals 2026  ·  Missouri
Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals

Inside the ring

Competing on a horse she had never met

Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals
Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals
Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals
Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals
Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals
Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals
Lily competing at Zone 3 Finals
“She came to Zone 3 Finals, drew a stranger, rode like a champion, and earned her ticket to Nationals. Lily Ann — this is only the beginning.”
IEA Zone 3 Finals  ·  Virginia Horse Center  ·  March 14, 2026

From the stands

Her dad watched every single step

A day her dad will never forget

“We are so incredibly proud of her.”

There are moments a parent tucks away forever. Watching your daughter compete at Zone Finals, ride a horse she’s never touched, and walk out holding a 2nd place ribbon and a National Qualifier certificate — that’s one of those moments.

Lily, you have worked so hard for this. Every early morning, every lesson, every show. Every horse you loved and learned from. Daisy. Amy. Rhoslyn. They all helped get you right here.

“From a coin horse outside a grocery store to a champion in the ring — Lily Ann has been unstoppable from the very beginning. And this is only the start of her story.”
Lily Ann  ·  Rider  ·  Competitor  ·  Horse girl forever