Boy Wonder, trained by Vick Russell of Tryon, and ridden by Avery Griffin of Folsom, La., was awarded Older Amateur Horse of the Year for 2013. Griffin, a full-time lawyer and avid supported of the Canine Rescue Effort, competed at (AAA) horse shows throughout the country as far away as Texas and Florida. Throughout the year, she balanced a thriving law practice, home life and her humanitarian mission with this busy show schedule to pull ahead in national points and rise into the top echelon of American riders.
According to Avery Griffin’s trainer, Vick Russell, “Avery demonstrated a level of focus and self-deprivation that can only come out of a true respect for the sport and the other equestrians that make up her team. In order to compete and win at this level, riders must remain calm under extreme mental strain, this requires a dynamic personality that won’t be thrown off their game by the small catastrophes that are bound to occur in this dangerous and unpredictable sport.”

– article submitted
by Amanda Wilson