Lucky "Lass"
by Anne Chunko

Megan Beach comes by her love of Standardbreds naturally. As a young child, she often visited her grandparents’ Standardbred farm and watched them train their horses.
    Beach, 11, has been riding horses since she was 8. As well as taking lessons, she’s participated in Girl Scout horse camps. Last Christmas, her commitment to horses was rewarded with a horse of her own: Lancaster Lass, a bay pacing mare who was looking for a new career as a riding horse.
    "She went for training but got hurt on the track," Beach said. "She was sent home. She never raced."
    Lass’ bad luck on the track turned out to be her and Beach’s good fortune. Beach is thoroughly enjoying teaching Lass about being a hunter and dressage show horse, and Lass relishes her new job. The pair do not, however, expect the path to becoming accomplished under saddle to be without bumps and detours.
    "The first show we did together, she was still pretty green," Beach explained. "She wouldn’t trot or canter very well. But we had a good time!"
    The pair recently competed in the Mid Ohio Dressage Association schooling show in June, where they received a fifth-place ribbon for the Entry Level I dressage test and a sixth for the Entry Level II test. Beach also won second place for poems inspired by her horse.

Lancaster Lass
An Acrostic by Megan Beach

L ancaster Lass is my love
A nd my life
N ot any other horse
C ould ever compare
A ll the love I give her,
S he gives back
T enfold
E ver willing and eager and
R eady to please

L ots of vet visits
A nd lots of bills
S he’s taught me so much
S he’s helped me to grow

M y pride and joy
Y ou really should know

H ow hard she has worked
O n pace, trot, and canter, and
R oundness, and jumping, and good ground manners
S till so much for us both to learn
E ach day together is a blessing.