Morrison girl selected as member of Performance Pony Co.’s 2025 Pony Pro Team

A young cowgirl from Morrison has been selected as a member of the Performance Pony Co.’s 2025 Pony Pro Team.

Hadley Vandermyde, 6, was chosen because of her dedication to her pony and her desire to continue learning while helping others, the company announced in a July 1 news release.

Hadley and her ponies, Jubilee and Tutti Fruity, compete in barrel racing, pole bending, flag race and plug race events about 15 times a year.

“Hadley’s favorite things to do with her ponies are to ride and run barrels, braid their hair and give them love. Some of her goals include running a full pattern without trotting, becoming a better rider, winning first place at a barrel race and always having fun,” according to the release.

Hadley’s reference letters echo those sentiments.

“Hadley is a responsible pony owner and makes sure her pony has food and water, a clean stall and a hug every day. Hadley loves ponies, pictures of ponies, stories of ponies, talking about ponies and, well, everything about ponies. If you ask her about ponies, be ready for a serious answer,” Daniel Kolar said.

“At the start of this year, Hadley and her pony Jubilee were still trotting with a little bit of loping. By the middle, they were running the whole pattern in both barrels and poles. Hadley put in time to condition her pony to be able to do this, and she has taken lessons to help improve her horsemanship and riding skills. She is responsible for getting her pony ready to ride and making sure her pony is taken care of,” Kristen Purvis said.

Members of the 2025 Pony Pro Team are chosen specifically for their desire to ride and compete on small horses and ponies while using Performance Pony Co. equipment and promoting the brand.

“As part of the team, throughout the year members participate in bimonthly team Zoom meetings and individual challenges. These meetings consist of fun group activities that help expand their knowledge about the industry, equipment, strategies to perform better mentally and physically, and ways to become better horsemen and horsewomen,” according to the release.

On the opposite months, Pony Pros complete individual “challenges” that also are designed to help them learn new strategies and prepare them for the future.

“For example, our February challenge was to complete a mood board to set the tone for the year. In the month of April, their challenge was to decipher the difference between the facts and feelings while competing to help them master their minds and think more like champions think,” according to the release. “We are proud to have Miss Hadley Vandermyde on the Pony Pro team.“

To learn more about Pony Pros, visit www.performancepony.com.