Olivia Salomone decided her future at the tender age of two, when she was hoisted atop a horse on the pony ride at her birthday party.
She was a natural.
The fascination galloped into action, with countless visits to the Van Saun Park pony ride and then to riding camp. With the full support of her parents, the allure then turned into a daily commitment and became serious with the addition of trainers.
Now she is 10 years old and has been competing for more than three years, earning 40 bright ribbons from major events such as the Monmouth County Horse Show and the Hampton Classic, which line her yellow bedroom walls.
The ribbons not only applaud her accomplishments, but also drive her desire to contend.
"It’s so much fun and especially exciting to win, but anything after fourth place annoys me," said Salomone. "But I wouldn’t want to do anything else."
Salomone has come a long way. She’s been thrown off a horse 18 times and suffered various injuries from minor scrapes to a bruised skull. The young rider doesn’t get discouraged; she just dusts herself off and tries again.
"At first I didn’t even know how to hold the reigns or trot," said Salomone. "Now I can walk, trot, canter and gallop."
Olivia’s parents, Doug and Marie, recall the long road it took to get to where they are now. After Olivia attended the riding camp, it peaked her interest even more to become immersed in the sport. This brought the family to Overpeck Park, where the young rider built a firm foundation and was taught the basics.
Then the family made a sudden move.
"When progressing at a rate like Olivia is, you need an athletic horse bred for jumping," said Doug. "We were using school horses that weren’t trained as well for it. We leased this one horse and then found out it was up for sale.
"So for her birthday we bought it."
Marie clarifies buying the horse by using the analogy that riding is just like any other sport and safety always comes first. By purchasing a horse bred for jumping, it’s comparable to a protective helmet in football, as it’s all about getting the safest equipment.
With the new horse, came a change in stables and the Salomones moved the training grounds from Overpeck Park to West Milford, where the riding time tripled and the fields are vast with wide open grass.
Although buying a horse is a pricey acquisition, the family’s concerns lie elsewhere.
"The toughest part of this sport is to watch her work as hard as she does and sometimes not place," said Doug. "She’s ready everyday and this sport, like any, builds character, the will to win and teaches her responsibility."
"For me," said Marie, "the hardest part is freezing at the barn, as it is a year round sport, but I couldn’t imagine not supporting my daughter. We’ve had to sacrifice a lot, but you never get tired of hearing from trainers and experts in the field when they say your daughter’s a natural."
Doug and Marie have always been supportive of Olivia’s needs and make sure they do everything in their power to assure their daughter that she is capable of anything, even if it means cutting costs here and there.
It takes an entire family effort, with Doug at times grooming the horse, Marie prepping her daughter’s outfits before competition and Olivia striving to win ribbons.
"There’s great dedication from the whole family," said Marie. "Sometimes we’re up at 4 a.m. to hit the road and shows are about six to seven hours long, but this is what we want to do."
Olivia;s parents are surprised, as they never thought in their wildest dreams their daughter would be an exquisite rider with an unlimited amount of potential, but they always put a positive spin to the whole situation.
"We’re just two kids from Queens, the closest we got to horse riding were the buggies at Central Park," said Marie. "It’s been a great experience that has changed our lives. It takes a lot of courage to get on a thousand-pound animal."
"We’re both very proud of Olivia and she’s taken us down another road, but we love her and what she does," said Doug.
Although riding is a key component to Olivia’s life, education always comes first. Olivia is asked about her homework load when she steps in the door after school. If she has a project, report or essay due, then a trip to the stable is postponed to the next day.
"We always say school work comes first and if she has too much homework we cancel the lesson," said Doug. "Olivia’s been phenomenal and her school work’s been excellent."
Her parents also want to make sure Olivia experiences as many childhood activities as she can. Along with jumping, Olivia played on a basketball team and still finds time to meet up with friends.
"My friends always ask how I did during competitions," said Olivia. "I’m just happy everyone’s really supportive."
It’s not just coincidence that this elementary student attends Meritt Memorial School where the mascot is the Mustang, but a funny reminder how life works. Olivia’s parents smile when anyone brings up the correlation because the two remember their daughter’s early childhood.
"Olivia never played with dolls, but animals," said Marie. "She always played with horses."
With a new trainer and a brown horse of her own named Flurry, Olivia and family trek to the stable about three to five times a week.
When Olivia isn’t at the stable, her trainer asks the aspiring rider to memorize a riding term each week, in order to expand her vocabulary on the sport. This week’s equestrian word was "automatic release."
A small rectangular pillow that sits on Olivia’s bed that best describes this extraordinary experience.
It reads, "I’d rather be riding."
