Ayla Finfrock and Mae Thomas to participate in Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Nationals
By FRED KRONER
Ayla Finfrock has her own horse. Mae Thomas does not.
Neither fact has any bearing on where the two girls will be next week, and the opportunity that is before them.
They have qualified for the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Nationals, which will take place in Perry, Ga., starting on Thursday (April 22). The three-day event concludes on Saturday (April 24).
There are a maximum of 18 competitors in each class.
Finfrock, 12, is a sixth-grade student at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High. Thomas, 16, is a junior at Judah Christian High School, in Champaign.
Finfrock will be riding in IEA class Future Intermediate over fences 2 foot. Thomas qualified in JV Beginner, Walk, Trot, Canter.
Though each individual is a first-time qualifier for the IEA Nationals, if circumstances had been different, this would likely be their second year as qualifiers.
“I think we also had a good chance last year, but the postseason was cancelled (by COVID-19),” trainer Jamie Gerardi said.
The IEA experience is not cutthroat and focused on winning. IEA was established to provide competitive and educational opportunities through equestrian athletics. Good sportsmanship and honorable participation are priorities.
Neither Ayla Finfrock nor Mae Thomas are novices with their involvement with horses.
“When Ayla was 2 or 3 years old, she loved playing with horses, loved horse books, always wanted to ride ponies if there were pony rides available,” her mother, Nancy Finfrock said. “We decided to have her take riding lessons with Jamie Gerardi (at J & S Equestrian, in rural White Heath) when she turned 4 and she has loved it since Day 1.
“Her passion continues to grow. When Ayla was in second or third grade, she wanted to live at the barn to make it more convenient and so she could sleep in a stall.
Mae Thomas participates because of the joy that it brings her.
“It puts a smile on my face and makes me feel accomplished,” Mae Thomas said, “but to me riding is riding, and I just enjoy riding.”
She will treat Nationals as she would any other competition.
“I don’t really get nervous at shows,” Mae Thomas said. “Being around horses is one of the things that makes me never get nervous.
“I am more nervous holding horses I’ve never met before at the shows than the actual competition.”
In 2020, the IEA Nationals were canceled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Students were given the option of repeating the same class when they tried to qualify for nationals in 2021.
Thomas went that route, though she knew it came with no guarantees.
“I had done really well last year, so I expected I would also do well this year,” Thomas said. “But there was also the chance that the other riders had also repeated the class and had gotten better, so I wasn’t 100 percent sure of how I was going to do.”
Thomas and Finfrock had to survive two qualifying rounds in order to secure their first berths at Nationals.
They had to place either first or second at the IEA regionals in Noblesville, Ind., on March 6. By doing so, they advanced to the IEA Zones in Plymouth, Mich., on March 27 and 28. Again, the top two finishers in each class qualified for Nationals.
At Zones, Finfrock took first in both her team jumping class and her individual jumping class to reserve her bid to Nationals.
Thomas ended second at Zones in her flat walk/trot/canter class to qualify as an individual for Nationals.
Finfrock said she can’t imagine not jumping.
“I have always loved jumping,” she said. “It’s my favorite part of riding.”
They both train regularly with Gerardi, who had high expectations for them.
“They both work very hard both in the barn and on top of a horse to be the best they can be,” Gerardi said. “They are currently riding almost daily to prepare for the competition.
“They are incredibly teachable and learn with every ride. Not all rides are perfect, but we learn the most from those rides.”
Finfrock and Thomas have a mixture of talent and a strong work ethic.
“They are both natural riders,” Gerardi said, “but they work for it as well.
“I knew that they had a strong chance to move on to Nationals this year because they have had a very successful year.”
The IEA has a set of rules that can be challenging, especially for novices. Contestants do not ride their own horses at the shows.
“These shows are hard because they are not riding horses they have ridden before,” Gerardi said. “The kids ride horses that are randomly drawn for them, so they need to be very open to learning a new horse through competition with no practice.
“This is what we do while we prepare, riding all the horses in the barn, especially ones they don’t normally ride.”
Ayla Finfrock tries not to place undue pressure on herself.
“Expectations I have for myself are to basically just be proud of the way my ride went, even if it was shows with Paris (her own horse) or IEA shows,” she said. “If it didn’t go as good as it could have, I can learn from my mistakes.
“What it feels like and what it means to make it to Nationals is a really unbelievable feeling. For it being my first year in IEA and making it to nationals it makes me feel very happy and grateful.”
Mae Thomas followed her sister’s interest in horses and got her start in a Western saddle.
“Her older sister, Cristabel, loved horses and wanted to start riding,” said Audra Thomas. “We had just moved to Illinois from Pennsylvania and a friend of my mother’s had two horses, Silver and Annie, for which she needed riders.
“Another friend had grown up with horses. We all got together just outside of LeRoy and the girls learned to ride on a Western saddle.
“They would do horsemanship lessons and ride a little in a small pasture, and eventually took some trail rides at a nearby state park.”
Mae Thomas was a little tentative at first.
“The horses were in the pasture with chickens and they were trying to peck me while I was trying to get the horses,” Mae Thomas said.
Eventually, she switched tack and focused on English riding.
“I find English style to be a more comfortable ride than western,” she said.
Despite Ayla Finfrock’s years of experience, this show season has marked a comeback for the Mahomet resident.
She suffered a serious injury last summer, which her mother said resulted from “a fluke accident.”
The result was that she spent nearly three weeks in the hospital and Nancy Finfrock said, endured “a major surgery and procedure from lung complications, broken ribs and a bruised kidney.”
Ayla Finfrock never questioned whether she would ride again.
“The entire time she was in the hospital and recovering, she always knew she would jump again,” Nancy Finfrock said. “Thirty days after her accident she was sitting on Paris and being led around the arena.
“She was very self-aware of her ability and with Jamie’s help, she came back at her own pace. When she was ready to progress, she could verbalize and feel it.”
Ayla Finfrock’s comeback was at her own pace.
“After returning from the fall I was nervous, but excited,” the sixth-grader said. “I knew it was just an accident, but I still had that weird feeling.
“My horse Paris was always so good while I was getting back into it.”
Nancy Finfrock credits Gerardi with the multiple roles she has played, not just with her daughter but the others who take lessons at J & S Equestrian, in rural White Heath.
“Jamie isn’t a trainer to Ayla, she’s a coach, friend, family, stand-in mom, mentor and inspiration,” Nancy Finfrock said. “Jamie started training Ayla at the age of 4 and knows exactly what Ayla is feeling when she’s riding by the look on Ayla’s face.
“Jamie has incredibly high standards and high expectations that are wrapped up in love and concern for the girls. She has taught Ayla how to be an incredible rider and constantly gives her the confidence through praise or correction on how to continue to grow.”
Their years together have created a significant bond.
“Jamie knows exactly what will shut Ayla down, what keeps her motivated and how to make riding fun,” Nancy Finfrock continued. “When Ayla is having a rough practice, Jamie usually knows exactly what to say to get that smile to come out or when Ayla has a bad show, Jamie is there with a hug and a pep talk and thoughts about her ride.
“Jamie pushes Ayla to be her best and celebrates her wins with her.”
Ayla Finfrock, who ran cross-country for the junior high last fall, is appreciative of Gerardi’s efforts.
“Jamie has taught me, encouraged me, and inspired me in countless ways,” Ayla Finfrock said. “I wouldn’t be the rider I am today without her.
“She is there for me whether I had a good ride or a bad ride, and is always there to give me a thoughtful pep talk.”
Mae Thomas agreed that Gerardi has a knack for knowing what approach to use with her various students.
“Jamie is a very encouraging person,” Mae Thomas said. “Even when you do something wrong, she will still provide encouragement.
“She gives out a lot of praise even for the little things. She understands how important confidence is while riding and strives to instill that in all of her riders.”
The nurturing environment fostered by Gerardi and her assistant, Katie Forshey, has created a family atmosphere.
“The barn has been such a staple in Ayla’s life and it has really formed who she is today,” Nancy Finfrock said. “The barn is a family and a team. The girls (all ages, but Ayla is one of the youngest) all help and support each other, whether it’s at a show, practicing, working at the barn or talking about horses.
“They are truly friends outside the barn. It has also taught her how to work hard and care for living animals. She works in the summer heat and winter temperatures without complaints, knowing that animals don’t care about the temperature or time, they need your care.”
Nancy Finfrock said the youth under Gerardi’s tutelage learn more than working with horses. They receive life lessons that will have carryover value well into the future.
“One of the biggest things Ayla has learned is how to lose and win with grace and humility,” Nancy Frinforck said. “Sometimes, things don’t go as planned and she hasn’t placed as expected, she fights back the urge to cry now and thinks about what she can learn.
“When she wins, she remembers that sometimes her teammates didn’t and her celebration remains on the inside. She has also learned a sense of independence, strength and confidence that is fierce.”
Mae Thomas is in a position of responsibility at the barn. She pitches in and helps where needed.
“As part of her duties to the Equestrian Team, she has worked one to two afternoons per week at the barn,” Audra Thomas said. “She prepares horses for lessons, puts on the tack, removes the tack, hoses down the horse afterwards and does barn chores like sweeping the floor, dumping the muck buckets and so on.”
Nancy Finfrock likes to see the students have additional duties to help them take ownership.
“As part of being on the IEA team, the girls also work as lesson help for the lesson program at the barn,” Nancy Finfrock said. “Ayla works Mondays from 3:30-7 p.m. as lesson help.
“This is a great way to give back to the barn and be a role model for younger riders. The barn is a team/family atmosphere.”
Audra Thomas has seen growth and maturity in her daughter the longer she has been involved with the J & S program.
“Mae has grown in responsibility as well as confidence,” Audra Thomas said. “She has always been a confident person, but this has helped her be even more confident.
“Handling an animal that weighs 10 times as much as you takes a bit of confidence as well as responsibility. Jamie trusts her to get the horse ready for lessons for younger riders. All of this adds up in the world of self-confidence.”
The confidence that Gerardi exudes makes it easier for her students to believe in their abilities.
Mae Thomas is preparing for the time when she will enter jumping events.
“I have not jumped in shows yet,” Mae Thomas said. “I will do that next season.
“But in lessons, it’s a slow progression that Jamie puts us through so we can get comfortable doing the jumps. Now in lessons, she puts up the jumps and I jump them even if their height terrifies me because if she thinks I can do them, then obviously I can.”
Mae Thomas has gained more than mental strength.
“It has helped her become physically stronger,” Audra Thomas added. “It is amazing how much core strength it takes to keep yourself in the saddle of a bouncy horse as well as maintain a two-point stance out of the saddle for two or three time around the arena.”
Gerardi said one of her most satisfying moments is the camaraderie among the students at J & S Equestrian.
“Most of my team members have been riding with me for years,” Gerardi said. “I love the fact that we are very family oriented and the kids all support each other so well.
“I am proud of them like my own.”
Gerardi said her business provides about 190 lessons a week. All of her riders are important, regardless of whether they are there for pleasure or to prepare for a show.
“Our goal is to help our riders gain confidence and help them achieve all their goals,” Gerardi said. “Very important to me that they have fun.”
Both Ayla Finfrock and Mae Thomas are enjoying their time with the horses so much they don’t plan to stop any time soon.
“I want to ride on a college team and show at large shows down south in high school,” said Ayla Finfrock, a young entrepreneur who owns Hoof and Paws Snaks.
She enjoys making and decorating treats.
Mae Thomas is thinking about a possible career.
“Mae would like to attend the UI and eventually be an equine vet,” Audra Thomas said.
Though she has a variety of interests, including soccer, Mae Thomas made it clear which is her primary focus.
“I like to paint and draw,” she said. “I also like reading and plants. But my favorite thing is animals, so if I could, I would spend all day with them.”
For those who aren’t horse people, Mae Thomas has a word of advice.
“Everyone should ride a horse at least once in their life,” Mae Thomas said, “because it’s so much fun and can help you see the world from a different perspective.”
