Ponies forever

Sometimes, things don't change. Cheryl Laird loved competing at horse shows when she was a kid at St. Thomas' Episcopal School. Now, four decades later, she still loves polishing her tall boots, pushing down the nerves, and showing off her horse to judges at competitions. The only thing that's changed is that, instead of jumping, she now competes in the precise (and on-the-ground) discipline of dressage. Most recently, she competed with her 8-year-old gray Lusitano gelding, Dapper Dan, in the year-end regional dressage championships that drew competitors (who wore masks when not riding) to the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy. Her other horse, a Friesian/Clydesdale mare named Atomic Betty, is waiting her turn to get back into the show ring – and trying to keep a close eye on boyfriend Dapper Dan – at Twinwood Equestrian Center in Simonton. Laird is an associate editor at The Buzz, using the same skills she says she learned back in phonics class at St. Thomas'.

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