Eventing's Bright Future: Lela Hanagan
With an intelligent and passionate young equestrian like Lela Hanagan as a spokesperson, eventing has a promising future. We caught up with this 17-year-old, North American Junior and Young Rider Championship eventing bronze medalist, from Dickerson, Maryland, as she was arriving home from school.
“I got interested in Eventing when I joined the Pony Club in 1996. When you start, you do the one-day competitions. But, two years ago I represented the US in the North American Junior Young Rider Championship. That was a 3-day event. I was on the Area Two Eventing Team; we won the bronze. Last year, my horse Last Blast won at Waredaca Horse Trials in Lattenville, Maryland and in April, Benjamin Bunny fi nished third in the Open Preliminary at Plantation Field in Union, Pennsylvania.”
Lela’s main eventing horse is a 14-year-old bay Thoroughbred gelding named Benjamin Bunny. “I’m lucky,” she says, “I have three horses that I ride in competitions.” The other two are Last Laugh and Maholo, both Thoroughbreds. “I’m lucky to have the support of my parents, Mike and Nellie Hanagan, they drive me around, pay for everything, and introduce me to horses. My sister Catherine (aged 15) and I both compete, it’s a very supportive relationship.”
“I think cross-county is my favorite part of eventing. Though, dressage is the most diffi cult, you have to be very accurate to get good marks, and your horse has to be very well schooled. My trainer Judy McGaughn really helped with dressage. I’m hoping to move Benjamin Bunny into the intermediate level and compete in 2-Star competitions this fall.” 2-Star events are 3-day events.
On her future, Lela laughs, “I can’t see myself sitting in an office. I’d like to do something with horses professionally, either eventing, or training horses for steeplechase racing.” No matter her choice, Lela Hanagan’s future looks very promising.
Nellie Hanagan, Lela’s mom says, “I use Legends® Performance Textured Formula, and I love it. I have a huge variety of horses, and Legends® Performance is good all around. ”
