In a class of 25 riders, Craven and her own Silverado came in sixth in the North American Adult Equitation Championships on Sunday, September 29.
"He was fabulous. He never spooks at indoors and just gets so excited when he goes to horseshows. He just went around and didn't question anything," said Craven. "You can put a 4-year-old on him or a 90-year-old on him. He's one of those horses that is really safe, and he's always been like that. There's not much that freaks him out."
Craven continued, "They had a lot of challenges in the course, such as opening to get your horse galloping down the lines. Then there were lines where you had to be connected to the horse and tight. There were also easy points, but the judges wanted to make sure that you knew where your horse was, every step of the way. It was awesome. It was a challenge that we needed."
Craven was up to the challenge, thanks largely in part to her instruction and training with Castlewood Farm. She has been riding and training with the Wellington, Florida based farm for the past four years, largely under the instruction of trainer Susan Tuccinardi.
Craven has owned Silverado for the past 15 years, and under Tuccinardi's instruction, the pair has competed in the Amateur Jumpers, the Low Adult Jumpers and the adult equitation divisions.
"He is one of those horses that is all about his treats," laughs Craven. "Once he just pushed Susan [Tuccinardi] over after she left the stall door open, and he walked out to get grass. Now he does it because he knows he can get away with it."
The two will be competing later on this week in the Adult Ariat Medal.